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| Afghanistan |
| Secret Joint Raid Captures Taliban's Top Commander |
| 2010-02-16 |
| 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. 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 was a close associate of Osama bin Laden before the Sept. 11 attacks. Mullah Baradar has been in Pakistani custody for several days, with American and Pakistani intelligence officials both taking part in interrogations, according to the officials. It was unclear whether he was talking, but the officials said his capture had provided a window into the Taliban and could lead to other senior officials. Most immediately, they hope he will provide the whereabouts of Mullah Omar, the one-eyed cleric who is the group's spiritual leader. Disclosure of Mullah Baradar's capture came as American and Afghan forces were in the midst of a major offensive in southern Afghanistan. His capture could cripple the Taliban's military operations, at least in the short term, said Bruce O. Riedel, a C.I.A. veteran who last spring led the Obama administration's Afghanistan and Pakistan policy review. Details of the raid remain murky, but officials said that it had been carried out by Pakistan's military spy agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, and that C.I.A. operatives had accompanied the Pakistanis. 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. The Times is publishing the news now because White House officials acknowledged that the capture of Mullah Baradar was becoming widely known in the region. Several American government officials gave details about the raid on the condition that they not be named, because the operation was classified. American officials believe that besides running the Taliban's military operations, Mullah Baradar runs the group's leadership council, often called the Quetta Shura because its leaders for years have been thought to be hiding near Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan Province in Pakistan. The participation of Pakistan's spy service could suggest a new level of cooperation from Pakistan's leaders, who have been ambivalent about American efforts to crush the Taliban. Increasingly, the Americans say, senior leaders in Pakistan, including the chief of its army, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, have gradually come around to the view that they can no longer support the Taliban in Afghanistan — as they have quietly done for years — without endangering themselves. Indeed, American officials have speculated that Pakistani security officials could have picked up Mullah Baradar long ago. The officials said that Pakistan was leading the interrogation of Mullah Baradar, but that Americans were also involved. The conditions of the questioning are unclear. In its first week in office, the Obama administration banned harsh interrogations like waterboarding by Americans, but the Pakistanis have long been known to subject prisoners to brutal questioning. American intelligence officials believe that elements within Pakistan's security services have covertly supported the Taliban with money and logistical help — largely out of a desire to retain some ally inside Afghanistan for the inevitable day when the Americans leave. The ability of the Taliban's top leaders to operate relatively freely inside Pakistan has for years been a source of friction between the ISI and the C.I.A. Americans have complained that they have given ISI operatives the precise locations of Taliban leaders, but that the Pakistanis usually refuse to act. The Pakistanis have countered that the American intelligence was often outdated, or that faulty information had been fed to the United States by Afghanistan's intelligence service. For the moment it is unclear how the capture of Mullah Baradar will affect the overall direction of the Taliban, who have so far refused to disavow Al Qaeda and to accept the Afghan Constitution. American officials have hoped to win over some midlevel members of the group. Mr. Riedel, the former C.I.A. official, said that he had not heard about Mullah Baradar's capture before being contacted by The Times, but that the raid constituted a “sea change in Pakistani behavior.' In recent weeks, American officials have said they have seen indications that the Pakistani military and spy services may finally have begun to distance themselves from the Taliban. One Obama administration official said Monday that the White House had “no reason to think that anybody was double-dealing at all' in aiding in the capture of Mullah Baradar. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose |
| #18 He ranks second in influence only to Mullah Muhammad Omar, the Taliban's founder, and was a close associate of Osama bin Laden before the Sept. 11 attacks. He's probably been out of the loop so long he doesn't know anything. |
| Posted by: Goober Crealet3411 2010-02-16 23:08 |
| #17 If ISI was involved, how come he wasn't warned? Yhe Afghan Taliban's major mistake was getting too close to the Pakistani Taliban, which claimed responsibility for a major bombing in Karachi late last year and has become the Pakistani state's main enemy. The Afghan Taliban not so tainted may now be brought into some sort of accommodation a la the Iraqi Sunni awakening movements, also known as the Sons of Iraq |
| Posted by: tipper 2010-02-16 19:08 |
| #16 I wonder if this is the result from the attack that killed our CIA agents in Pakistan with the alleged help from the ISI. No more messing around with Pakistan. |
| Posted by: DK70 the Scantily Clad7177 2010-02-16 17:06 |
| #15 Hopefully soon we can Punish the One-Eyed Cleric. |
| Posted by: Dave 2010-02-16 14:50 |
| #14 In November 2001, as Taliban forces collapsed after the American invasion, Mullah Baradar and several other senior Taliban leaders were captured by Afghan militia fighters aligned with the United States. But Pakistani intelligence operatives intervened, and Mullah Baradar and the other Taliban leaders were released, according to a senior official of the Northern Alliance, the group of Afghans aligned with the United States. |
| Posted by: ed 2010-02-16 14:21 |
| #13 If ISI was involved, how come he wasn't warned? |
| Posted by: Kofi Ebbogum6852 2010-02-16 13:24 |
| #12 Leuty : Austria : Boyz |
| Posted by: Zebulon Fleng1812 2010-02-16 13:22 |
| #11 |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2010-02-16 12:29 |
| #10 Personally, I think they should find a country that he is hostile to and send him there to enjoy the full protections due a loyal citizen. It's great for morale. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-02-16 10:45 |
| #9 Looks like his check to the ISI bounced. Poppy harvest problems? |
| Posted by: Spot 2010-02-16 07:57 |
| #8 If W was still President how long would the NYT have sat on it? A nanosecond? Shorter? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-02-16 07:30 |
| #7 Did they read him his rights? Does he have a lawyer? Did they tell him he could remain silent? What does Holder say? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2010-02-16 07:21 |
| #6 Since the ISI is involved with the questioning, I'm concerned they'll tip off Mullah Omar if Baradar talks... One example of ISI perfidy |
| Posted by: American Delight 2010-02-16 07:06 |
| #5 Immediate rendition. If this becomes a trend, it will prove worse than Gitmo in fact, if not in the MSM. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2010-02-16 07:02 |
| #4 Newsweek's profile of Barandar from last July: If you thought the longtime head of the Taliban was bad, you should meet his no. 2. |
| Posted by: tipper 2010-02-16 04:35 |
| #3 This dude is thought to be one of the few people on their side that thinks time has come for talks. I reckon their words are cheap and we have lost interest in negotiations. Sometimes the big wheel just gets bored of turning Congrats , great bag |
| Posted by: Oscar 2010-02-16 03:30 |
| #2 This war could have been over 5 years ago had we the full support. |
| Posted by: Shineng Ebbolush2214 2010-02-16 00:45 |
| #1 there is more to this. heh heh. |
| Posted by: newc 2010-02-16 00:30 |