# AFG Taliban's Mullah Omar Nabbed?



## The Bread Guy (6 Jul 2010)

YES according to an American blogger here and here, and AFG TV.

NO according to Taliban mouthpieces speaking to MSM here and here.


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## vonGarvin (6 Jul 2010)

This would be AWESOME (if true)


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## SeanNewman (6 Jul 2010)

Yes it would be huge, but are they anymore hampered without him than us without General McCrystal?


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## HItorMiss (6 Jul 2010)

It has less to do with "hampering" them then it does with showing no matter how important you are and where you hide Coalition troops will find you and they will come and you will find yourself on a chopper about to be asked very specific questions.

This shows our reach, we can come and we can get you no matter who you are or how important. It brings a wee little bit of terror to the head guys as they lay themselves down to sleep wondering if tonight is night the door is kicked in and you are blind folded...


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## jollyjacktar (6 Jul 2010)

I do hope it is true.  If true, I wonder was he caught because of something our side did right or had he fallen out of favour and was grassed by his folks?


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## HItorMiss (6 Jul 2010)

I suspect both Jock

Probably got lax with something making himself vulnerable and someone dimed him out on it. Thats all just hersay of course


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## TangoTwoBravo (6 Jul 2010)

Before we start designing our floats for the victory parade, how credible is the source?


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## Franko (6 Jul 2010)

Good point T2B. It would be quite a IO campaign feather in ISAF's cap.

Regards


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## vonGarvin (6 Jul 2010)

Der Panzerkommandant.... said:
			
		

> Good point T2B. *It would be quite a IO campaign feather in ISAF's cap*.
> 
> Regards


Excellent use of the term "IO" to mean what it means.  In this case, IO through kill/capture of enemy leadership!  

_I'm Captain Doctrine, and I approved this message_


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## GAP (6 Jul 2010)

BulletMagnet said:
			
		

> I suspect both Jock
> 
> Probably got lax with something making himself vulnerable and someone dimed  ($10,000,000 worth) him out on it. Thats all just hersay of course


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## Franko (6 Jul 2010)

Technoviking said:
			
		

> Excellent use of the term "IO" to mean what it means.  In this case, IO through kill/capture of enemy leadership!
> 
> _I'm Captain Doctrine, and I approved this message_



PM inbound.


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## vonGarvin (6 Jul 2010)

Der Panzerkommandant.... said:
			
		

> PM inbound.


It's never good to get PM's from the staff! 

(j/k)


OK, checking soonest.


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## SeanNewman (7 Jul 2010)

Technoviking said:
			
		

> _I'm Captain Doctrine, and I approved this message_



Well that makes me _Captain Info Ops _ 

This would fall under the Kinetic umbrella of Info Ops since it is a physical action (just capture instead of kill).  But as always, all sorts of exploitation possibilities using the other IO enablers like PsyOps and PAO.


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## The Bread Guy (7 Jul 2010)

Tango2Bravo said:
			
		

> Before we start designing our floats for the victory parade, how credible is the source?


An American blogger quoting "key intelligence sources in Afghanistan and Pakistan", reportedly backed up by "an overseas intelligence source" speaking to another blogger and by AFG TV quoting PAK media, denied by the two main Taliban spokespersons here and here (nothing on the Taliban's official site as of this AM) - caveat lector.


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## Franko (7 Jul 2010)

Now if only a competent IO CoC did their job quickly enough....

Regards


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## SeanNewman (7 Jul 2010)

Der Panzerkommandant.... said:
			
		

> Now if only a competent IO CoC did their job quickly enough....



I could not agree with you more on that one, particularly PAO.

That being said though, informed junior leaders are the best Info Ops enablers and can be a very effective tool any time they talk to Afghans on patrol.

Further, let us not forget that actions speak louder than words.  Every time we drive through a field, knock over a wall, or run someone off the road it has more of a negative impact than anything positive the IO CoC could ever do.


