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| Afghanistan |
| Briton recovers after Kabul shoot-out |
| 2003-02-27 |
| This story is getting stranger all the time. A British man is recovering in hospital after a shoot-out in a hotel in Kabul which left two Afghans dead. Colin Berry, 37, from Essex, suffered a gunshot wound during the incident at the Intercontinental Hotel on Bagh-e-Bala Road on Tuesday. He was taken to a hospital in the Afghan capital where his condition was described on Thursday as satisfactory. A Foreign Office spokesman said Mr Berry was expected to remain in hospital for a few more days but said that his injuries were minor. Now the strange part. A German news agency quoted Kabul's security chief Mohammad Basir Salangi as saying four armed Americans entered the hotel room - containing two Afghans and two Britons - and opened fire. Anyone notice if they had New Jersey accents? The Foreign Office refused to confirm that story or confirm the presence of a second Briton in the incident. "What story? What Brit?" The spokesman said reports that Mr Berry had been arrested were unfounded and denied he was helping police with their inquiries. He was believed to have been working as a bodyguard. The Foreign Office spokesman said: "He was in Kabul on a private visit and there aren't any charges against him, he has not been arrested, he is not helping police and we are keeping in touch with the local authorities. He received a visit from our consular staff yesterday as is standard practice." Thanks, that helps a lot. The shoot-out was sparked by a "conflict of interest concerning a commercial dealing," according to an Afghan television report. Somebody tried to cut in on Tony Sopranos action. The report said only that an unidentified British man was detained and a police investigation was under way. "We'll get back to you." |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #5 O.K, just a bit more, since a fair bit of what happened is reaching the press etc. I was aiding both British and American INTEL to collect SAM's (blowpipe, stinger, SA 7) as well as sending teams into Pakistan to hunt for Gulbaddin and Osama. My brief also inclueded running informants to report on the activities of opium smuggling by highly placed Afghan officials and their followers. Basically I was exposed by a unsavoury double agent who is currently hiding in Dubai.(not for long) There was a knock at my door one night and in walked two Afghan guys who I'd recently recovered some urainium from. It was being tested by the New Jersey boys. Anyway they weren't there to talk, after a short time one went for a chinease TT,(not a take away) I grabbed his arm we struggled and as he shot me in the stomach I punched him under his nose, I fell back and in doing so drew my own pistol (Makarov)his partner was coming at me so I shot him three times in the chest, he dropped like a sack. The one with the gun was just getting an aim on me again when I aimed at him and gave him three into the same spot. All went quite. The one nearest me twitched so he got another to the face and for good measure I fired into his pal's forehead. Game over Brits two, Afghans nil. I called for assistance and ten minutes later the door came of its hinges in came a whole bunch of 'North Face' models in base ball caps. It wasn't long before we left. The rest I'll leave for now depending upon interest. p.s thanks for good comments. |
| Posted by: Colin Berry 2004-07-26 5:41:33 PM |
| #4 And you can "say no more"? To say that this is still puzzling is a massive understatement! The one thing I am certain of, however, is that it is good to hear you are out of AfghaniWakiLand, home, and recovering - in all the applicable ways! If you happen to feel the urge, I have no doubt we would all like to hear much more. If that isn't possible or advisable, well, I offer my best wishes for your recovery! Welcome home! |
| Posted by: .com 2004-04-30 8:40:22 AM |
| #3 I had to respond to these comments, I'm back in the U.K having been released on the 28th August 2004. Even though they kept me for nearly six months no charges wrere forth comming. I was tortured etc to reveal who I was working for and what I was doing there. The 'Jersey' guys were freinds and allies. I was alone with the Afghans and it wasn't for any shady deals. They were the bad guys with strong links to terrorist activities. They were stopped. |
| Posted by: Colin Berry 2004-04-30 7:05:36 AM |
| #2 My first thought was that perhaps Mr. Berry found religion in the Brixton mosque. But the tu3031 is just as persuasive. We'll see. |
| Posted by: Pete Stanley 2003-02-27 15:47:34 |
| #1 according to an Afghan television report I thought they banned cable awhile ago?? |
| Posted by: RW 2003-02-27 15:40:54 |