World

‘Revered Elder’: Top Terrorist Captured in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – NATO captured a senior leader of the al-Qaeda- and Taliban-allied Haqqani network active inside Afghanistan, the alliance said Saturday, describing it as a “significant milestone” in disrupting the terror group’s operations.

NATO said Haji Mali Khan was seized Tuesday during an operation in eastern Paktia province’s Jani Khel district, which borders Pakistan. It was the most significant capture of a Haqqani leader in Afghanistan, and could dent the group‘s ability to operate along the porous border with Pakistan’s lawless tribal areas.

Shortly after NATO’s announcement, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denied in a message to Afghan media that Khan had been arrested but provided no evidence that he was free.

NATO described Khan as an uncle of Siraj and Badruddin Haqqani, two of the son‘s of the network’s aging leader Jalaludin Haqqani. However, in a recent report on the Haqqani’s by the Institute for the Study of War, Khan appears as a brother in-law to Jalaludin Haqqani.

The Pakistan-based Haqqani network is affiliated with both the Taliban and al-Qaeda and has been described as the top security threat in Afghanistan. The group has been blamed for hundreds of attacks, including a 20-hour siege of the U.S. Embassy and NATO headquarters last month.

Last week, U.S. officials accused Pakistan’s spy agency of assisting the Haqqanis in attacks on Western targets in Afghanistan — the most serious allegation yet of Pakistani duplicity in the 10-year war.

The United States and other members of the international community have in the past blamed Pakistan for allowing the Taliban, and the Haqqanis in particular, to retain safe havens in the country’s tribal areas along the Afghan border — particularly in North Waziristan.

“He was one of the highest ranking members of the Haqqani network and a revered elder of the Haqqani clan,” NATO said of Khan, adding that he “worked directly under Siraj Haqqani, and managed bases and had oversight of operations in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Khan also moved forces from Pakistan to Afghanistan to conduct terrorist activity, NATO said. “Jalaluddin Haqqani consistently placed Mali Khan in positions of high importance.”

NATO also said that Khan had in the past year established a militant camp in Paktia and “coordinated the transfer of money for insurgents operations, and facilitated the acquisition of supplies.”

During the operation Tuesday, Khan surrendered without resistance and NATO forces also arrested his deputy and bodyguard, along with a number of other insurgents, the alliance said.

“The Haqqani network and its safe havens remain a top priority for Afghan and coalition forces,” NATO concluded.

The NATO statement said security forces have conducted more than 500 operations so far in 2011 in an effort to disrupt the Haqqani network leadership, resulting in the deaths of 20 operatives and the capture of nearly 300 insurgent leaders and 1,300 suspected Haqqani insurgents.

Comments (46)

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  • mastice
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:43pm

    So let me see if I have this straight. We deny two US citizens the right to due process (yes they were traitors and deserved it but they were citizens) ….and we capture this guy? Doesn’t anyone see a problem with that? (personally I would have loved to see the two traitors captured, tried and hung for treason instead of highlights about a ‘strike’ that killed them)

    Report Post » mastice  
  • georgiavietvet
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:37pm

    RIGHT ON, RIGHT ON………………now that they are captured, water board them for every scrap of information that they have, then take them out, wrap them in pig skins, stuff bacon in their mouths, and shoot them…………………………….

    Report Post »  
  • The next to last american president
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 8:50pm

    Oduma is morally weaking the military. He is only interested in making lesbians and gays happy. Yeah – we can still fire a missile from an predator, sometimes be successful with a seal team, otherwise we cannot win a war. How to fight Muslims- never ever enter a mosque, courageous restaint, don’t fire until fired upon, always respect their religion and customs, build mosques, schools, Hospitals, etc. Let them grow poppies , which funds th Taliban. Gentlemen, pack your bags and come home. Do not enlist in the army, and getout ASAP. Military is just a social club for Gays.

    Report Post »  
  • The next to last american president
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 8:47pm

    Oduma is morally weaking the military. He is more interested in making lesbians and gays happy. Yeah – we can still fire a missile from an predator, sometimes be successful with a seal team, otherwise we cannot win a war. How to fight Muslims- never ever enter a mosque, courageous restaint, don’t fire until fired upon, always respect their religion and customs, build mosques, schools, Hospitals, etc. Let them grow poppies , which funds th Taliban. Gentlemen, pack your bags and come home. Do not enlist in the army, and getout ASAP. Military is just a social club for Gays.

    Report Post »  
  • Boetica
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 6:49pm

    If he is in Afghan custody he will mysteriously escape.

    Report Post »  
  • Arshloch
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 4:57pm

    Stop with the ‘capture’ already. These thugs want to die so oblige them. Find one kill one, period.

