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American's kidnapping: ISI shows teeth to Obama

by Ahmar Mustikhan | February 2, 2009 at 03:22 pm

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Pakistan earned itself the dubious distinction of being one of the most hostile countries towards the US as it became the first nation where an American national has been kidnapped within two weeks of the Barack Obama presidency.

US national, John Solecki, who was the head of the UNHCR in Baluchistan, was abducted and his driver killed in a terror attack early Monday.

Balochistan is also the scene of a separatist insurgency driven by Baloch nationalist groups seeking greater political autonomy, but unlike the Taleban and al-Qaeda, the Baloch groups are secular and not known to target foreigners.

The attack is being seen as a clear and calculated signal to President Obama by the ISI, which has been running a parallel government in Pakistan for more than quarter century now, that the US will not have its way in the region.

According to Saleem Shahid, a correspondent based in Quetta for the Pakistani English-language daily, Dawn, Mr. Solecki – who has lived in Quetta for about two years – regularly traveled around without security detail.

"I would see him regularly in the bazaar. Once he came to tell me about his travels outside the city to witness the sport of buzkashi," a polo-like sport, says Shahid.

Other local journalists were also all praise for Solecki.

Syed Hashim, the driver of Solecki has been killed in the incident whereas attackers abducted John Solecki. I have met John a couple of times at the Quetta office of the UNHCR and admire his sense of humor.

But there is more to the abduction saga than what meet the eyes as it comes at a time when an economic Tsunami is ravaging US society.

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