Saeed $10 million bounty 'sweetener' for people to provide evidence: US
Addressing a press briefing on Thursday, he said that Saeed was basking in the media attention,"he is hiding in plain sight", said the State Department spokesperson.
When asked if the notice would impact President Zardari's upcoming visit to India, in light of groups like Difa-ePakistan Council protesting the visit, Toner said that the US hoped that it would not have an impact, adding that it was a win-win situation, for the US, if Pakistan and India were engaged in dialogue.
When asked if the US was trying to split the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) by placing a bounty on Saeed, the State Department spokesperson said that they were not playing a strategic game and wanted someone to come forward, providing evidence.
He added that it was the US’ conviction that Saeed was responsible for the Mumbai attacks, since in the past the LeT had carried out attacks on the Srinagar Airport, a hotel in Kabul, the Indian Parliament and on a train in India.
Toner mentioned that the US was in close contact with the Indian Government over the Saeed notice.
COMMENTS (45)
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@Basit Khan: I think that Indian government must have shared all the "evidence" they have regarding Hafiz Saeed on 26/11. Thats why you are so sure!!
Why wasting their money by asking someone else for evidence? Americans themselves are well-known champions of "producing" wrong evidence against their enemies! :)
Pakistan will never accept anykind of evidence coming from outside their country...the evidence has to come from inside pakistan...smart move by US..
@Farhan: What about that colonel involved in that?? Where is he?
@Basit Khan: Hahaha you were the witness there??? Lol..
Why not Iraqi Govt and people can lay bounty on Bush and Tony Blair for the massacre they have done in Iraq.
What the shameful statement full of effrontery given by US' leaders without any solid evidences against Hafiz Saeed just to please,happy and rejoice Indian leadership and surprisingly Pakistani leaders didn't show any anger/resistance on this embellished and fabricated statement given by US' leaders and only said that USA has to provide solid evidences.Whereas Pakistani leaders shall have to give this statement,id est,there is no any case registered against Hafiz Saeed in any police station and in any court and Hafiz Saeed is not involved in any terror activities either within Pakistan or abroad and who are you US leaders to announce head money on Hafiz Saeed?This Pakistani leaders' attitude is the live example of beggary and slavery.
So basically he is saying the so called evidence provided by India is crap!? So India is just dreaming up stories?
@Cautious: Proof??? Take them to international court if u believe there is concrete evidence. What's stopping u.
They still don't find any evidence on WMD in Iraq??? now they are going for the same on Iran.
That confused look on Mark Toner's face reminds me of the "Bush moments" video on youtube. may be he is also having a "Confused Bush Moment"
This is the same case as they made it up for attack on Iraq (WMD) and Afghanistan.. What a shame and still people around the world portray these claims as truth..
@ HarryStone
Man, by no means, your nation is a "nation of laws" when it comes to humans that are not americans. What you guys have done for years and years in Guantanamo Bey and Bagram and many other places is inhumane, brutal, cruel and reflects your society. Recent incident of your soldier killing 16 civilians is yet another chapter in the book of American Terrorism. You live in a hypocritical society that has all the values for Americans, the problem is, they have no respect for human lives which don't belong to USA. Americans are the biggest terrorists!
The Americans aren't stupid. Just imagine what the professor must be thinking now. "Who is that person in my inner circle who will make $10m and migrate to the US?" And the inner circle members will wonder - "should I do it before the other guy does it and take the credit? "
Smart move, America.
Why is Difa-e-Pakistan Council protesting today? This will only affect general public. All the parties should allocate a place where they can record their protest.
I have no problem with Indian commenting on ET but, I really wish trolls are not allowed masquerade as Pakistanis, while commenting.
Their comment just don't express the popular views of this country, no how liberal & secular viewers/readers of ET are.
Here comes the PR spin.
@Skin Taj:
USA has declared bounty because in 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack that was engineered by LeT, several US citizens were murdered. No US citizen was killed in Samjhauta Express.
That is Funny.. It means that US declares bounty without evidence?
