The Taliban’s top military commander was captured several days ago in Karachi, Pakistan, in a secret joint operation by Pakistani and American intelligence forces, according to American government officials.We have seen head-fakes by the Pakistanis before, but we should take this for the good it is.
The commander, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, is an Afghan described by American officials as the most significant Taliban figure to be detained since the American-led war in Afghanistan started more than eight years ago. He ranks second in influence only to Mullah Muhammad Omar, the Taliban’s founder and a close associate of Osama bin Laden before the Sept. 11 attacks.
...
“Mullah Omar has put Baradar in charge,” says Mullah Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil, the former Taliban regime’s foreign minister, who first met both men in 1992, during the last days of the Soviet-backed regime. “It is Mullah Omar’s idea and his policy to stay quiet in a safe place, because he has a high price on his head, while Baradar leads.”
Many happy returns.
7 comments:
expect "human rights" activists to try and make him free via lawfare soon
Do I hear little birdies singing in the back?
Very nice indeed!!
From reporting in today's NYT:
"The New York Times learned of the operation on Thursday, but delayed reporting it at the request of White House officials, who contended that making it public would end a hugely successful intelligence-gathering effort. The officials said that the group’s leaders had been unaware of Mullah Baradar’s capture and that if it became public they might cover their tracks and become more careful about communicating with each other."
Just imagine how things might have gone if they'd shown similar deference to the previous administration. >:o
Joe Biden is taking the credit..
I'm sure glad he wasn't captured trying to fly into the US. He'd have his lawyer by now.
This isn't politics. This is War. the whole of the alphabet soup needs to talk to him. Ignore those who seek political gain out of this, do not give them the satisfaction. And ignore those who only view this through a political prisim. There is to much work for us in AFG and PAK for political semantics to cloud this.
BZ to Pakistan for allowing this to happen. In the long run this is good for them.
They have to find him first EWOK. O:-)
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