Feral Jundi

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters Tuesday the bounty on Saeed is about “justice being done” and that there should be no impunity for those who kill Americans overseas. She emphasized that the reward was not just for information leading to Saeed’s arrest, but also for information leading to his conviction.

Man, let’s get this guy. This is also a great way to snub Pakistan (again, because they deserve it for hiding Bin Laden all of these years and supporting the Taliban) and show some support for India (who does deserve our support and would tick off Pakistan), by helping to nab this guy.  He has been pretty open in Pakistan and so he shouldn’t be hard to find.

What is key with this bounty though, is that the US wants information that will lead to his location and arrest/conviction. So you might be able to locate him, but in order to get the full amount, I think we want a little bit more. I would say information leading to arrest and conviction would be far more valuable in this deal and would probably give that tipster the full amount.

But of course this whole bounty program is a contradiction in terms. By all intents and purposes, this is a bounty.  According to the Rewards for Justice FAQ, bounty hunting is not prohibited with this deal though. So could a company find the guy and get all of the juice on him, and then find some random person to be the ‘lone individual’ to report the whole thing?  I don’t get that.

By offering a reward, aren’t you encouraging bounty hunters?

We strongly discourage bounty hunters and other non-government individuals from pursuing the capture of terrorists; instead, RFJ provides rewards for information that will enable appropriate government authorities to locate and apprehend such individuals.

To me, the DoS should be up front and purposeful about promoting bounty hunting. It is a form of offense industry that if properly constructed, will definitely produce results. At this time, their Rewards For Justice program is terribly inefficient and poorly set up.

They should be reaching out to all and any parties/groups/individuals/companies, and providing a set of rules and licenses in order for them to do what they need to do to find these folks. Issue a Letter of Marque and Reprisal–with an emphasis on ‘reprisal’ and tell these folks to get bonded, and then let them hunt. Matter of fact, let hundreds of groups go hunting, all being innovative and motivated, and turn ol’ Haviz Mohammad Saeed and others like him into a prize. But that would first require the DoS and governments to stop demonizing bounty hunters and utility….. –Matt

 

Wanted : Information leading to the arrest and conviction of Hafiz Mohammad Saeed –Up to $10 Million
Place of Birth : Sargodha, Punjab Province, Pakistan
Date of Birth : 06/05/1950
Sex : Male
Hair : Red
Eyes : Brown
Nationality : Pakistani
Citizenship : Pakistan
Hafiz Mohammad Saeed is a former professor of Arabic and Engineering, as well as the founding member of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, a radical Deobandi Islamist organization dedicated to installing Islamist rule over parts of India and Pakistan, and its military branch, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba. Saeed is suspected of masterminding numerous terrorist attacks, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 166 people, including six American citizens.
The Republic of India has issued an Interpol Red Corner Notice against Saeed for his role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Additionally, the United States Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated National under Executive Order 13224.
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in December 2001. In April 2008, the United States designated Jamaat-ud-Dawa as a Foreign Terrorist Organization; similarly, the United Nations declared Jamaat-ud-Dawa a terrorist organization in December 2008.
Link to Rewards for Justice bounty here.
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US Offers $10 Million Bounty for 2008 Mumbai Terror Suspect
April 03, 2012
The United States is offering a bounty of up to $10 million for the Pakistani man accused of masterminding the deadly 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai.?The State Department’s “Rewards for Justice” website on late Monday announced the reward for information leading to Hafiz Mohammad Saeed’s capture and conviction. The reward is the second highest bounty offered by the U.S.

