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'Tartan Taliban' terror suspect 'arrested' in Pakistan

by mudricky | April 12, 2009 at 11:24 pm

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A high-profile home grown Scottish 'terrorist' is said to have been arrested in Pakistan on 'terrorism charges' - though this is still to be confirmed officially.

James Alexander McLintock, 44 who has been nicknamed the "Tartan Taliban" since he became a Muslim convert in his mid 20’s.

Alexander is originally from Dundee in Scotland. He became well known in Scotland and the UKwhen he was arrested in Afghanistan, December 2001 on the same charges.

A SCOTTISH Muslim convert, dubbed the "Tartan Taleban", has re-emerged in Pakistan where he has reportedly been arrested as a terror suspect. Pakistan television paraded images of a man said to be James Alexander McLintock, who had been detained in the north-west city of Peshawar in late February.

The 44-year-old father of four, originally from Dundee, converted to Islam in his 20s but came to international attention in December 2001 when he was arrested in Afghanistan on suspicion of being a foreign fighter.

Mr McLintock was released five weeks later after strenuous denials of links to terror organisations and sent back to the UK. There was no official confirmation of his latest arrest. The British High Commission in Islamabad did not return calls.

The police in Peshawar deny holding Mr McLintock, while Pakistan's Foreign Ministry claimed no knowledge of his detention. But Pakistani government sources last night told The Scotsman Mr McLintock had been detained.

Although supposedly held since February, the information about this latest arrest was only leaked by Pakistani government sources to the country's media over the weekend, and it has been suggested that it could be the result of a tit-for-tat diplomatic spat between London and Islamabad.

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hussain

at 23:34 on April 12th, 2009

Problem with highlight needs to be fixed.

mudricky

at 23:36 on April 12th, 2009

Thanks I've just spotted that - fixed. =:-)

(I forgot to add the link)

hussain

at 23:41 on April 12th, 2009

It is ironical that on the one the UK authorities are arresting Pakistani students while on the other hand they failed to stop from travelling to Pakistan a man who was arrested in Pakistan in 2001 and deported to the UK.

PESHAWAR: As authorities were grilling a British national for suspected links with terrorists, the city police categorically rejected any such arrest during the recent past. “We have no information about the arrest of any British national in the past few days,” a senior police official told ‘The News’ requesting anonymity. Sources, however, said that James Alexander Mclintock was nabbed by the law enforcement agencies some time ago from Peshawar suburbs for his suspected links with the extremists. He had been staying in Pakistan since 2004 and was known with his Muslim name, Yaqoob, after reportedly embracing Islam. James was also arrested in 2001 and was repatriated to the United Kingdom.

mudricky

at 23:46 on April 12th, 2009

That's a good point.

Amaad

at 01:58 on April 13th, 2009

its a shame that people from the west are converting to Islam for wrong reasons and the most radical, rigid and hostile school of thought practiced by Taliban.
one needs to see the background of these individuals if they see the "kick" in the religion and see it as being a part of some sort of a Mob or Mafia if that’s the case I am sure they will run miles away from the Sufi and Berailwi Islam which is mostly praising God His universe and His people.

re the terror arrests in UK of the students I dared to highlight a different point of view but I got told off big time by some one who chose to respond as (not verified) who questioned my loyalties to Briton.

to me this event just appeared to be just another gesture of "Shoulder to Shoulder to United States" by our government i.e. joining in with US to increasing pressure on Pakistan so that it remains under siege and never gets the chance to protest about Indian/ US involvement in Balochistan, SWAT and Mehsud.

Sounds unthinkable right? well that’s what governments do while we do our 9 to 5 shifts have our beer watch football or East enders and then Fox or BBC news and think we know everything.

saad ahmad (not verified)

at 19:51 on April 22nd, 2009

it is shame on you .dont know about him and pass coments on him .he was a very brelient person .he has a welfair organization did more for orphen and for poor people.about 2000 orphen respons by him.shame on you nothing do and say without orguments.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 05:26 on April 13th, 2009

Amaad all good points. Like your last paragraph about knowing everything. At least if you get your news from BBC and FOX it will definitely from both sides of the spectrum. If the Tartan Taliban was in fact arrested, a good point was raised on how he got out of the UK and was allowed to travel to Pakistan.

Amaad

at 02:24 on April 14th, 2009

yea true,

re my sources. I rely on dawn which is a good Pakistani paper and have to rely on BBC as well otherwise my stories will be rejected by my friends in the west. Quoting Al jezira or Palistinan voice or Taliban-R-US would just kill my own argument. own goal lol