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## Teeps74 (7 Jul 2010)

Der Panzerkommandant.... said:
			
		

> Now if only a competent IO CoC did their job quickly enough....
> 
> Regards



We need a credible source before launching... I can assure you, that the IO boys would be all over this like a fat kid on a smartie if proven.

But, IO maintains it's capability through credibility. Just the facts.

Oh, but if this were fact. Would the Pak government hand him over? Would this have an actual impact given that a lot of enemy combatants in Afghanistan are not actually Afghan or Pakistani?

One can dream and hope... But three days later, no credible press sources...


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## Colin Parkinson (7 Jul 2010)

As Omar is one of the major founding members of the Taliban and appears to really set the tone of the group, losing him would set shockwaves down the lines. It would also open the group up to division amongst the Taliban as various factions attempt to grab power. Another factor would be the chill effect on the Taliban leadership and comms as they attempt to figure out how he (if he) was exposed. Likely a lot of loyal Taliban would fall under suspicion which would lead to mistrust and executions. This is similar to the final end of the CT’s in Malaysia, the brits had succeeded in turning so many CT’s they didn’t know who to trust, they murdered their own and comms fell apart allowing the Brits to role up cell by cell. One tactic at this time was interrogate a known captured CT and then release him in such a manner that made them suspect in the eyes of the CT leadership, this then forced them to spy for the Brits for self protection leading to more captures and defeats for the CT’s.  

One can dream but I will not be holding my breah.


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## TangoTwoBravo (7 Jul 2010)

milnews.ca said:
			
		

> An American blogger quoting "key intelligence sources in Afghanistan and Pakistan", reportedly backed up by "an overseas intelligence source" speaking to another blogger and by AFG TV quoting PAK media, denied by the two main Taliban spokespersons here and here (nothing on the Taliban's official site as of this AM) - caveat lector.



After clicking your latest links, I am led to believe that you get your info from Jawas?


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## ModlrMike (7 Jul 2010)

The sources seem pretty thin. I haven't been able to find another corroborating report anywhere. Certainly nothing in the MSM.


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## SeanNewman (8 Jul 2010)

Teeps74 said:
			
		

> But, IO maintains it's capability through credibility. Just the facts.



Technically PAO is the only one that demands credibility, and even that is a self-imposed restriction.

The insurgents can lie about whatever they want and they seem to be willing the IO battle quite easily making timing and elaborate claims their main effort instead of truth.

We could tell an Aghan village that we had the technology to build a live volcano next to their village if they didn't cooperate, and they would likely believe it because it's not like they can Google it.

We don't exploit our capabilities anywhere near as much as we could.  Can you imagine how awesome it would be for Comd TFK to line up some Hellfire or artillery strikes in the distance at the exact moment he pointed in that direction in front of Afhgan elders?  They would all think he was a sorcerer or something like buds on Holy Grail.


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## Teeps74 (8 Jul 2010)

Petamocto said:
			
		

> Technically PAO is the only one that demands credibility, and even that is a self-imposed restriction.



I can only speak from the PSYOPS perspective.  Credibility is the cornerstone of us actually being able to be effective. Credibility speaks to our ability to influence. If we are not credible, we can not influence.


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## 57Chevy (8 Jul 2010)

Mullah Omar has not been arrested: Taliban
 Omar link 
Islamabad, July 6 (IANS) Taliban leader Mullah Omar has not been arrested in Pakistan, a Taliban spokesperson has said.

Zabeeh Ullah told a TV channel that the news of Mullah Omar’s arrest was a US and NATO propaganda and claimed that the US was employing such tactics to save face.

He insisted that Mullah Omar was still in Afghanistan, The Nation reported Tuesday.

The US has offered $10 million on information leading to Mullah who had suffered a shrapnel wound on his right eye. Mullah Omar’s Taliban regime in Afghanistan sheltered Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaida network in the years prior to the Sep 11 terror attack.

The news of Mullah Omar’s arrest first appeared on a US blog.

US blogger Brad Thor made the startling claim May 13 on the website ‘biggovernment.com’. He claimed that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence Agency nabbed him in Karachi March 27.


