Illegal arms recovered from US-linked security firm

[Spring Onion]

Islamabad police raids US-linked security firm
Saturday, 19 Sep, 2009

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police in an early morning raid claim to have recovered 61 illegal guns and nine pistols from the offices of a private security firm providing security to the US embassy.

The raid comes after it was revealed that the Interior Ministry had issued licences of highly sophisticated assault riffles to the company with the Prime Minister’s special permission.

The police has registered a case of fraud against the owner of the company and arrested two persons from the offices of Inter Risk.

US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson had held meetings with Prime Minister Gilani and the Interior Minister Rehman Malik for approval of the licenses.

Although the weapons are owned by the US embassy, they are to be carried by Inter Risk personnel.

The security firm Inter Risk had signed a contract with the US embassy in April to provide security to American employees of theUS embassy in Pakistan. — DawnNews

 

[Spring Onion]

So these are privat local firms tactfully hired by Blackwater and Xe??

 

[Developereo]

I don't understand. If the licenses are issued, then why are they illegal?

 

[PakShaheen79]

So it begins.... Allah khair kare. But i am not expecting from our government here as they can't do much.

 

[Spring Onion]

I don't understand. If the licenses are issued, then why are they illegal?

May be because the payment for the weapons is done by US embassy or i dont know but indeed there is some link to Blackwater and Xe.

Besides its just a cover up the weapons have been purchased by inter-risk a local company from US whereas no foreigner is allowed to import these like that under tha law so Blackwater or US is using local companies.

 

[Omar1984]

Here's an article about this from Yahoo news.

Pakistan police raid US-contracted security firm

ISLAMABAD – Pakistani police raided a local security firm contracted by the U.S. Embassy on Saturday, officials said, seizing dozens of allegedly unlicensed weapons at a time when American use of private contractors is under unusual scrutiny here.

Two employees of the Inter-Risk company were arrested, Islamabad police official Rana Akram told a news conference. Reporters were shown the disputed weapons — 61 assault rifles and nine pistols.

He said police were searching for the owner of the firm, which has been mentioned recently in local media reports that have been trying to establish the types of private security firms that American diplomats use in Pakistan.

In particular, Pakistani reporters, bloggers and others have suggested that the U.S. may be using the American firm formerly known as Blackwater, which was refused an operating license by Iraq's government early this year amid continued outrage over a lethal 2007 firefight involving some of its employees in Baghdad.

The U.S. Embassy denies it uses Blackwater — now known as Xe Services — in Pakistan, but the accusations have been part of a deepening sense of anti-Americanism in a country where that feeling is already pervasive.

Much of it hinges on U.S. plans to expand its embassy, adding hundreds more staff and more land in what it says is a move to allow it to disburse billions of dollars more in humanitarian aid to Pakistan.

Akram said police are investigating whether any other private security firms are using illegal weapons.

U.S. Embassy spokesman Rick Snelsire confirmed that the embassy signed a contract with Inter-Risk last year and that it took effect at the start of 2009. It is believed to be the first contract the local firm has signed with the U.S., said Snelsire, who did not have a figure for the contract's worth.

"Our understanding is they obtained licenses with whatever they brought into the country to meet the contractual needs," Snelsire said. "We told the government that we had a contract with Inter-Risk, that Inter-Risk would be providing security at the embassy and our consulates."

Pakistan police raid US-contracted security firm - Yahoo! News


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Imagine if this happened to any other sovereign nation.

Pakistan must protect its sovereignity at all cost.

 

[Ghareeb_Da_Baal]

.................................

 

[Imran Khan]

crack down begain yesterday night against helpers of BW in pakistan many of islamabad bilding owners who rent there villas to BW cancel there deals with BW.this securty firm was right hand of BW in pakistan.

 

[Comet]

This is insane. How come Prime Minister give them authority to bring weapon in Pakistan. You know what it means, it means these weapons will end up killing Pakistanis

 

[Spring Onion]

crack down begain yesterday night against helpers of BW in pakistan many of islamabad bilding owners who rent there villas to BW cancel there deals with BW.this securty firm was right hand of BW in pakistan.

Great if that is happening the locals should be alerted

 

[Spring Onion]

Seems legal.

well technically yes.

But then nothing is above the security of the country.

On the other hand geo says the recoverd weapons were unlincensed


Police recover unlicensed arms from security firm
Updated at: 1611 PST, Saturday, September 19, 2009
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani police raided a local security firm contracted by the U.S. Embassy on Saturday, officials said, seizing dozens of allegedly unlicensed weapons at a time when American use of private contractors is under unusual scrutiny here.

Two employees of the Inter-Risk company were arrested, Islamabad police official Rana Akram told a news conference. Reporters were shown the disputed weapons, 61 assault rifles and nine pistols.

He said police were searching for the owner of the firm, which has been mentioned recently in local media reports that have been trying to establish the types of private security firms that American diplomats use in Pakistan.

In particular, Pakistani reporters, bloggers and others have suggested that the U.S. may be using the American firm formerly known as Blackwater, which was refused an operating license by Iraq's government early this year amid continued outrage over a lethal 2007 firefight involving some of its employees in Baghdad.

The U.S. Embassy denies it uses Blackwater, now known as XeServices, in Pakistan, but the accusations have been part of a deepening sense of anti-Americanism in a country where that feeling is already pervasive.

Much of it hinges on U.S. plans to expand its embassy, adding hundreds more staff and more land in what it says is a move to allow it to disburse billions of dollars more in humanitarian aid to Pakistan.

Akram said police are investigating whether any other private security firms are using illegal weapons.

U.S. Embassy spokesman Rick Snelsire confirmed that the embassy signed a contract with Inter-Risk last year and that it took effect at the start of 2009. It is believed to be the first contract the local firm has signed with the U.S., said Snelsire, who did not have a figure for the contract's worth.

``Our understanding is they obtained licenses with whatever they brought into the country to meet the contractual needs,'' Snelsire said.

``We told the government that we had a contract with Inter-Risk, that Inter-Risk would be providing security at the embassy and our consulates.''

Police recover unlicensed arms from security firm - GEO.tv

 

[Thomas]

"Our understanding is they obtained licenses with whatever they brought into the country to meet the contractual needs,'' Snelsire said."

sounds like an internal power struggle going on. if the weapons were legal.

 

[Imran Khan]

its confirms locals cancel there agreements with BW crack down may be stop if US conslate inter in this case.

 

[Thomas]

It might interest you to know inter-risk is a Pakistani security company. and the U.S. Embassy stated "that Inter-Risk would be providing security at the embassy and our consulates." they didn't say Blackwater or XE or any other security company. I would think you guys would be happy that a Pakistani company is the one involved. don't you think Pakistani security guards are up to the task?

http://interriskpk.com/profile.html

all you Black Water haters can breath easy.

 

[Imran Khan]

they guy who run interrisk cap.zaidi is best friend of black water cheaf of afghanistan he is the one who play role here as BW agent.