    Report Post » Arshloch  
    • Boetica
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 6:49pm

      Obviously Pakistan is no ally, so we should continue to hone our intelligence capabilities and keep smokin’ the bad guys. Also watch for nuclear technology transfers.

      Report Post »  
    • ramburner
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 8:48pm

      I agree! We don’t need to read about captures; we should be reading about their death and the justice that was served because of their actions. This article points out that 20 operatives died because of this jerk, and how many civilians because of his attacks? I say just smoke em and then report to the world without any reservations. We know who the bad guys are and we don’t need to be pc any longer.

      Report Post »  
  • thegodfather
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 4:35pm

    Another day…another rat caught Warm up the waterboard

    Report Post » thegodfather  
  • M 4 Colt
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 3:52pm

    See what happens when we CUT PAKISTAN out of the loop, we get the leaders of the bad guys and most important we stop losing out troops. I never trusted Pakistan in the first place and now i see that our military is starting to wise up, and oh ya i read on the Drudge Report that Congress has held up their pay off money right now and that’s several hundred million and they have put a stop to 2 BILLION DOLLARS in military aid money, it‘s about time we clamp down on these double dealers WE CAN’T TRUST THEM!

    Report Post »  
  • paulusmaximus
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 2:54pm

    pay for your adds!

    Report Post » paulusmaximus  
  • Truthmonster
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 2:50pm

    See what they are made of, they are rattinthemselves out. Snitches. They prefer money over 72 questionable virgins. I never get over in how their leaders control them Hey strap on this C4belt and give your life for Allah. Looks like one of the underlings would step up and say. Why don’t you lead by example. You don’t see the leaders blowing themselves up. How convenient. Suckers

    Report Post » Truthmonster  
    • kindling
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 3:10pm

      How do they know if the 72 questionable virgins are girls or boys……or pigs for that matter. Children and women also blow themselves up.

      Report Post » kindling  
  • Happy Killmore
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 2:27pm

    Looked at your site. I had to stop when I got to where you suggest that Palin’s pin is a Cuban flag. Please do a little research. That is a pin signifying that she has a son/daughter overseas in the military fighting in the War on Terror. If she had two stars that would mean two children. It goes back at least to WWII. If the star was gold it would mean her child was killed in the war thus the term “Gold Star Mom”. You see a lot of these in towns with military bases. It has NOTHING to do with Cuba.

    Report Post » Happy Killmore  
  • familyofsix
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 1:21pm

    Let the fools keep stepping up to the terrorist podium as a “leader”. We will continue to pick them off one at a time. So haji like that new jump suit? I hope you khan endure your new future.

    Report Post »  
  • babylonvi
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 1:18pm

    King Barry is pushing for a claim of “Victory in the War on Terror” ion tome for election.

    Report Post » babylonvi  
  • Doug in Seattle
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:18pm

    Why are we still in Afghanistan? Our stated reasons for going there in 2001 are done – We kicked the Taliban and have killed Bin Laden.

    Why should we care what they do now in their country? If they attack us or shelter those who attack us, we flatten them and leave.

    That should be the lesson we leave them with – The Only Lesson! And its a lesson they will respect – even if it takes two or more tries for the slower ones.

    Report Post » Doug in Seattle  
  • whatthecrazy
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:11am

    Im not even going to waste my time reading this same old bla bla bla just get rid of him and move on to the next one, you only have a couple of BILLION to go ……………………….

    Report Post »  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:11pm

      I agree. Bang! Done. No BS…….no trial……just one less SN.

      Report Post »  
    • 13th Imam
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:17pm

      Thank You GW Bush for putting policy’s in place to capture and kill these terrorists. Without your and Cheney‘s and Rummy’s guidance , Barry would be floundering around like he is doing to our economy.

      Report Post » 13th Imam  
  • Charles
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:09am

    Captured?

    Report Post »  
  • IMCHRISTIAN
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:01am

    Ron and Paul will you please except, if offered, the job as courier to deliver the rights to terrorists.

    Report Post »  
    • motherof18
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:05am

      You are so right. A vote for Ron Paul is a vote for another 9/11.

      There is no placating the Muslim terrorists, there is only the destroying of them.

      Report Post »  
    • IMCHRISTIAN
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:16am

      Correction….. I did mean Gary not Paul

      Report Post »  
    • jb.kibs
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:51am

      how so? so you really don’t believe that what happened in 1953 mattered at all? when we overthrew the iranian government and put in place a person who tortured and killed thousands of them… na.. if anyone did that to us, we would just say “that’s cool” we forgive you. right?

      Report Post »  
    • 13th Imam
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:40pm

      So you really think that what happened in 1814 had nothing to do with this? The fact that Thomas Jefferson sent our Frigates to squash the Barbary(Muslim) Pirates. That really pissed off the Musselmen Bey’s, Pasha’s and Caliphfs.