          (Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)


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## SeanNewman (8 Jul 2010)

Teeps74 said:
			
		

> I can only speak from the PSYOPS perspective.  Credibility is the cornerstone of us actually being able to be effective. Credibility speaks to our ability to influence. If we are not credible, we can not influence.



You are right in Canada, but I feel you are wrong on your assessment in our current theatre due to how significantly we are losing the IO campaign.

Everything you are saying is the DS answer of credibility = influence.  That works for western countries where people are educated and can call a bluff or at minimum look it up on Google.

How can you say that credibility = effectiveness in Afghanistan when the insurgents lie about everything the say and are so successful at shaping local opinion?


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## Teeps74 (9 Jul 2010)

Move along.


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## The Bread Guy (14 Jul 2010)

Tango2Bravo said:
			
		

> After clicking your latest links, I am led to believe that you get your info from Jawas?


One place (out of many) to look, but always worth the "caveat lector"....   ;D


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## SeanNewman (15 Jul 2010)

Has anyone else heard anything more on the Mullah Omar issue?  

So far I've only read the semi-questionable sources above, and have been unable to locate anything on the bigger news services like CNN or CBC.

The last story CBC has Mullah Omar mentioned is February when his 2IC was captured.

FWIW, nothing on his Wiki page, either.


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## Retired AF Guy (16 Jul 2010)

Petamocto said:
			
		

> Has anyone else heard anything more on the Mullah Omar issue?
> 
> So far I've only read the semi-questionable sources above, and have been unable to locate anything on the bigger news services like CNN or CBC.
> 
> ...



Googled it. Nothing since early May 2010.


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## 57Chevy (16 Jul 2010)

This might be of interest, although the list could have been made at any earlier date. Or just BS.
           _________________________________________________________

NATO says Mullah Omar ordered killing of Afghan tribal chief  Omar 

Posted In Afghanistan News Update  Tags: Thu, 15 Jul 2010
Kabul – An Afghan tribal chief executed by militants earlier this week was on a list of people the Taliban’s supreme chief Mullah Omar wanted killed, NATO said Thursday.

Mullah Saleh Mohammad, a member of tribal leaders’ council in Khas Uruzgan district of the southern province of Uruzgan, was killed when Taliban militants stopped his car at a make-shift checkpoint on Tuesday, the military said in a statement.

“Mullah Omar sent to his followers a list of Afghans he wants killed,” the NATO statement said, citing information provided by US Special Forces in the area. “Mohammad was number three on that list. That’s why he was killed.”

Mohammad was initially kidnapped by the militants on Monday, but was released when local elders interfered, it said, adding that the following day as he was travelling in a vehicle, “The insurgents stopped the van, pulled Mohammad out, and shot him on the spot, according to those at the scene.”

Mullah Omar, who has a 10-million-dollar bounty on his head, is believed to hiding in Balochistan province of Pakistan according to US and Afghan officials after his government was toppled by the US-led forces in late 2001. Pakistan has steadfastly denied this claim.

Taliban militants have killed numerous Afghans, including government civilian workers, tribal elders and religious scholars for allegedly spying for the Western-backed Afghan government.

The militants killed a former agent with the country’s intelligence service and his brother in the central province of Logar on Wednesday night, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Three more members of the man’s family, including a child, a woman and an elderly man, were injured when the militants attacked their home in the Porak area of the province, it said.
                 ______________________________________________________________
Also:
Mullah Omar’s detention denied
Pakistan Observer
July 7, 2010 — Pakistan’s intelligence agencies and police have denied reports regarding detention of Afghan Taliban’s Supreme Commander Mullah Omar by Pak-Security agencies in Karachi. According to media reports American-Blogers claimed that Afghan-Taliban leader Mullah Omar was arrested by Pak-security agencies on March 27 this year, he was now in custody of Pak-secret agency ISI, however Pak-intelligence agencies denied all such media reports…

Read the full article / Pak-Int 


          (Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)


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