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Friend of Marine on the run: ‘He’s like MacGyver’

(CNN) — A woman who once worked with fugitive Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean and the pregnant Marine he allegedly killed said Wednesday that Laurean has MacGyver skills and training that could enable him to adapt to life on the run.

The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, woman requested that she remain anonymous.

Earlier Wednesday, an FBI spokesman said the agency suspects Laurean may have returned to his native Mexico.

The woman, who left the Marines in December, described Laurean as well-trained to adapt to his situation.

He can rig just about anything — as could the lead character in the MacGyver television series of 1985 to 1992 — is strong, a fast runner and can handle weapons, including an M-16, she said.

She said Laurean is quiet but social, and has many friends. He often spoke to her about his 18-month-old daughter. Watch the friend describe Laurean’s personality

The woman said she has been a friend of Laurean for about four years; they were employed in the Personnel Department at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

She expressed shock that he was being sought in the slaying of Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, whose charred remains and those of her fetus were found Friday in a pit in Laurean’s backyard. Lauterbach, 20, was reported missing December 19, when she was about eight months pregnant.

Laurean has been charged with first-degree murder in her death.

The friend told CNN: It’s an incredibly surreal experience for me to see someone I was personally acquainted with and friends with on a wanted poster. I just can’t wrap my mind around the fact he would’ve brutally murdered someone.

Lauterbach had been set to testify against Laurean at a military hearing after she accused him of raping her.

The friend said Lauterbach confided in her that she had consensual sex with Laurean, but that a verbal argument had occurred, and the alleged rape followed in Laurean’s office at Camp Lejeune.

The March encounter was judged to be not criminal in nature, or consensual, said Col. Gary Sokoloski, staff judge advocate for the II Marine Expeditionary Force. The second encounter, in April, involved no threats or force, Lauterbach said.

The woman said Lauterbach told her she feared Laurean, and sought a protective order, which expired in September.

Officials have indicated that was the only such order, but the woman told CNN Lauterbach came to her a second time and had her prepare a second protective order, which was in force when Lauterbach died.

She came in September when her original military protective order had expired, asking whether she could have, A, a copy of the original one and, B, a second one put into place, the woman said.

She also said Lauterbach told her she was thinking about withdrawing the rape allegation because she didn’t think officials were taking her seriously.

There is no way Lauterbach and Laurean had a relationship after the alleged rape, the friend said, disputing information from authorities who have said the two maintained contact after the alleged rape.
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Militants overrun Pakistan fort

(CNN) — Islamic militants overran a border fort in northwestern Pakistan during a pitched battle Wednesday, killing seven Pakistani troops and leaving more than a dozen unaccounted for, a military spokesman said.

The militants breached the walls of the colonial-era outpost along the Afghan border with explosives and seized the fort after a firefight that lasted about 12 hours, said army Lt. Col. Baseer Hadier Malik.

The outpost is in a part of the tribal territory of South Waziristan that is a stronghold of Taliban warlord Baitullah Mehsud — the man the Pakistani government has named a prime suspect in the December 27 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

About 300 fighters armed with rifles and rocket-propelled grenades took part in the assault against a garrison of 40 members of Pakistan’s paramilitary Frontier Corps, Malik said. They remained in control of the base late Wednesday.

Malik told CNN that 15 border guards escaped and seven were killed, leaving 18 missing.

Pakistan has attempted to crack down on the largely lawless tribal areas along the Afghan border under U.S. pressure.

U.S. intelligence concluded in 2007 that the Taliban and its al Qaeda allies have carved out a new safe haven in that region, using it to stage attacks inside Afghanistan.

Pakistani authorities have notified the U.S. military of the incident, U.S. military officials said.

A U.S.-led invasion overthrew the Taliban after al Qaeda’s September 11, 2001, attacks, but U.S. and allied troops are now battling a resurgence of the fundamentalist Islamic militia in Afghanistan’s south.
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‘Hero’ Keegan returns to Newcastle

NEWCASTLE, England — Kevin Keegan has sensationally returned to Newcastle after being named as the Premier League club’s new manager in succession to Sam Allardyce.

The 56-year-old Keegan was a hugely popular figure during his first spell as Magpies manager from 1992-1997 but was ranked as an outsider to replace Allardyce, who left St James’ Park last week after an unsuccessful short stint in charge.