      Report Post » 13th Imam  
    • Dr. Sax
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 2:06pm

      When you said “Ron” and “Paul” I thought you were cleverly referring to Paul’s schizophrenic tendencies regarding common sense, i.e. his ideas on the economy vs. his suicidal foreign policy positions. :D

      Report Post »  
  • LukeAppling
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:50am

    I can’t believe mosques everywhere are turning their people against America we have the assurance of CAIR that mosques everywhere only talk of peace.Who believes that any muslim can be trusted ,anywhere?

    Report Post »  
    • plunderpower
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 2:40pm

      In the not so distant past, New York City let pigs run wild through the streets in their effort to keep them cleaner. I wonder if those Muslims at Ground Zero wanting to build a victory Mosque are aware the pigs got their first? The fact New York taxpayers are helping to finance the new Mosque will make it interesting when/if Muslims decide to abandon their new Mosque…do they even know the unHoly Pigs got to their so-called Holy Muslim ground first?

      Report Post » plunderpower  
  • wub
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:34am

    As Obama’s rating go down, he turned his back on his terrorist pals, exposing them to CIA and the Military, which are totally out of Obama’s control, and who often conduct operations without his permission. Oh right-wing crazies!!!

    Report Post »  
  • godlovinmom
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:31am

    Not trying to be a conspiracy theorist here, but we seem to be hearing alot about killing and capturing of these top terrorist, but the last pictures I saw were of sadam hussein. Its strange, but I have a feeling big bad spooky dude is housing them somewhere. ;0)

    Report Post » godlovinmom  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:54am

      Not quite housing them, just most likely funding them.

      Also the case for me is very clear that as Mr Obama’s ratings tank majorly, there will be more and more terrorists taken out or captured or citizens of the US assassinated via executive order/hit list; he is now trying to make himself into a war hero by taking out more and more of the villians.

      What people are understanding clearly, and he (Obama) is failing to understand willingly, is we know he is doing so just for re-election and could have taken then down at any time long before this.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • motherof18
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:12am

      Even if you hate Oblackma you should be applauding his killing of terrorists. Bush could have done the same thing but his masters, the Saudi Royal family, would have disapproved. I voted for Oblackma but I won’t vote for him again and neither should you but what he is doing is setting a precedent for preemptive killing of the terrorists that will make it easier for the next Republican president to do the same thing. The Muslim propagandists are really stepping up their conspiracy propaganda. Many of these Ron Paul supporters are Muslim, they go by names like Rose Helen but their real names are Abdul, Muhammad and the like.

      Don’t sucker for the Muslim propaganda. It’s Muslims that are more dangerous than your own government you fools.

      Report Post »  
    • godlovinmom
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:51am

      Snow…totally agree…all for the sake of the campaign…ANYONE that voted for this clown the first go around, deserves what WE get….if you paid attention to Obama’s background and voting history, during the first campaign, he wasn’t hard to figure out. Good to see you still blogging on the blaze.

      Report Post » godlovinmom  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:24am

    I’m sure we read him his rights and got him a good lawyer.

    Report Post » Gonzo  
    • Islesfordian
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:14am

      These are his rights:
      “You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to start talking. After pouring water on your face for an hour we’ll inform you of these rights again. We have all day, literally. Your call.”

      Report Post » Islesfordian  
    • capecodsully
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:41am

      Why don’t we see any posts from RANGERP, is he busy this week?

      Report Post »  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 12:17pm

      @ Islesfordian

      These are his rights:
      “You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to start talking. After pouring water on your face for an hour we’ll inform you of these rights again. We have all day, literally. Your call.”
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      My version would be:

      “You have the right remain silent” (at that point the terrorist sees me rack the slide back, as I say:) “but, I have the ability to keep you silent.”

      Report Post »  
  • Harold B
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:23am

    I hope to see his hanging on television the same as we witnessed Saddam Hussian’s hanging

    Report Post »  
  • 82dAirborne
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:22am

    As Mr. Obama’s popularity falls our military is allowed more victories. Coincidence??? I think NOT!!

    Report Post » 82dAirborne  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 11:07am

      No nothing is truly a coincidence.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • georgiavietvet
      Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:46pm

      82dairborne…………………….. its no coincidence. obama the muslim, is trying to rehabilitate his anti-american, pro muslim stance. his poles and credibility are so low that he is pulling out all the stops, to raise his numbers. we all know what he is but the brain dead in this country will believe what ever he tells them. they are the votes he is after. thank you for your sevice to our country…………………….

      Report Post »  
  • Harold B
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:22am

    I hope to witness his hanging the same as we say Saddam’s demise

    Report Post »  
  • Constructionist
    Posted on October 1, 2011 at 10:20am

    So that‘s where ’Haji’ has been. I used to love that cartoon.

    Report Post » Constructionist  
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