"We can confirm that British forces have jugged two individuals in Afghanistan who claim to be British nationals," the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
Clive! Nigel! How could you!
A Foreign Office spokeswoman added: "We can confirm that two British nationals have been jugged in Afghanistan."
Neither ministry would say what they were suspected of doing, amid differing reports in the British media.
The Times reported that the two men, who have dual nationality, were jugged at a hotel near the Iranian border as part of a counter-terrorism raid to thwart a possible attack against British interests.
After the dramatic swoop at the International Trade Center hotel in the city of Herat, helped by members of the National Directorate of Security (NDS), the Afghan intelligence service, they were taken into custody in Helmand,
...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan...
it said.
A senior Afghan official, who declined to be named, told the paper: "The British asked for our help to arrest these two individuals. The NDS was providing logistical support."
The official said the individuals were "not Afghans",
| Then what is their second nationality, pray tell? |
Questioned about the report, a front man for the NDS, Lutfullah Mashal, told Agence La Belle France Presse: "We are not aware, we are not involved." The Interior Ministry also denied knowledge of the case and said it was not holding the men.
The Sun newspaper and the BBC reported that the Britons held were suspected of fighting for the Taliban.
The Sun said two men wearing Afghan dress were jugged in Helmand, and were being held at a military base.
A source told the newspaper: "Helmand is not a holiday destination. The authorities will be very concerned they were wandering about. The first thing they will want to know is what they were doing here."
NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all....
forces in Afghanistan normally hold suspects for a maximum of four days before releasing them or handing them over to the Afghan authorities, but a Foreign Office spokeswoman said this could be extended.
| "George, send out for the mustache wax and the #7 pliers. And put the kettle on -- we'll definitely be wanting our tea later." |
Britannia has about 9,500 troops in Afghanistan as part of international forces fighting the Taliban insurgency.
Prime Minister
David Cameron... has stated that he is
certainly a big Thatcher fan, but I don't know whether that makes me a Thatcherite,which means he's not. Since he is
not deeply ideologicalhe lacks core principles and is easily led. He has been described as
certainly not a Pitt, Elder or Younger,but he does wear a nice suit so maybe he's Beau Brummel ...
announced earlier this month that Britannia would withdraw 500 troops by the end of next year, but would keep soldiers there in a training role until at least 2023.
His announcement came a fortnight after President Barack
B.O.Obama announced a big drawdown of U.S. forces in the war-torn country.