2 Taliban Shadow Governers Captured by Pakistan

[hembo]

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There have been many more arrests in fact, another one called Abu Waqas was caught and it has been learned he was in the process of training over 250 girls as suicide bombers - possibly TTP - possibly the link everyone needs for once and for all that the TTP and Afghan Taliban are interconnected and can't be dealt with.

What are you saying here? Does it put to rest the stupid argument that TTP is different from the Afghan Talibans and they (TTP) are actually Indian soldiers fighting war against PA? Once and for all. Specially since every one here will agree that the AT and GOI does not and cannot look eye to eye.

Make up your mind.

[iPhone]

“We come here to relax,” the man calling himself Aqeel Ahmed told AFP in a telephone call, saying he fought against the Soviet occupation in Afghanistan and is now affiliated to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) faction.

“We do jobs as labourers or other menial work in Karachi when we are permitted to leave the battle. And we go back to the battlefield when we receive a call from the top,” he said.

wow, this is unreal.

[iPhone]

What are you saying here? Does it put to rest the stupid argument that TTP is different from the Afghan Talibans and they (TTP) are actually Indian soldiers fighting war against PA? Once and for all. Specially since every one here will agree that the AT and GOI does not and cannot look eye to eye.

Make up your mind.

oh get lost, troll. don't flame and derail the thread.

[Awesome]

What are you saying here? Does it put to rest the stupid argument that TTP is different from the Afghan Talibans and they (TTP) are actually Indian soldiers fighting war against PA? Once and for all. Specially since every one here will agree that the AT and GOI does not and cannot look eye to eye.

Make up your mind.

No it does not.

[hembo]

oh get lost, troll. don't flame and derail the thread.

Hey are you a moderator to pass such verdict. Aren't u breaking forum rule punk?

Reported.

[iPhone]

Even if Biradar and Co. sings or not, the Taliban have to assume they might and they'd be on the move. This is the best time to nab them. I have a feeling nabbing Mullah Omar right now would end the war almost immediately.

It's quite possible.

who knows, he might be arrested already. Next week they'll disclose he was apprehended a few days ago.

[dk33]

Thomas has beat me to the story but here's the Newsweek article on Mullah Abdul Salam-

Exclusive: Another Taliban Leader Captured In Pakistan-NEWSWEEK Feb. 17, 2010

It looks like he was nabbed in Faisalabad about a week ago. That's a long way from Kunduz. Suddenly their home away from home isn't so homey anymore. We'll see how matters develop.

This is worrisome WRT to Baradar-

"A source close to Pakistan's leadership indicated that Mullah Baradar is under the control of Pakistan's Interior Ministry, and noted that Pakistani authorities may not treat him gently."

I am surprised at the mention of the interior ministry. That would indicate that custody and interrogation will be handled by the FIA and/or IB (intelligence bureau - domestic intelligence agency). The last few months have seen a lot of criticism from parliamentarians and security analysts over the lack of cooperation and coordination between the various domestic security and intelligence agencies and the ISI. I mention the lack of coordination because what is known so far suggests that the ISI/PA are the entities primarily coordinating with the CIA/US Military, and the latter are the ones with the most interest in these leaders.

Given that these leaders have minimal impact domestically in Pakistan, but are of enormous significance to ISAF and possible negotiations, I would have thought custody would be with the ISI.

Then again, the FIA/IB may just be providing the logistics with the ISI calling the shots and controlling interrogations and access.

While the local cops are notorious for not necessarily being 'gentle', this aren't run of the mill arrests either, and I doubt Pakistan would want to jeopardize the utility of these leaders in negotiations, IF that is part of the goal here.

This is however twice now that we have seen the media (the first time was in the breaking NYT story) that Pakistan is likely to torture/treat roughly these leaders.

Some sadistic thoughts coming to the fore or what?

[iPhone]

You thought wrong. I can quote Pakistani military sources that clearly stated that after going against the TTP, we'll go after the Afghan Taliban.

quiet right. multiple military sources indicated that directly and indirectly during operation rah-e-nijaat. Now that many of rah-e-nijaat objectives have been achieved it only makes sense to focus on afghan taliban.

[ajpirzada]

More good news from Pakistan

Feb 18th 2010, 16:01 by M.S.
IT IS still pretty difficult to interpret what the Pakistani intelligence service's arrest of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar means, just as it's rather difficult to interpret the overall Pakistani attitude towards the Taliban. But the Pakistani arrests of two more senior Taliban officials in recent days, reported by Dexter Filkins in today's New York Times, suggest a bit less scepticism may be in order. The officials were each Taliban "shadow governors" of Afghan provinces. Meanwhile, nine al-Qaeda militants have been arrested in Karachi, the AP reports, while on a road trip to buy bombs. Maybe the Pakistanis really have shifted to embracing the American perspective that the Taliban needs to be forced into a negotiated settlement with the Afghan government.(probably the right answer to why pakistan has changed its tactic)

If true, that may be related to the redoubling of coalition military efforts in Afghanistan, including the ongoing offensive by 12,000 mainly American and Afghan soldiers in Marjah. Descriptions of that offensive have the frustrating vagueness of all counterinsurgency reporting: coalition forces are uncovering lots of IEDs, or maybe not; Taliban forces are firing potshots, then melting away into the crowd. Villagers in areas returned from Taliban to government control aren't particular happy to see the government back:

"The Taliban didn't create any problems for people. Every Thursday there was a court session, and if someone had a problem, he would go in front of the Taliban mullah who was the judge," said Samad Khan, a 55-year-old poppy farmer in the village of Saipo on the outskirts of Marjah. The Islamist militant group levied a 10 percent yearly tax on his poppy crop, and let him be.

Then again, other villagers are happy to see the back of the Taliban, who they say turned their village into a giant booby trap and tried to stop them from watching TV. So, once again, if you want to be optimistic about AfPak, the evidence supports your position, and if you want to be pessimistic, the evidence supports that position too.

Pakistan arrests more Taliban: More good news from Pakistan | The Economist

[Mercenary]

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Looks like the Drone attacks and the US Offensive in Helmand has forced these guys to come deeper into Pakistan.

Too bad for them, the Law and Order apparatus still exists in Pakistan and they have been caught.