NationStates Jolt Archive

Right on cue, Pakistan has captured a leader of the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, according to intelligence sources. The claim comes just days after the US Vice-President Dick Cheney flew to Islamabad to tell Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf he must do more to stop the Taliban operating from Pakistan.

Pakistani security forces have captured Mullah Obaidullah Akhund, alleged to be one of Taliban leader Mullah Omar's two deputies, Pakistani intelligence sources said yesterday. Mullah Akhund served as defence minister under the Taliban regime before it was ousted in 2001.

But the truth of Mullah Akhund's detention remains unclear. The Taliban denied it, the Pakistani government refused to comment, and The New York Times reported US sources had confirmed it. If he is in custody, he would be the most senior Taliban leader captured since 2001, and it would represent a serious blow to the insurgents.

Ironically, Mullah Akhund has been in custody before - in 2001, when he surrendered to the Northern Alliance, only to be released under an amnesty


rest of the story here
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2323396.ece

And all it took was the slightest chance that Dick Cheney was going to be blown up. Maybe this is a tactic for the future ?

I hate to go into conspiricy theory mode but it seems a little too convenient.

Maybe it was the kick up the backside that they needed

We REALLY have got to send Cheney to Iraq.
Maybe then we'd start getting stuff done.
Or leaving, I don't care which.

Not just Cheney. The entire executive staff, the executive and Congress.

That's an idea. Create a new legislature that states that any executive starting ground combat operations in a sovereign country would have to stay there for the duration of combat and occupation.

Would make a lot of asshats think more carefully before going to war.

So, who is the next head of the Taliban insurgency?

Maybe they should hang Cheney from the bottom of a 'copter and go trawling for Taliban, huh?
Mightn't work in getting any more Taliban, but think of the morale boost it'd give our troops!


Note: Cheney - US leader #2 - goes to Afghanistan and then they capture Akhund - Taliban leader #2.
Obviously the next logical step is for Bush - US leader #1 - to go to Afghanistan so they can get Taliban leader #1.

Something smells funny here.

Anyone wanna bet that the Taliban had been being ignored by the government until they became a negative press issue?

Interestingly, Akhund was picked up in the southern Pakistani city of Quetta, where our intel believe much of the Taliban leadership resides, though Pakistan denies it.

Pakistan has come under a great deal of heat recently from the US and the Afghan government for providing what essentially amounts to a sanctuary for the Taliban and al Qaeda.

We'll see if this was just another happy coincidence, or the start of a major crackdown against al Qaeda and the Taliban.

We'll see if this was just another happy coincidence, or the start of a major crackdown against al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Pakistani regime will not start any real major crackdowns agaisnt AQ and taliban. Considering many things (such as the role of the regime in fostering the very elements that they are allegedly fighting now and the vested interests the regime has in keeping them handy for their policies in reg Afg and India etc) one can even argue that they cannot start such crackdowns.

They will however keep finding #3s. :cool:

So, who is the next head of the Taliban insurgency?

Right?

Something smells funny here.

Anyone wanna bet that the Taliban had been being ignored by the government until they became a negative press issue?

Works for me...

any bets the REAL leader of the talliban, AND "alCIAda" is donald rumsfield?

not that we'll ever know about it or that he'll ever be caught or anything as simple and closureful as that.

haning bush from a chopper to go 'trolling' for 'terrorist' leadership is certainly a precious vission.

=^^=
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