Last June an American construction worker was picked up in Pakistan on a one-man mission to capture Osama bin Laden.
Gary Faulkner was armed with a dagger, some biblical literature, a pistol, night-vision goggles and a sword, news reports said.
What's more, the man was even on dialysis, CNN reported at the time. And yet somehow he managed to end up in Chitral, a mountainous district in the northern tip of the country.
Chitral was as logical a place as any to hunt for the most wanted terrorist in the world. News reports in the years since the 9/11 attacks had put bin Laden in fortress-like environs along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Chitral fit the bill. It was connected to the rest of the country by a strip of land so treacherous that it is often closed because of weather conditions.
On Sunday night, Americans received news that bin Laden was killed in his compound in Abbottabad, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
How far off was Faulkner, whose across-the-world trek still remains shrouded in mystery?
Chitral to Abbottabad is roughly about 300 miles, according to Google Maps technology, indicating about a "7-hour" drive. Yeah right. To put the distance in perspective, according to Google, the two places are about the same distance as Atlanta, Georgia, to the Florida Panhandle.
Of course, much of the Pakistan route is undriveable because of foothills and mountains. The area is also said to be inhabited by fiercely independent tribes.
While Faulkner has talked to CNN in depth much of the details about his trip remain secret. What we do know is that he wants some of the $25 million reward money that was offered for bin Laden's kill or capture.
"I scared the squirrel out of his hole, he popped his head up and he got capped," Faulkner told ABC News this week, referring to bin Laden's death. "[U.S. officials] were handed this opportunity on a platter from myself," he was quoted as saying.
Faulkner also told ABC that assertions that bin Laden had been holed up in his compound in Abbottabad for more than half a decade were not true.
"He hadn't been living there for no damn six years," he told ABC. "I absolutely flushed him out."
Should Faulkner get a portion of the reward?
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Yes of course he should get $250,000 for the effort. At least he had the balls to go to Pakistan. Which let Osama know how crazy some Americans can be.
this idiot should be president. would only be fitting that a complete fool represent the dumbest country on the planet. i really feel sorry for americans and how stupid they are
What on earth are you talking about...
Who's sad?
you are stupid
Yeah Hooligan, at least yell "Spoiler Alert!" before telling us there is no Santa Clause.
LOL, Good one Joe
Joe, change your name to "Sheep."
A place that is full of fire, where souls get tortured for all eternity for fornicating before marriage and not believing in a false god, with a three headed fire breathing dog guarding the entrance and a hoofed demon with a pointy tail and a pitch fork as a warden seems pretty abstract to me..........Did that go the way you thought it would...............nope.
How did he personally attack you by stating a true fact lol?
Uh, hooligan didn't "attack anyone." He said that hell doesn't exist. How is that attacking you, or anybody else? Stating something that's contrary to what YOU happen to believe isn't an attack. No, sir, it is YOU who attacked: by responding to hooligan's statement of disbelief in hell by suggesting that he kill himself. So typical of "believers" like yourself: you attack personally anyone who doesn't buy into your little fantasies about your imaginary friend in the sky.
Joe! Who is attacking who? Sounds like you are attacking Hooligan for merly believing hell is not real. Why do you think he would say this? Maybe because that is where Bin Laden should go? I find it absolutly revolting that anytime someone says something that about not believing in the god(Pick a version) or the after life they are the devil.
It's called collateral damage
Only if they don't get out of the way. If they don't they are the problem too.