US and Pakistan nab top Taliban
Source: Agencies |
February 17, 2010, Wednesday
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THE Taliban's top military commander was captured in Pakistan, United States and Pakistani officials said yesterday, but the move may not deal a decisive blow to a group putting up fierce resistance to a NATO offensive.
The Afghan Taliban denied that Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was captured in a joint raid by Pakistani and US spy agencies.
Washington hopes Mullah Baradar's capture will at least temporarily weaken the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan, where US Marines are leading one of NATO's biggest offensives in the southern militant stronghold of Marjah.
"I would call it significant," a US official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "But even when you get their leaders, they've shown an amazing resilience to bounce back. It's an adaptive organization."
A second US official confirmed the capture.
A Pakistani security official who declined to be identified told Reuters: "Yes, it's true. He has been arrested. He's in our custody."
The New York Times said the capture took place in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi.
"A large number of people have fled the NATO operation in Afghanistan and crossed into Pakistan. We have picked up many. We are investigating them and right now we cannot divulge their identity," Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik, asked by reporters about the arrest, said.
Kamran Bokhari, regional director of global intelligence firm STRATFOR, said Mullah Baradar was a key deputy of Taliban leader Mullah Omar and a senior figure in the group's leadership council.
"It's not clear though that arrest will have a major impact on the battlefield," he said. "I suspect the Taliban gave up this guy to the Pakistanis who then gave him to the US in exchange for some concessions on Afghanistan and India."
A Taliban spokesman said Mullah Baradar was still in Afghanistan actively organizing the group's military and political activities.
"He has not been captured. They want to spread this rumor just to divert the attention of people from their defeats in Marjah and confuse the public," Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters, referring to the NATO offensive.
In a sign of how tough it is to gather intelligence on the Taliban, there have been conflicting reports on who is winning the battle in Marjah.
The Afghan Taliban denied that Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was captured in a joint raid by Pakistani and US spy agencies.
Washington hopes Mullah Baradar's capture will at least temporarily weaken the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan, where US Marines are leading one of NATO's biggest offensives in the southern militant stronghold of Marjah.
"I would call it significant," a US official told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "But even when you get their leaders, they've shown an amazing resilience to bounce back. It's an adaptive organization."
A second US official confirmed the capture.
A Pakistani security official who declined to be identified told Reuters: "Yes, it's true. He has been arrested. He's in our custody."
The New York Times said the capture took place in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi.
"A large number of people have fled the NATO operation in Afghanistan and crossed into Pakistan. We have picked up many. We are investigating them and right now we cannot divulge their identity," Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik, asked by reporters about the arrest, said.
Kamran Bokhari, regional director of global intelligence firm STRATFOR, said Mullah Baradar was a key deputy of Taliban leader Mullah Omar and a senior figure in the group's leadership council.
"It's not clear though that arrest will have a major impact on the battlefield," he said. "I suspect the Taliban gave up this guy to the Pakistanis who then gave him to the US in exchange for some concessions on Afghanistan and India."
A Taliban spokesman said Mullah Baradar was still in Afghanistan actively organizing the group's military and political activities.
"He has not been captured. They want to spread this rumor just to divert the attention of people from their defeats in Marjah and confuse the public," Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters, referring to the NATO offensive.
In a sign of how tough it is to gather intelligence on the Taliban, there have been conflicting reports on who is winning the battle in Marjah.
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