Taliban Leader Admits Being Weakened in Pakistan

[Omar1984]

Taliban Leader Admits Being Weakened in Pakistan​

Pakistan arrested five leaders of the Taliban in the key Swat Valley today, prompting the Taliban's leader to admit to ABC News that the Islamic militant group has been weakened.

"The Taliban movement is presently in a state of illness. When you are ill your activities are curtailed," the Taliban's leader in Swat Maulana Fazlullah said in a recorded message delivered to ABC News.

"That is what has happened to Taliban organization, but it would bounce back," he said.

In his recorded message, Fazlullah spoke hurriedly in Pashto. At times, it was difficult to understand his words. The voice sounded like Fazlullah, although it was not possible to positively confirm that it was the Taliban leader.

The tape was delivered to ABC News by the Taliban's acting spokesman who is identified by the name Salman.

Fazlullah's message came on the day the Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas announced that Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan and commander Mahmood Khan were captured along with three other members of the Taliban's shura, or leadership council.

Muslim Khan and Mahmood Khan both had bounties on their heads.The other Taliban commanders from Swatwho were arrested were identified as Fazle Ghaffar, Abdur Rahman and Sartaj Ali

The arrests are a coup for the military, which had been criticized for failing to capture or kill any top Taliban leaders in a four-month offensive in the Swat Valley that cleared the insurgents from most of the one-time tourist haven.

The army announced the arrests on the eighth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. Drawing attention to that fact, the military released photos of the two highest-ranking detainees — spokesman Muslim Khan and commander Mahmood Khan — in custody with the date printed in bold underneath.

The previous night, the Swat Taliban had announced that their five shura members were invited for peace talks by the Pakistani military authorities in Mingora eight days ago and then taken into custody.

It was the latest blow to the Pakistani Taliban. Earlier this year, a missile strike killed the group's charismatic leader Baitullah Mahsud.

Pakistan Denies Negotiating With Taliban in Swat

The whereabouts of Fazlullah is unknown. The government has been claiming that he was wounded in an earlier military action. There have also been reports backed by government officials that he was under siege in a mountainous area in Swat and could no longer move to some other place.

Abbas rejected reports of any peace negotiations with the Taliban. He said there could be no talks with terrorists. He added that those wanting to surrender should lay down arms before the security forces or the law-enforcement agencies.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

 

[black tiger]

Good news, keep up the good work...

 

[Bill Longley]

I dont know but Rahimullah yousaf zai's yesterday's story about how Muslim Khan was arrested was untrue.
No one knows who this new taliban spokesman is. and frankly If we trust todays story then we have to trust yesterdays one. which is wrong as i have followed Operation Rah e Haq and TTP swat very minutely.

 

[Iron_Eagle_17]

I think this is the last scuffle of this dying chicken.
Trying to gather who ever he can,trying to prove what ever he can.
I say kill them all no prisoners.
We should make a concentration camp and test some of our chemical and biological wepons on them.....

 

[iPhone]

It seems after Muslim khan's arrest fazullah capture won't be thar far either.

 

[pakdefender]

I dont know but Rahimullah yousaf zai's yesterday's story about how Muslim Khan was arrested was untrue.
No one knows who this new taliban spokesman is. and frankly If we trust todays story then we have to trust yesterdays one. which is wrong as i have followed Operation Rah e Haq and TTP swat very minutely.

Rahim Ullah Yousafzai has been a terrorist cheer leader from the start , people like him are unfortuantly driven by ill-placed ethnic loyalties but nobody wants to point this out as its not the kind of thing people say in Pakistan.

When the Swat operation strated and reports came out that 100s of militants have been liquidated , these same terrorist cheer leaders would write 'but these numbers could not be confirmed' later when it became clear they the army effectively eliminated the enemies of the state then these same terrorist cheer leaders whined that there were 'extra judicial killings'

Rahim Ullah Yousafzai has yet again barfed in the other report that the Army 'duped' these terrotists to capture them in yet another attmept to dampen the back breaking blow the army has given to thes foreign-backed mercinary patsy terrorists

He and other terrorist cheer leaders tired to put down the Army when one of our Unit was compromised and in that incident what had hapened the the Unit commader trusted the people of the area who had offered to help to clear the road blocks and when let their guard down those offering to help pulled out guns at them, this same Rehim Ullah Yousafzai used that incdent to put down the Army and parised the militants for being 'wiley'.

Now hes shitting brinks that the Army duped these criminals

If you are reading this Mr Yousafzai , Give it up! Give up your petty little ill placed ethnic loyalty that blinds you see what's good for the country but know this there are those of us who can see through and through what drives you to come up with the kind of rubish that you write in newspapers, most people will not object to your wrtings simply because they dont want to cause dis-unity in Pakistan but dont count this to go on forever because sooner or later you'll be questioned for you ill-intentioned journalism