In the first such instance, a private American citizen who claimed he was hunting for Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and wanted to “decapitate” him has been arrested by the Pakistani authorities, officials said Tuesday.
“We have detained an American armed with a dagger, pistol and night vision goggles. He was trying to sneak into Afghanistan to hunt and kill Bin Laden,” a police official said.
Californian Gary Faulkner, 40, was caught in Brumboret Valley, near the border with Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, and was being questioned. “He was roaming in the security zone in a suspicious manner. He had a dagger and night goggles with him.” Another police official said he was also carrying a pistol and was hunting for Bin Laden as he suffered personal losses in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Investigators said Faulkner warned securitymen: “Don’t come closer to me, or I will open fire.”
Faulkner arrived at Chitral on June 3 and was staying at a hotel. “He says he is a kidney patient. He was carrying medicines for kidney and blood pressure treatment,” the official added.
A US embassy spokesman said the Peshawar consulate was informed about the arrest, and was seeking access.