Bombshell: Spokesman says Mullah Omar being sheltered by Pakistani intel
posted at 11:52 am on January 17, 2007 by Allahpundit
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Yeah, but who’d believe a filthy terrorist’s filthy mouthpiece?
In this case? Me, that’s who.
Fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar is alive and well and living in Pakistan under the protection of the Pakistan intelligence agency, according to the captured spokesman for the Taliban, Mohammad Hanif.
Hanif was captured in Afghanistan yesterday, and today the Afghan government released video footage of him in which he claims to know the location of Omar.
“He is living in Quetta,” says Hanif, “and the ISI [Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Agency] is protecting him.”
They’ve probably got him under “house arrest,” so that he can’t get to Musharraf — and we can’t get to him.
According to secret U.S. military documents purchased by ABC News from an Afghan in front of Bagram air base, the spokesman’s telling the truth about his location.
Update: From the Guardian, May 19:
Colonel Chris Vernon, chief of staff for southern Afghanistan, said the Taliban leadership was coordinating its campaign from the western Pakistani city of Quetta, near the Afghan border. “The thinking piece of the Taliban is out of Quetta in Pakistan. It’s the major headquarters,” he told the Guardian. “They use it to run a series of networks in Afghanistan.”
The Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, echoed these comments by accusing Pakistan of arming the insurgents. “Pakistani intelligence gives military training to people and then sends them to Afghanistan with logistics,” the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency quoted him as saying…
“It is absolutely absurd that someone is talking like this. If the Taliban leadership was in Quetta we would be out of our minds not to arrest them,” said a spokesman, Major General Shaukat Sultan. “They should give us actionable intelligence so that we can take action.”
And here’s a fun rumor about Hanif’s capture, for what it’s worth: according to the governor of the Afghan province where he was caught, packets of anthrax were found with him.
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Can we please get this guy scheduled for Extreme Makeover – Gitmo Edition?
TugboatPhil on January 17, 2007 at 11:59 AM
You know, sometimes we suck at allies.
Slublog on January 17, 2007 at 12:00 PM
How does it benefit Pakistan to keep him alive?
Kevin M on January 17, 2007 at 12:02 PM
I say, poke him in the eye.
Dr. Gecko on January 17, 2007 at 12:03 PM
How does it benefit Pakistan to make peace deals with the jihadis in their tribal areas? They’re trying to pacify these savages. If word gets out that they killed Omar, it could stir them up.
Allahpundit on January 17, 2007 at 12:05 PM
An excellent question indeed. You beat me to it. If it’s true that this jerk is there (and we now have two reasons to do so), well, this question needs to be answered rather thoroughly.
With friends like Pakistan, who needs enemies?
flutejpl on January 17, 2007 at 12:07 PM
The Pakistanis learned what the Saudis did during the 1980s. They simply encourage their insane jihadists to go abroad and take Jihad elsewhere.
Pakistan is looking for the day to send their nutcases back into afganistan and out of their lands.
Just think if we could encourage Kos and the DU to take their jihad to Canada how much better this country would be.
William Amos on January 17, 2007 at 12:10 PM
Who else could they be sheltering?..mmmm, who could it be?….Could it be OSAMA?!!!
Valiant on January 17, 2007 at 12:23 PM
Understatement. Then again, since the war is against Orthodox Islam (it is the apostates that are peaceful), I don’t think we should be allies with any of them.
Tim Burton on January 17, 2007 at 12:23 PM
Pakistan has claimed a strike against Al Queda near the border
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070116/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_al_qaida
Pakistanis hit possible al-Qaida target By MATTHEW PENNINGTON, Associated Press Writer
Tue Jan 16, 1:24 PM ET
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistani helicopter gunships attacked a suspected al-Qaida hide-out in forest near the Afghan border Tuesday, killing up to 10 people and sparking anger among tribesmen who said the dead were woodcutters, not terrorists.
The raid in South Waziristan came as Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Afghanistan and as pressure grew on Pakistan to crack down on militants launching attacks across the frontier.
Pakistan’s army said intelligence sources confirmed the presence of 25 to 30 militants, including four or five unidentified al-Qaida terrorists, occupying five compounds in the area of Zamzola — a village about two miles from the frontier.
Pakistani forces backed by Cobra gunships attacked them, destroying three of the compounds.
Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan reported eight militants were killed and 10 wounded, none of them “high-value targets.”
Anwar Ullah, who lives near Zamzola, told The Associated Press by telephone that five helicopters fired missiles at five homes. He said local tribesmen retrieved 10 bodies and 10 wounded from the rubble. He said the slain men were Afghan laborers hired by a tribal elder to cut wood.
