# Mullah Baradar captured by U.S. & Pakistani forces.



## Foxhound (15 Feb 2010)

WASHINGTON — The Taliban’s top military commander was captured several days ago in Karachi, Pakistan, in a secret joint operation by Pakistani and American intelligence forces, according to American government officials. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/world/asia/16intel.html?hp

More on link.

Nice catch!


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## tomahawk6 (15 Feb 2010)

It is indeed a nice catch. Maybe he will give up the location of other top leaders.


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## The Bread Guy (16 Feb 2010)

Some interesting theories here:


> .... Now why was the poor Mullah ‘captured’? At (a) discussion this afternoon, we arrived at three potential answers.
> 
> First, given the fact that he was arrested in Karachi—and not Quetta, Peshawar or the tribal areas—it could well have been a CIA operation that led to his capture. Since it would be impolitic to present it as such, a convenient cover story of a joint operation becomes necessary. The fact that US operatives are interrogating Mr Baradar while he is in Pakistani custody supports this argument. If indeed it was a US operation that netted him, it would mean that the Obama administration has escalated covert operation in Pakistani territory to another level. Both Pragmatic Euphony and I lean towards this explanation.
> 
> ...


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## MaDB0Y_021 (16 Feb 2010)

Man, that's a good new!


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## The Bread Guy (16 Feb 2010)

This, from a Kandahar-based author/analyst, Alex Strick van Linschoten, via Twitter:


> doesn't bode well for 'negotiations'. A big retaliatory attack to come in Kabul or in south in next few days, I'm guessing.


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## OldSolduer (16 Feb 2010)

Good! 
The problem is, as I see it:

Who's promoted to take his place? He MAY be worse than this one.


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## tomahawk6 (18 Feb 2010)

The object Silverback is to remove layer after layer of leadership until you get to the guy in the mailroom. Each replacement will have less experience than the previous leader. This is what our SF guys did in Iraq. As you peel away the layers you begin to get more intel from the locals. As an aside information gleaned from Baradar has led to the capture in Pakistan of two taliban shadow govers - Mullah Abdul Salam, the Taliban governor of Kunduz, and Mullah Mohammad, his counterpart in Baghlan.


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## The Bread Guy (24 Feb 2010)

... a whole LOT of Mullah B's buddies are in custody in Pakistan:


> Pakistan has arrested nearly half of the Afghanistan Taliban’s leadership in recent days, Pakistani officials told the Monitor Wednesday, dealing what could be a crucial blow to the insurgent movement.
> 
> In total, seven of the insurgent group’s 15-member leadership council, thought to be based in Quetta, Pakistan, including the head of military operations, have been apprehended in the past week, according to Pakistani intelligence officials.
> 
> ...


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