Pakistan police raid US-employed security firm

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

Pakistan police raid US-employed security firm
(AP) – 3 hours ago

ISLAMABAD — Pakistani police say they have raided a local security firm that has a contract with the U.S. Embassy.

Islamabad police official Rana Akram says the Inter-Risk firm is accused of illegal weapons possession.

The raid Saturday comes amid intense coverage in the local media of American use of private security firms in the country, much of it negative.

Akram says police found 61 assault rifles and nine pistols that were allegedly unlicensed.




Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hkiMxbHNH0BqgpWA2ZG6VD6wVTmAD9AQ9ROG2

---

more here: Pakistani police raid homes of U.S. embassy contractor

~snip~
A spokesman confirmed that the embassy hired Inter-Risk last year, but he said he knew nothing about the allegations of illegal weapons.

"We hired them to augment at the embassy and our consulates. They applied for licenses to fulfill their contractual obligations with the us. We assumed they had their licenses," said Rick Snelsire.

"The minute we engaged them we notified the Pakistani government," he said. "We've been very transparent. We apprised them that they would be seeking to import weapons and get licenses, and my understanding is they did obtain licenses for these types of weapons."

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/19/pakistan.weapons.raid/

[maddezmom]

1. updated info: 2 have been arrested

~snip~


Two employees of the Inter-Risk company were arrested during the raids in Islamabad, police official Rana Akram said. Reporters were shown the seized weapons -- 61 assault rifles and nine pistols. Akram said police were seeking the firm's owner.

U.S. Embassy spokesman Rick Snelsire said the U.S. contract with Inter-Risk to provide security at the embassy and consulates took effect this year. It is believed to be the first U.S. contract for the firm, said Snelsire, who did not have a figure for its amount.

"Our understanding is they obtained licenses with whatever they brought into the country to meet the contractual needs," he said. "We told the government that we had a contract with Inter-Risk."

Akram said he had no idea about any U.S. links to Inter-Risk. A man who answered the phone number listed for the company and identified himself as Riaz Hussain confirmed the raid but gave contradictory answers when asked about any U.S. ties.

more:
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13376596

[troubledamerican]

2. Is the Pakistani ISI a GOP stronghold?

Are the Cheney Sleeper Cells ready to be activated by the 7 ex-CIA chiefs who are this week warning Obama not to proceed with investigations?

[Posteritatis]

3. ... I can't even tell if this is sarcastic or not. (nt)

[dipsydoodle]

4. Curiouser and Curiouser......

It follows allegations that the US is using the security firm once known as Blackwater. The US embassy in Islamabad denies it has any contract with them.

The media in Pakistan have reported that the US embassy in Islamabad was involved in hiring the firm Xe services, formally known as Blackwater, a company which was embroiled in allegations of civilian killings while hired to protect US diplomats in Iraq.

A spokesman for the US embassy, Rick Snelsire, has confirmed a contract with Inter-Risk exists and said that "It is our understanding they obtained licenses whatever they brought into the country to meet their contractual needs."

The US has denied that they use Xe services in Pakistan.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8265042.stm

From the original report : "We assumed they had their licenses......." :sarcasm:

[TankLV]

5. Gee - another REPUKE company caught breaking the law - imagine that!