U.S. and Pakistani authorities yesterday arrested Amir Aziz, a noted Pakistani orthopedic surgeon, for allegedly providing chemical weapons and anthrax to al-Qaeda and the Taliban (see GSN, Oct. 18).

Aziz is believed to have had close ties with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, according the Pakistani newspaper The News.  He is believed to have provided medical treatment to Taliban and al-Qaeda soldiers injured during the U.S. bombing in Afghanistan, as well as to suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.  Aziz is also believed to have raised funds for Islamic militants fighting the Soviet Union in Afghanistan during the 1980s, The News reported.

U.S. and Pakistani authorities have questioned Aziz for the past three days, according to The News.  “He has been taken to an unknown place from where he will be shifted to the U.S.,” sources said (Ziaullah Niazi, The News, Oct. 22).

Aziz appeared to be under security surveillance in recent months, said Nasrullah Chaudhry, who shares a private practice with him.

“Some foreigners who seem to be FBI men had been visiting him in the last two to three months. They also questioned him several times here at the hospital,” Chaudhry said.

Kamran Aziz today denied the allegations against his brother, saying, “How can he have some knowledge of chemical or biological weapons if he is an orthopedist?” (Associated Press/Yahoo.com, Oct. 22).

About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines

HOME  |  CONTACT US  |  GET INVOLVED  |  SITE MAP

Back to top