@Pakistan politics: Coleman Headley and Kasab have both independently said that Hafiz Saeed frequently spoke to the trainers of terrorists and it was under his strategic command that LeT operated. But courts need hard evidence and this bounty is a sweetener for somebody close to Hafiz to come forward with that evidence. This happens all the time in the world - especially with drug lords and the mafia.
So there is no evidence against him. You want to buy one.
If they can't find evidence, Who says they can't make up evidence just like iraqi WMDs.
Nice climb down.
USA making history. First setting a bounty on a free roaming head. Now to cover up the chagrin for their utter stupidity, they are now set to buy evidence, setting another record. All I have to say is grow up.
With this much money, people would even be thinking of fabricating an evidence I am sure.
Americans (not the average American, who's very respectable, but the politically corrupted ones in DC) dont need anyone else to make fun of them. They are self-sufficient. Hohoohooo! hahaha.
bounty of evidence collection.. hahaha omg, so bounty is for india who herself is involved in terror.. funy
How many offenses does one have to commit before you toss him in jail and throw away the key? And you wonder why you have lousy relations with India and Afghanistan?
So Pakistani system, needs concrete , watertight evidense , like the evidense it had, when it hanged a duly elected PM of Pakistan ?
@Pakistan politics:
Unlike PAK the US is a nations of laws. It does have a functioning judicary. To bring someone to trial there needs to be sufficent evidence for a conviction. While the US believes that this individual has committed crimes against Americans it wants to be sure that it can prove without a shadow of doubt in a court of law.
I realize this concept is difficult for you and many of your fellow countryman to understand because you do not live in such a nation. This lack of understanding you have explains a great deal about why your nation is experiencing the problems it now has and why the world views you as they do.
Wait for DPC to run for Pak elections and form government in coalition. Saeed is running for PM post, everyone has ambitions.
@Skin Taj
In case you didn't know, the Samjhota express culprits too have bounty on their heads, placed by the India government; unlike Hafiz Saeed of Pakistan.
3) He is suspected to have maintained strong ties with Osama Bin Laden till the very death of OBL.
@Skin Taj
Because 1) No American was killed in Samjhota Express, while 6 americans died in Mumbai attacks.
2) The samjhota express attack happened in india and the culprits are indians who are being prosecuted at the moment. On the contrary, Hafiz saeed allegedly orchestrated attacks inside India from Pakistan, and instead of being prosecuted he is going around the country organizing rallies.
The only people who thought this was a "dead or alive" bounty were Pakistani's - either they didn't read the bounty or they let their bias get in the way. The hard evidence is obviously inside Pakistan an it's clear that the Pakistani govt is running interference for him -- so in this case offering a "rewards" seems appropriate.
@Skin Taj:
Those culprits are already in Indian Jail and not being hailed as heroes by the lawyers. Its worth knowing about a subject before commenting on it.
Thank you. Now can you please explain this to indian trolls who believe there is lots of evidence to convict him.
@Skin Taj:
Probably because they are all in Jail after being sentenced by Indian Courts.
Judging by the history of number of Al-Qaeda operative handed over by Pakistan to US for bounty money birds will start singing soon.
What a joke this Mark Toner is ! Just saw the his briefing in which he had NO anwer to the journalists asking him question regarding Hafiz Saeed. If India has concrete evidence than what they are looking for? He is saying that it isn't concrete evidence . Jokers these people are ! You would call anybody terrorist and place a bounty even if you don't have any solid proof against him ? It was a lollypop for India and to put pressure on Pakistan. simple !!
Toner has no idea what he is talking about. He is just making it up as he goes along.
Toner is play the part of a fool in a Shakespearean play.
rofl! how pathetic is this? they're willing to pay money for evidence...which means currently they have no evidence against Hafiz Saeed.
How come USA never put any Bounty on the Samjota express culprits??????????
Maulana Hafiz Saeed our true national hero. Please merge Difa-e-Pakistan Council with PTI.
So the bounty is for either Let members or ISI members, to turn in evidense against the 'professor' who has vowed to cut to pieces Hindu, infidel India.
U don't have evidence and placed a bounty of evidence collection, does that make any sense?? first tell who gave u the right to do so?