Three Reports
UPDATED AND BUMPED:
Oliver North confirms Mullah Omar capture
Still not sure if I believe it, though.
Full story here.
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Mullah Omar Captured!
Capture of Mullah Omar Confirmed
Mullah Omar Captured
I don't believe it, either. Still, if this is true, it would be nice to know why Pakistan is holding him. Is he singing? Are there more round-ups in the offing? Is Pakistan's government worried about the potential payback?
This would be a major sting, if so and The One could claim that bin Laden was finally caught while on his watch. Big boost for him, which he sorely needs.
But they have captured another big one with links to bin Laden.
Oliver North confirms Mullah Omar capture
Still not sure if I believe it, though.
Full story here.
"“Why would the ISI (Pakistan's intelligence service) take down ‘one of their own?’” I asked. The answer came in a mixed metaphor but the meaning was clear: “The ISI intends to be in the driver’s seat when the ‘Peace Talks’ get underway in Afghanistan later this month. And the ISI officers calling the shots know Mullah Omar is the best bargaining chip they have.”Well that explains a lot, including why there is so little verified info about his supposed capture.
None of this bodes well for the “Consultative Peace Jirga,” on which Mr. Obama has now placed his imprimatur. Some of those watching preparations for the “peace talks” predict a call for an immediate, Vietnam-style, “cease fire” as a pre-condition for the conference – and a demand to grant Mullah Omar – Osama bin-Laden’s closest ally – safe haven in Saudi Arabia. If the O-Team agrees to any of this, it will be akin to putting perfume on a skunk."
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Mullah Omar Captured!
Capture of Mullah Omar Confirmed
Mullah Omar Captured
I don't believe it, either. Still, if this is true, it would be nice to know why Pakistan is holding him. Is he singing? Are there more round-ups in the offing? Is Pakistan's government worried about the potential payback?
This would be a major sting, if so and The One could claim that bin Laden was finally caught while on his watch. Big boost for him, which he sorely needs.
But they have captured another big one with links to bin Laden.
Labels: Mullah Omar, Osama bin Laden, Pakistan
posted by Louise at 5:56 pm
3 Comments:
If this is true . . .
Exactly. It may be, but I'm sure not sure yet. . . .
Would be nice for Omar to be in custody. However, in the total bin Laden scheme of things, he's really not very important. OBL/AQ and Mullah Omar/Taliban never got along. OBL claimed sanctuary of Omar who was bound by Islam to protect a fellow Muslim from infidels. With his own fortune and the wealth of AQ, OBL easily pressured Omar to do his biding. Had the post-9/11 attacks not taken down the Afghan Taliban gov't, Omar would not have been a wanted man. Omar was a highly placed pawn of AQ. He's only important now for his presumed ability to quell the Taliban attacks in Afghanistan now in a war that should not be in continuation, but is only because OBL/AQ cannot be allowed use of Afghanistan again. Omar, putz that he is, is of no import beyond being used and probably has no actionable intel on OBLs whereabouts.
Of course, I could be wrong.
I think he's a pretty significant asset all on his own, for symbolic reasons if nothing else. I'm sure he knows a lot about the Taleban network, whether or not there are direct connections to OBL.
Since our own forces have been over there in Af-stan slogging it out for too many years, with not much to show, it'd be nice to have some sort of trophy, especially since we've served notice that we're withdrawing combat forces by the end of next year.
I'm the type that likes to assume there's more we don't know than what we do know. Pakistan must think he has high value, if they are, as the Oliver North's piece suggests, keeping him as an ace in the hole. Be nice to know what else they have or want that makes them believe he's a useful bargaining chip.
What, if anything, does Karzai's visit to Washington have to do with this news leaking out now? Karzai seems to be playing both sides and no doubt Pakistan wants a few cards up it's sleeves in dealing with him, too.
On the other hand, I wonder what the Saudi's would do with Mullah Omar? Unless things have changed more recently, the House of Saud is not pleased with their errant son, OBL, or his associates. Perhaps they have reason to see the SOB (Omar) hanging from the end of a rope and they might be willing to give Pakistan something in exchange, or at least put some chips into the pile as the great game is played.
I'd like to live another 50 years to see how this all works out, but alas.
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