Judge gives police two more days to question American infiltrator

Shabqadar: A Pakistani judge on Friday extended the detention of an American who police say was caught trying to sneak into a militant-infested region near the Afghan border.

Judge Nasrullah Khan granted police two more days to question the 20-year-old, who has been identified as Jude Kenan. Police had sought an extra week.

Police had brought Kenan to the court in a town in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province in handcuffs. The bearded detainee was dressed in the long shirt and baggy trousers worn by many Pakistani men.

Police detained Kenan last Monday at a checkpoint leading into Mohmand, a tribal region considered a haunt of Al Qaida and Taliban militants. Officials say he lacked the permission required for foreigners to enter the tribal belt.

Inside the courtroom, local police chief Qayyum Khan said officers wanted to know what motivated the man to come to the region. However, he gave no indication that they suspected him of links with militants.