2 Taliban Shadow Governers Captured by Pakistan

[Thomas]

Another High-Ranking Taliban Leader Captured in Pakistan
Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Another high-ranking leader of the Taliban in Afghanistan has been captured by a joint U.S.-Pakistani intelligence operation in Pakistan, Fox News has confirmed.

The capture of the Taliban leader, Mullah Salam, first reported by Newsweek magazine, comes on the heels of news that Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's No. 2, had been captured early this month in Pakistan.

A Pakistani officer told the Associated Press that Baradar "was talking" after his capture, but there is no indication that he provided information leading to the apprehension of Salam, who is known as a "shadow governor" in his region of Afghanistan.

"The capture of an Afghan Taliban ‘shadow governor’ is positive, good news," a U.S. official told Fox News.

The capture of Salam is not as significant as the capture of Baradar, the official said, but "whenever the Pakistanis arrest somebody, that is a plus.”

Another High-Ranking Taliban Leader Captured in Pakistan - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News - FOXNews.com

 

[seekers]

Many more are expeccted after CHITROL(12 no Shoe lashes) before of mullah barbaad

 

[Spitfighter]

Whats going on? What's brought about this sudden change of heart?

Surely the Pakistanis understand that targeting the Afghan Taliban will trigger a new wave of terrorist attacks, in any case I thought attacking the A.T would be the last thing on their agenda (influence in Afg. etc.) so can someone kindly explain?

 

[fawwaxs]

Three Al-Qaeda associates arrested in Karachi

KARACHI: Three men closely linked to Al-Qaeda were arrested during raids in Karachi’s Gulshan-i-Iqbal area.

Intelligence officials arrested the three from Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s Block 17.

The names of two of the three were released: Kifayatullah and Abu Reyan Al Zarkazi also known as Abu Musa.

Abu Musa is a known associate of Osama Bin Laden and was notorious for firing down US drones in Waziristan.

He was also the commander of foreign combatants in Pakistan and prior to 9/11 travelled with Osama Bin Laden to Sudan.

The three were in Karachi to purchase mechanical parts from Sher Shah. Among other items purchased were washing machine timers — important components in time bombs. — DawnNews
DAWN.COM | Metropolitan | Three Al-Qaeda associates arrested in Karachi

 

[waraich66]

Whats going on? What's brought about this sudden change of heart?

Surely the Pakistanis understand that targeting the Afghan Taliban will trigger a new wave of terrorist attacks, in any case I thought attacking the A.T would be the last thing on their agenda (influence in Afg. etc.) so can someone kindly explain?

Complex satuation indeed

It will be too early to say thing .

 

[waraich66]

Many more are expeccted after CHITROL(12 no Shoe lashes) before of mullah barbaad

Mullah is respectfull word please dont misuse it.

 

[seekers]

Mullah is respectfull word please dont misuse it.

Oh! sorry to say thats a title of your leader.

Our National Poet Allama Iqbal used to disrespect this word.I think their is must something wrong with this word

 

[S-2]

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 hope that they're smart about his interrogation. Nobody expects the Ritz-Carlton so we'll see how things proceed.

Thanks.

 

[SMC]

Whats going on? What's brought about this sudden change of heart?

Surely the Pakistanis understand that targeting the Afghan Taliban will trigger a new wave of terrorist attacks, in any case I thought attacking the A.T would be the last thing on their agenda (influence in Afg. etc.) so can someone kindly explain?

Something is going on. ISI is up to something. I do not believe ISI is doing this to help US. We have to wait and see..

 

[fawwaxs]

Taliban arrest spotlights militant nexus in Karachi


KARACHI: The arrest of a top Taliban commander in Pakistan highlights the militant nexus in Karachi, where crime bankrolls violence and the teeming metropolis offers the perfect hiding place.

Karachi, home to 16 million people, has two sea ports which are a gateway to the world and transit hub for Nato supplies heading to the war effort in neighbouring Afghanistan.

