Fox News and the New York Times report that a joint U.S-Pakistani force has captured the Taliban's top military commander, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, in a raid in Karachi, a move that could cripple the Taliban's military operations in the short-term. Baradar is reportedly being questioned by Pakistani intelligence officials and CIA officers inside Pakistan.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar is the most important Taliban figure to be caught since the war in Afghanistan began. He is close to the Islamic group's spiritual leader Mullah Muhammad Omar and to Al Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden.
[. . .]
The C.I.A. and Pentagon declined comment to Fox News about the capture, with the Pentagon saying the U.S. military was not involved.
Bruce O. Riedel, an ex-C.I.A. officer who led the Obama administration's Afghanistan and Pakistan policy review last spring told The New York Times Baradar's capture could cripple the Taliban's military operations — at least in the short term.
The Times reports that they first learned of the capture on Thursday, but delayed reporting on it by request of White House officials, who said the news would disrupt an ongoing intelligence-gathering effort.
From NRO.....
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