Posted on 01/17/2007 12:04:29 PM PST by pissant
Kabul - Nato-led troops and Afghan forces detained a prominent Taliban commander during a raid on a compound in southern Afghanistan, the alliance said on Wednesday.
The commander, whom Nato did not name, was captured in the Gereshk district of Helmand province late on Tuesday and is the first Taliban leader captured by Nato-led and Afghan troops, Nato said in a statement.
"This seizure of a Taliban commander, once again shows that there is nowhere to hide for insurgent leaders" said Nato spokesperson Squadron Leader Dave Marsh.
The captured militant, who had fled a recent offensive by Afghan and Nato forces in the south of the country, is wanted for questioning by Afghan security forces, Nato said.
Spokesperson arrested
The raid came a day after Afghan agents arrested Mohammad Hanif, a purported militant spokesperson, near the border with Pakistan.
Hanif, one of two spokespeople who often contact journalists on behalf of the militia, was arrested at the border town of Torkham on Monday after crossing from Pakistan.
Hanif used to convey alleged statements from Taliban leader Mullah Omar and comment on fighting in the north, centre and east of the country.
Western and Afghan officials have claimed a number of recent successes against Taliban leaders.
Last month, a US-led coalition air strike killed Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Osmani, a key associate of Omar and the highest-ranking Taliban leader killed by the US-led coalition since the late 2001 invasion of Afghanistan that ousted the hardline regime for hosting al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Over the past year, the Taliban have launched a record number of attacks, and some 4 000 people have died in the insurgency-related violence, according to a tally by The Associated Press based on reports from Afghan, Nato and coalition officials.
I hope that after he has been debriefed, the Afghan government detains his head from his body.
Jeez, if you read the NYT the whole country has been taken over once again by the Taliban. The bombing that the Pakistanis did, finally, of their camps along the border might actually help.
A little frontier justice is a good thing. They did not say in the article which NATO country's troops did the scoop. But I think its Brit forces leading in the Southern provinces now
The taliban "troops" coming over the pakistani border make for great target practice.
I hope they read him his rights. I'm sure he'll have a lawyer by nightfall.
DETAINED?
Why is it that we don't simply KILL OUR ENEMY and THEIR LEADERS???
A top taliban commander has much info to offer. Extraction should be painful and thorough.
It's more fun toput panties on the head of a living "person".
Ramsey Clark could use a new client. His last one had a fatal neck injury.
Good. And screw John McCain.
because it is more usefull to turn them over to the afgan govt. who might have more....lets say.... serious ways of obtaining information from such ilk.
"He's already talking."
It would seem that the guy talking is the detained "spokesman" while the Taliban commander is a different person.
Detained sounds so 3rd grade, like we sent him to the principal's office to be suspended. I prefer the term CAPTURED. I like KILLED even better.
Coincidence? Hmmm... Survey says:
While killing them has merit, sometimes holding them alive dos too. Not just for the intelligence aspect but also for the denial of martyrdom factor. Many of these Jihadis actually want to die in battle, on some occasions I would offer it is proper to deny thm what seek.
I will agree that in other instances it is best to just oblige them.
That would be a kewl rock band name--He Whom NATO Did Not Name (HWNATODNN to the fans...;^).
Tora Bora Dirt Nap. Also a good band name. :-)
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