Reuters: Pakistan arrests one of Taliban's top three

[Eugene]

Pakistan arrests one of Taliban's top three

Thu Mar 1, 10:22 PM ET

ISLAMABAD/KABUL (Reuters) - Pakistani security forces captured one of the Taliban's
three most senior leaders just hours after U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's unannounced
visit to Pakistan earlier this week, a senior security official and Taliban sources said.

The capture of Mullah Obaidullah Akhund marked the first Pakistan arrest of a senior leader
of the Islamist militia since it was driven from power in Afghanistan in 2001 when thousands
of its fighters fled into Pakistan.

The sources told Reuters that Akhund, the third most senior member of the Taliban's
10-member leadership council, was arrested late on Monday in the southwest city of Quetta.

Government and military spokesmen denied the arrest had been made -- or said they had no
knowledge of it -- when asked by Reuters, but the story was also front page news in Dawn,
a leading Pakistani daily, on Friday.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070302/wl_nm/pakistan_taliban_dc

[Fridays Child]

1. I guess they nabbed the number two guy enough times and they...

...decided to move on to number three.

[Virginian]

2. Again?

How many top three do they have? Haven't 5 or 6 of the top three been arrested now?

[Webster Green]

3. heh!

:eyes:

[izzie]

4. Well Chaney came with the money bag.

We seem to be able to buy people from their leaders, who we back, and it just does not filter down to the every day people so well. All those posters with money on them and so few turned in. Interesting.

[maddezmom]

5. in Pakistan, no way....

:sarcasm:

While Akhund's capture would represent a major coup, it sits uneasily with Pakistan's past denials of allegations that Taliban leaders were running the Afghan insurgency from Quetta.

Musharraf said last month that he was "500 percent" sure that Mullah Omar was in Afghanistan, though he admits there are Taliban fighters in Pakistan.

The lack of arrests in the past fed speculation that Pakistani intelligence services or rogue agents have allowed Taliban leaders to operate freely.

Having supported the Taliban prior to al Qaeda's September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, Pakistan has struggled to shake off suspicions that its spies continue to play a double game in case the West's commitment to Afghanistan does not last.

link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070302/wl_afp/afghanistanunresttalibandadullah_070302061925;_ylt=Ar2xTUXJYlq4kZwMV8cQ45qQOrgF