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Afghanistan
Details Of The Taliban “Great Escape”
2003-10-14
From Jihad Unspun, so watch the spin:
More details are emerging about the jail break in the city of Kandahar, the birth place of Taliban. Jang, Pakistan’s most respected Urdu daily have released details concerning the recent escape of 41 Taliban and high ranking prisoners from the prison in Kandahar. The escapees included the Minister of Defense for Taliban Mullah Aubaid Ullah and many other high ranking commanders. The deputy inspector general of Police for the region, General Mohammed Salam told reporters that more than 40 prisoners escaped by digging a tunnel under the walls of the compound. Salam acknowledged Mullah Aubaid Ullah as one of the escapees but declined to name the others.
"I can say no more"
Taliban spokesman Haji Abdul Lateef has also confirmed the report and said that among the escapees was also the brother of Mullah Aubaid Ullah, Mullah Abdullah, another high ranking Taliban official and a commander named Aziz Agham who mounted a number of successful attacks in the months before his capture earlier this year.
Is there more than one "Mullah Abdullah"? I seem to see that name alot.
A senior government intelligence official said that the escape may have been “an inside job” as five jail guards are currently unaccounted for however the Taliban could have taken them hostage in order to guarantee safe passage during their escape.
At least that’s the story I’d tell if I was one of the five.
The governor of Khandahar Yousuf Pushtoon having declared the incident “a serious matter” has ordered a search of the entire province. Confirming the suspicion that the release of Taliban Foreign minister Mullah Wakil Mutawakkil could be linked to the escape, an official of the Afghan government confirmed that the government is looking into the possibility that Mullah Mutawakkil was linked to the escape. Afghan police say 20 of the escapees have been caught however other news reports contradict this. Considering only two of the escapees had been identified there is much speculation that this claim is nothing more than an effort by police to save face for the very angry governor and the Karzai government.
"Mahmoud! Round up 20 of the usual suspects, quick! And put another 21 on ice for later!"
In the aftermath of the escape, the government is also cracking down on suspected Taliban spies inside police and army units. The superintendent of the jail was instantly relieved of his job, while 10 other officials have been arrested.
Sounds like a good move, unless they manage to escape, too...
The Taliban prisoners were originally caught in the fighting in Zabul, and were to be delivered to the Americans and possibly shipped to the concentration camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. One intelligence official said that the theory presented by government of the Taliban digging a tunnel under the jail was to hide the fact that it could not successfully guard one of the most important Taliban officials ever caught, namely Mullah Aubaid Ullah. The official said that in actual fact, twelve members of the elite Taliban Rapid Reaction Force, created when Commander of the Faithful Mullah Omar when he met recently with his regional corps commanders to revise strategy, attacked the base and ushered the Taliban officials out of the prison to safety.
Taliban Rapid Reaction Force? What, they the ones with the fast motorcycles?
So then, to cover up, the gummint hurry-churry, chop-chop, dug the tunnel we saw on the teevee this weekend. I knew it all along...
Government officials said the Friday night escape could not have been carried out without the assistance of guards. Taliban Commander, Mullah Sabir, was quoted by Gulf News as saying that the group paid bribes of 100,000 Afghanis ($2,000) to the prison authorities for each of the escapees however this report remains unconfirmed.
That sounds likely.
A lot more likely than the Elite Taliban Rapid Reaction Force descending upon the provincial jug and picking 41 prisoners to make off with...
Posted by:Steve

#1  I imagine that the US is quite realistic about what will happen to Taliban members who are left in Afghan jails. It seems unlikely to me that anyone of importance escaped - not to disrespect the brother of Mullah Aubaid Ullah, Mullah Abdullah, another high ranking Taliban official and a commander named Aziz Agham. I'm sure tehy will tell their grand children of the courageous escape from the prison guarded by 900 ruthless infidels.
Posted by: Super Hose   2003-10-14 12:28:16 PM  

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