Posted: May 04, 2009
MIRANSHAH, Pakistan — Taliban militants shot dead an Afghan national in Pakistan's restive northwest tribal belt after accusing him of spying for the United States, a police official said Sunday.
The bullet-ridden body of Fazal Haq, 28, was found on Sunday dumped by the side of a road in Naurak village, 15 kilometers (nine miles) east of Miranshah, the main town in the semi-autonomous North Waziristan tribal region.
"Haq, who was kidnapped two months ago, had multiple bullet wounds on his body," local tribal police official Omar Niaz told AFP.
A note written in Pashto language and found on Haq's body said: "He was killed because of spying for the US against the Taliban."
Almost every week, militants kidnap and kill tribesmen, accusing them of spying for the Pakistani government or US forces operating across the border in Afghanistan, where Taliban fighters are leading an insurgency.
Pakistan's rugged tribal regions have ... » Read more Posted: May 04, 2009 Posted: May 01, 2009
Gregorio Sauceda Gamboa was arrested in a raid on a house in the city of Matamoros, near the US border.
He is accused of being one of the kingpins of the notorious Los Zetas drugs gang, the armed wing of the Mexican Gulf Cartel.
Earlier this month the US government placed Los Zetas on its list of suspected drug syndicates.
Los Zetas is made up of former army officers.
Its activities range from drugs and human trafficking to prostitution rackets, and gang members are renowned for beheading their rivals.
Police consider Mr Gamboa, 44, to be a founder of the gang.
Weapons seized
Officers say they also confiscated weapons during the raid on the house, and arrested Mr Gamboa's wife.
Mr Gamboa, a former policeman, was flown to Mexico City after his arrest.
As well as being on a list of most wanted drugs suspects in Mexico, he is also wanted by the US Drug Enforcement Administration. ... » Read more Posted: May 01, 2009 Posted: May 01, 2009
As President Obama and members of Congress push to strengthen relations with Cuba, the State Department released a report on Friday that details Cuban efforts to weaken the morale of U.S. diplomats on the island by poisoning their family pets.
The 64-page report written in 2007 states that the life of U.S. diplomats serving in the U.S. Interest Section (USINT) – which issues visas and performs other diplomatic services in Havana – was laden with poor morale “in part because USINT life in Havana is life with a government that ‘let’s [sic] you know it’s hostile.’”
Cuban officials would often try to create dissention within the ranks of U.S. diplomats on the island according to the report, which was prepared and released by the State Department inspector general.
“Retaliations have ranged from the petty to the poisoning of family pets. The regime has recently gone to great lengths to harass some employees by holding up household goods and consumable shipme... » Read more Posted: May 01, 2009 |