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| India-Pakistan |
| Top Taliban leader among six set free by Pakistan |
| 2010-04-29 |
| ISI gave them new suits, spending money and an escort back to Wazoo. LAHORE: When Pakistani security forces, aided by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) captured the Taliban's second-in-command, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, in February, US officials hailed it as a "turning point" in the war against the Taliban. His arrest was followed quickly by the nabbing of some 10 or more Taliban leaders, though their detention was never officially announced. But the biggest catch among these most recent detainees -- Abdul Qayum Zakir -- has been released, according to an article published in Newsweek magazine. Perhaps he was getting bored lounging beside the hotel pool ... Zakir was Baradar's top military commander and one of Mullah Omar's most effective and most feared commanders during the Taliban's fight to defeat the resisting Northern Alliance 10 years ago. The Washington Post recently reported that US officials believe at least two of the arrested Taliban were recently released. And reliable Taliban sources told Newsweek that at least six of those captured leaders were quietly released, Zakir among them. Several other Taliban sources from different regions whom Newsweek interviewed separately confirmed that Zakir had been detained and released. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told Newsweek he has no information about the arrest and release of these leaders. "I know nothing! Nothing!" A US government official, who declined to be identified because he is not authorised to speak on the record, confirmed to Newsweek that some of the Taliban leaders had been released, but added that it was not surprising, according to Newsweek. "It's not a surprise that in a country where politics is often messy, competing interests are carefully balanced, and relationships are complex, some of those people have been let go," the official says. "We know they don't have a consistent policy that they apply consistently, but that doesn't mean we can't work with them. Quite frankly, we have to," he added. According to the Taliban sources, those who have been freed besides Zakir include Maulvi Abdul Kabir -- who heads the insurgency in eastern Afghanistan from his perch near Peshawar -- three of Kabir's top deputies, and Latif Mansoor -- a senior commander in three eastern Afghanistan provinces. Not a single one of them was ground up in the land campaign in Wazoo ... But several other Taliban sources believed Zakir's arrest and release was more likely a determined effort by Pakistan to once again emphasise Islamabad's influence over and importance to the insurgency that still relies on Pakistani sanctuaries and supply lines, Newsweek reported. Then again, it might be that the Paks are tired of them and just want us to drone-zap them all ... |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #4 That's pretty much it, Ed, though the ISI may be tired of them. The bar tab at the Lehore Hilton is only so big. While they're free they're eligible to be drone zapped. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2010-04-29 09:29 |
| #3 Maybe the CIA outsmarted the ISI and clandestinely implanted GPS trackers on them? Wishful thinking, but discovering the nest for a future drone zap would be nice so we could wrap this up. |
| Posted by: Lumpy Elmoluck5091 2010-04-29 09:19 |
| #2 They were captured just before a decision to approve $1.5 billion US taxpayer dollars to Pakistan. The six have served their purchase until next year's tranche is due. |
| Posted by: ed 2010-04-29 01:04 |
| #1 Prety well proves the point of Kill, not Capture then our "Friends" Can't let them go. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2010-04-29 00:41 |