For decades Karachi has been connected with the criminal underworld and since the September 11, 2001 attacks, with extreme Islamist networks too.

US journalist Daniel Pearl was kidnapped in the city and beheaded in 2002.

In 2007, more than 136 people were killed at the homecoming parade of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in Karachi, Pakistan's deadliest ever bomb attack.

While officials refuse to confirm details of how, when and where Taliban number two Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was arrested, American media reported that US and Pakistani spies captured him in Karachi.

“The arrest of a top Afghan Taliban commander proves the premise that some Afghan Taliban are present in Pakistan,” said security analyst Hasan Askari.

“Karachi has become the most attractive hideout for militants because it is a massive city and there are all kinds of ethnic and linguistic groups, where Pakistani and Afghan Taliban can disappear,” he added.

Around 2.5 million Pashtuns from the northwest are estimated to live in Karachi, a migration that began in the 1950s but accelerates with each successive offensive against Pakistani Islamists in the region.

One self-professed militant told AFP that he comes to Karachi to take a break from the battlefield in Pakistan's tribal belt on the Afghan border where Al-Qaeda and Taliban are hunkered down and targeted by US missiles.

“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.

Tensions between Pashtuns and the local population have sparked riots, while bomb attacks have targeted Shiite Muslims killing 76 people in the last two months, sparking fears that Karachi is returning to the eye of the storm.

“We have arrested a couple of dozen militants associated with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and seized large quantities of explosives and weapons including explosive-filled suicide jackets,” a police official said.

Karachi, with its moneyed residents and big business, has proved fertile ground for financing Pakistani Islamist activities. Security officials acknowledge, but have less intelligence on, the presence of Afghan Taliban.

“Taliban do come here... They send money to their mentors in the northwest and even some deals with the families of kidnapping victims (in Karachi) were finalised in Waziristan,” the police official told AFP.

Money is wired to northwest Pakistan through the traditional but illegal method of “hundi”. Groups can also demand ransom payments in the tribal areas, which include the militant bastions of North and South Waziristan.

“They (militants) have safe havens on the outskirts where they run their operations,” said Sharfuddin Memon, head of the Citizen-Police Liaison Committee, a state-run watchdog organisation.

“They generate funds through kidnappings and robberies and also militants plan attacks in Karachi, most of which our police foiled,” he said.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement — which represents Muslims who migrated from India -- sits in government and is a bitter rival of Pashtun political parties.It also believes there is a heavy militant presence in the city.

But Mufti Mohammad Naeem, the head of Karachi's Jamia Binoria madrassa, one of the largest among thousands of religious schools in the city, says there is a conspiracy against the religious political parties and groups.

“Our rulers are falsely accusing our madrassas of being involved in terrorism or having links with the Taliban. Rulers are doing this to appease their Western masters who pay them with loads of dollars,” he told AFP.
DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Taliban arrest spotlights militant nexus in Karachi

 

[Patriot]

Good News.Time to capture Fazullah.That bastard should be captured.

 

[Awesome]

Whats going on? What's brought about this sudden change of heart?

Surely the Pakistanis understand that targeting the Afghan Taliban will trigger a new wave of terrorist attacks, in any case I thought attacking the A.T would be the last thing on their agenda (influence in Afg. etc.) so can someone kindly explain?

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.

 

[Thomas]

Something is going on. ISI is up to something. I do not believe ISI is doing this to help US. We have to wait and see..

Are you disappointed with the ISI?

 

[SMC]

Are you disappointed with the ISI?

Yes, they are helping someone who is letting another state do terrorism in Pakistan even though they are capable of stopping them. Though I believe there is some other motive behind these arrests.

 

[waraich66]

Oh! sorry to say thats a title of your leader.

Our National Poet Allama Iqbal used to disrespect this word.I think their is must something wrong with this word

Mullah and Aytullah both are respectfull word.

Thanks for understanding my point