Gerard Houllier and Didier Deschamps were strongly linked with the position in the last two days but the club unexpectedly announced Keegan as the club’s new manager on their website on Wednesday afternoon.

Keegan took Newcastle to promotion back to the top flight in 1993 and came close to winning the league title in the 1995-96 season when they famously led Manchester United by 12 points before finishing as runners-up.

He went on to manage Fulham, England and Manchester City but has been out of the game since leaving City in 2005 after a largely unsuccessful spell with the club.

Harry Redknapp had been first choice for Newcastle owner Mike Ashley and chairman Chris Mort but he last week opted to stay at Portsmouth.

That only fuelled increased speculation about possible contenders with Mark Hughes, Houllier, Deschamps and Alan Shearer being mentioned most prominently.

The message coming out of the club was that experience was the main prerequisite — instantly making Shearer a more unlikely candidate.

The 37-year-old confirmed that on Wednesday when he revealed he had been told as much in a telephone call last week, although he added he believed he could galvanise the dressing room.

Mort, in issuing what was effectively a job specification on Tuesday, also hinted that the likes of former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho were not on the club’s radar.

Former chairman Sir John Hall, whose family’s decision to sell their holding in the club to Ashley sparked his 134.4million takeover bid, earlier said he felt Houllier and Shearer would be the ideal partnership.

But with Keegan surprisingly being given the task of reviving the club’s fortunes, he will be keen to step into the role quickly to maximise the remainder of the transfer window. E-mail to a friend

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New Year, new resolutions

LONDON, England (CNN) — It’s the same every year — we’ve all made them with the best of intentions, then forget all about them. 2008 will be different as we gear up to make some resolutions for the business traveler. This month, Richard Quest is in Egypt by the Red Sea — it’s one of the top 5 destinations that frequent fliers cash in their air miles for especially during this time of year. Some winter sun is a great way to start the year right.

Get organized Nowadays there are so many ways to accrue and redeem miles and points — it’s an addiction we are all happy to feed. There are so many different frequent flyer and loyalty programs that constantly tempt us with special deals and the promise of reaching a higher level of rewards. It can be a little difficult to digest. Frequent flyer guru Randy Petersen gives us some top tips on how to get your loyalty programs in order.

Do more to help others Your miles can go further than you think. You can put your miles to good use and donate them to charities through frequent flyer programs. We speak to United Airlines and the American Red Cross. The disaster relief organization uses donated miles to send staff and volunteers to disaster areas and to the cities where they train them to prepare for coping with people affected on the ground.

Learn to face your fears Fear of flying is a serious and prevalent issue amongst business travelers who end up suffering in silence because they have to make that important meeting. There are courses that can help alleviate the anxiety. We talk to a business traveler who took a course and is now flying high. While he tells us how he faced his fear, Richard Quest dives straight in to face his own.

Out with the old, in with the new It’s time to spring-clean your gadgets! Tom Dunmore, Editor of Stuff Magazine gives his top 5 trends and gadgets that we should look out for in 2008.

Make more time for yourself and family The most popular resolution that we should all try to keep!

Sunrise to Sunset Richard Quest leaves the Pyramids of Giza to visit the hidden Egyptian treasure of Luxor, exploring the Temple of Karnak and the Valley of the Kings with Amr El-Ezaby, Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Authority. He also sails down the Nile in a traditional Felucca. E-mail to a friend

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Barca put out cup holders Sevilla

BARCELONA, Spain — Sevilla relinquished their grip on the King’s Cup when a dreary goalless draw in Barcelona sent them out on the away goals rule.

The teams had drawn 1-1 at Sevilla in the first leg.

Both sides were without key players, at the African Nations Cup, suspended or injured.

Barca went closest to scoring in the first-half, Thierry Henry shooting over the bar in the 32nd minute and Eidur Gudjohnsen having a shot saved two minutes later.

Sevilla rarely threatened but full-back Daniel Alves rattled the bar with a free kick seven minutes from time.

Sevilla now only have a Champions League place to play for this season, as they are 10 points adrift of Real Madrid in the title race.

Real Madrid face Real Mallorca in a home second leg on Wednesday needing to overhaul a 2-1 first leg deficit. E-mail to a friend

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