Farooq Naeem/Agence France-Presse
Rashid Rauf, in a 2006 photo, apparently slipped out of his handcuffs and fled Saturday after a hearing in Islamabad.
Posted on 12/17/2007 12:50:00 AM PST by bd476
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A man who was arrested in Pakistan last year on suspicion of plotting to blow up trans-Atlantic airplanes and who faced extradition to Britain in another case, escaped from his guards Saturday after a court hearing here, officials said Sunday.The suspect, Rashid Rauf, 26, apparently slipped out of his handcuffs and darted away just after the afternoon extradition hearing, said Muhammad Arshad, the station officer at the local Margalla police station. Two of the policemen guarding him were arrested in the incident, he said, but he added that he did not think they had helped Mr. Rauf to escape.
An Interior Ministry spokesman, Javed Iqbal Cheema, confirmed that Mr. Rauf had escaped and that a police search was under way, news agencies reported.
The disappearance of a terrorism suspect wanted in Britain was an embarrassment to the government of Pakistan a day after President Pervez Musharraf ended six weeks of de facto martial law, announcing that security forces had broken the back of militants fighting in the northwest and that stability was returning.
Mr. Rauf’s lawyer, Rizvan Abbassi, said that news of the escape had surprised him. He said Mr. Rauf seemed normal in court on Saturday afternoon. Mr. Abbassi said he had not seen what happened after the hearing because he had left early to attend to another case.
“If it has been done by him, it is sheer stupidity on his part because the case for his extradition was not strong,” Mr. Abbassi said. He had planned to apply for bail for Mr. Rauf on Monday and had been confident of getting it, he said.
Hashmat Habib, who defended Mr. Rauf when he faced terrorism charges last year, said reports that he had escaped were suspicious...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Rashid Rauf, in a 2006 photo, apparently slipped out of his handcuffs and fled Saturday after a hearing in Islamabad.
Ping.
Yep...jihad — another day.
True.
And in the It's Bad All Over category, here's a larger escape, this time centered around a Maoist rebellion.
New York Times
300 Inmates Break Out of Indian Jail
By SOMINI SENGUPTA
Published: December 17, 2007
NEW DELHI — In the epicenter of the Maoist rebellion in central India, 300 prisoners who were apparently led by Maoists broke out of jail on Sunday evening, the police said..."
300 Inmates Break Out of Indian Jail
300?
Yep, I think that’s news to me.
Thanks for the ping bd476.
You're welcome, Cindy.
***apparently slipped out of his handcuffs***
Slipped out of the handcuffs with the key he was given by the guards and drove away in the vehicle provided by the government.
Golly gee... just slipped out his handcuffs and snuck out the door. Them jihadi fellers are sure slick!
Sigh...
New details of Rashid Rauf's escape, a major embarrassment for President Pervez Musharraf's government, emerged two days after he got away following a court appearance in Islamabad on Britain's request for his extradition.
A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue, said Rauf was being taken back to Adiala Jail _ a high-security prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi _ when he asked his guards to let him say afternoon prayers at a roadside mosque.
"The policemen accepted his request," the official said. "Rashid Rasuf went inside the mosque with handcuffs on, but he slipped out from a rear door."
Whooo weee!!!!
Imagine that!!!
Well, golly-gee! That’s easy enough to understand. After all, if you’re transporting a dangerous fanatic terrorist who wants to blow up hundreds of infidels and he wants to stop and pray at a mosque, you certainly wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings by actually keeping an eye on him would ya?
Nope, no siree! Just let him out and the curb and have him knock on the winder when he’s done. After all, he’s got an honest face and whatnot. Nothing to worry about.
And this is how he made the escape:
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jTTnHm3KzvjU5qx4QGD6SGRBk4RQ
Everybody knows moslems are not only allowed to lie but expected to lie when on moslem business.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.