About 600 tribesmen chanting slogans against President Bush and Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf later protested the raid, blocking a highway with burning tires for two hours in the town of Tank — about 100 miles north of Zamzola.
“They were not terrorists. They were only laborers,” Niaz Quereshi, a local religious leader, said of the dead men.
William Amos on January 17, 2007 at 12:28 PM
BTW jazeera has the protests against this attack up already
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/6A2B9638-8B11-4233-B09D-24EA77F490D4.htm
Protests against Pakistan army raid
Pakistan’s army is under US pressure to control activity on its border with Afghanistan [Reuters]
Hundreds of people have rallied in a Pakistani town against an army air raid on a suspected al-Qaeda hide-out, claiming it killed innocents, witnesses said.
In a separate incident, about 200 college students blocked a road that links Tank with Wana, the main town in southern Waziristan. A police presence was on the streets, and no violence was reported.
In the eastern city of Multan at least 60 university students shouted “Death to Bush,” and burned an American flag to protest against the air raid.
Kamal Hyder, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Pakistan, said that he had received a call from Baitullah Mahsud, the head of the peace committee in southern Waziristan, inviting his team to visit the scene of the raid.
“Pakistani newspapers have reacted strongly but have carried both sentiments – the sentiments of the government, who said that it carried out the attack, and the sentiments of the people on the street, who believe that the Americans had a hand in this one as well,” Hyder said.
William Amos on January 17, 2007 at 12:32 PM
The Fog of War. Which terrorist do we believe? I tend to believe Karzai, after all it’s his government that stands to lose all if the Taliban are alllowed to operate in Pakistan. Pervy, on the other hand, has to walk a tight-rope similar to the Saudi royal family. He has to show some results in the terror war but at the same time not anger too many jihadists..who will then attempt to take down their government. So, Omar is in Pakistan and probably is being protected by the Pakistani govt. Ahh, nice to have allies……
ritethinker on January 17, 2007 at 12:40 PM
I could swear he’s winking at me.
bloggless on January 17, 2007 at 12:43 PM
Why keep him alive?
I can only guess, but …
10) He escaped Afghanistan wearing a burka, and a Pakistani official has fallen in love with him.
9) 20 US main-stream-media types/future hostages are expected for interviews with Omar shortly.
8) Omar heard the food was better in Gitmo.
7) Jimmy Carter says Omar is not a terrorist.
6) Pakistani police are sticking Omar masks on ordinary folks, so they can try and master the Iraqi, heads-a-popping hanging technique.
5) He is joining the stable of has-been celebs who have gone to Paris Hilton for imgage advice. For god’s sake, NO photos of him stepping out of a limo, PLEASE!
4) His secret location in Pakistan was actually a time-share, he has the “vacation in any …istan any time” package.
3) Pakistani authorities in Islamabad are not certain it is Omar, based on the faxed photo. It could be Omar, could be Rosie’s arm pits.
2) His capture resulted from a mix up by his staff. They thought he said, “I must see Obama!”
1) What happens in Aghanistan, stays in Afghanistan.
doufree on January 17, 2007 at 12:50 PM
Who does he like in the Democrat primaries? Just a gut feeling, but I think he’s got his eye on Hillary.
JammieWearingFool on January 17, 2007 at 1:01 PM
Another example of the “moderate” Muslim keeping to their word with the infidel. What would we do without them?
omegaram on January 17, 2007 at 1:06 PM
The Anthrax was for purely educational purposes, naturally (the same lame excuse hackers use for publishing hacking/cracking/phishing tools).
Neo on January 17, 2007 at 1:35 PM
This is NOT surprising as the Pakistani government, specifically the intelligence service, openly aided his climb to power in the early 90’s.
georgej on January 17, 2007 at 1:47 PM
Bush needs some balls. Declare the right of pursuit regardless of borders.
But then again the bastard won’t even secure our borders. What that hell was I thinking.
Timber Wolf on January 17, 2007 at 1:58 PM
Bush needs to grow some balls. He needs to declare right to pursue regardless of borders.
Oh wait he won’t even secure our own border. What the heck was I thinking!
Timber Wolf on January 17, 2007 at 1:59 PM
This is yet another reason to not allow Iran to go nuclear. It makes those covert cross-border raids that much riskier.
steveegg on January 17, 2007 at 2:18 PM
Sounds like Quetta needs an enema.
mojo on January 17, 2007 at 2:39 PM
Its time for a little visitation from a Predator.
Iblis on January 17, 2007 at 3:24 PM
We could use a well placed bombshell, right up his tuchis.
Why is anyone surprised about this?
Attila (Pillage Idiot) on January 17, 2007 at 4:20 PM
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