Saeed is the founding member of the Pakistani-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is suspected of carrying out several terrorist attacks on Indian soil.  He currently heads the Jamaat-ud-Dawa charity which is largely seen as a front for the militant group.
Top U.S. Rewards for Justice Bounties
-Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaida leader – up to $25 million.
-Abu Du’a, senior leader of al-Qaida in Iraq – up to $10 million.
-Mullah Omar, Taliban leader – up to $10 million.
-Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, mastermind of 2008 Mumbai attacks – up to $10 million.
-Yasin al-Suri, senior al-Qaida facilitator based in Iran – up to $10 million.
Saeed told reporters Tuesday that the U.S. issued the bounty because he is urging Pakistan not to reopen its border with Afghanistan to NATO supply convoys. The cleric demanded that Washington put forward any evidence of his involvement in terrorist activities. He later told the Pakistani GEO television that the the U.S. wants to silence him and discourage the public from supporting him. Saeed also called for the U.S. to leave Afghanistan and the region.?Pakistani authorities held Saeed under house arrest for about six months after the Mumbai attacks. He later was released, without charge.  Pakistan’s Supreme Court said there was insufficient evidence to detain him.?The November 2008 terrorist attack on India’s financial hub, carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba, killed 166 people, including six Americans.?In Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters Tuesday the bounty on Saeed is about “justice being done” and that there should be no impunity for those who kill Americans overseas. She emphasized that the reward was not just for information leading to Saeed’s arrest, but also for information leading to his conviction.?Pakistan’s government did not officially comment Tuesday on the bounty. But a key member of the ruling coalition, Mushahid Hussain, rejected the U.S. decision and told VOA it could undermine the ongoing parliamentary review of Islamabad’s ties with Washington.?”This will not go down well with the people of Pakistan. And as I said, it is politically motivated because in the past the U.S. had put some [Afghan] Taliban leaders on the list of terrorists and now those same Taliban leaders have been de-notified for political reasons because the U.S. is now negotiating with the Taliban for an exit from Afghanistan,” said Hussain. “So putting somebody on the list or removing somebody from the list has nothing to do with the action of that person alleged or otherwise, but it is based on politics and pragmatism, and this seems to be the case of Hafiz Saeed also.”?India has long accused Lashkar-e-Taiba of carrying out the attack, with the help of Pakistan’s military and spy agency.
India’s Minister of External Affairs S.M. Krishna said the U.S. move reflects the commitment of India and the U.S. to bringing the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack to justice.
“It also sends a strong message to the Lashkar-e-Taiba, and also its members and patrons, that the international community remains united in combating terrorism,” said Krishna.
Krishna also said India would be “quite comfortable” if the U.S. “proceeds to act on Hafiz Saeed,” who is one of India’s most wanted fugitives.
Saeed is a prominent cleric in Pakistan, often appearing on TV shows and giving public speeches during rallies. While Lashkar-e-Taiba is officially banned in Pakistan, some analysts say Islamabad has done little to crack down on its activities.
Pakistani defense analyst Lieutenant General Talat Masood says that with the bounty, the U.S. wants to put pressure on Pakistan because of Saeed’s opposition to the NATO supply route through Pakistan. Masood also said Saeed’s Jamaat-ud-Dawa charity is “an embarrassment to Pakistan.”
U.S. officials also have announced a $2 million bounty for the group’s deputy leader, Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki.
Lashkar-e-Taiba is officially designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States.
Story here.

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By offering a reward, aren’t you encouraging bounty hunters?

We strongly discourage bounty hunters and other non-government individuals from pursuing the capture of terrorists; instead, RFJ provides rewards for information that will enable appropriate government authorities to locate and apprehend such individuals.

What does it take to merit a reward? What kind of information are you looking for?

Anyone who provides actionable information that will either help us prevent or favorably resolve acts of international terrorism against the U.S. anywhere in the world may potentially be eligible for a reward.
If, for example, a terrorist involved in either the planning or execution of an attack against U.S. persons and/or property is arrested or convicted as a result of information provided by a source, that source may be eligible for a reward.
In addition, anyone with information regarding the identification or location of a key leader in an international terrorist organization may be eligible for a reward. Rewards may also be paid for information about an individual or organization that is trafficking drugs to finance acts of international terrorism or to raise money to sustain or support a terrorist organization.
However, under the law that governs the program, U.S., state, local, and foreign government employees are generally not eligible for a reward if they provide information obtained in the performance of their official duties.
From the Rewards for Justice website FAQ.