US man on mission to behead Bin Laden arrested by Pakistan police

After suffering a personal loss during the September 11th attacks, 50 year old construction worker Gary Faulkner from California decided to go to Afghanistan to hunt down the Al Qaeda leader and assassinate him however his plans have now come to an abrupt halt after being caught by Pakistani police.

Gary Faulkner had arrived in Chitrali town of Bumburate on June 3 and stayed in a local hotel where he was assigned a police guard, which is customary for foreigners visiting remote parts of Pakistan, however he gave his guard the slip and checked out early to begin his hunt for Bin Laden. Officers who had been looking for him since he gave his guard the slip arrested Faulkner as he crept through a remote forest, when he was arrested he was found to be carrying a pistol as well as a 40-inch sword, night vision goggles and a book of Christian works and teachings.

When Faulkner was asked what he was doing in the area officers were shocked by his replay and thought that he was joking when he said he was there to kill Osama bin Laden, senior investigator with the Afghan police Mumtaz Ahmad Khan said, “when officers seized he pistol, the sword and night-vision equipment, our suspicion grew, he was roaming in the security zone in a suspicious manner. He had a dagger and night vision goggles with him. He is being investigated.”

The Pakistani Daily Dawn newspaper said “Faulkner acknowledged to police that he wanted to ‘decapitate Osama bin Laden, and told them he had visited Pakistan seven times, and this was his third trip to Chitral.”

According to Faulkner’s brother Scott, catching Bin Laden was his passion and he said, “Our military has not been able to track Osama down yet. It’s been 10 years, its easier as a civilian, dressed in the local dress, to infiltrate the inside, the local people, gain their confidence and get information and Intel that you couldn’t get as an American soldier, Navy SEAL, whoever you might be”

Picture courtesy of OpenDemocracy