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Abdul Ghani Baradar

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Abdul Ghani Baradar
AllegianceAfghanistan Taliban
Battles / warsSoviet war in Afghanistan
Civil war in Afghanistan (1996–2001)
War on Terrorism:

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar (Dari/Pashto: عبدالغنی برادر; born c. 1968)[1] also called Mullah Baradar Akhund, is an Afghan Taliban leader. The deputy of Mullah Mohammed Omar and leader of the Quetta Shura, Baradar was largely seen as the de facto leader of the Taliban as of 2009.[2] He was captured in Pakistan on February 8, 2010, in a morning raid.[3]

Early life and Taliban career

Born in Weetmak, Deh Rahwod District, Orūzgān Province,[1] he belongs to the Pashtun ethnic group.[citation needed] Baradar fought with the Afghan mujahideen during the Soviet-Afghan War[4] and afterwards operated a madrassa in Maiwand, Kandahar Province alongside his former commander, Mohammad Omar (the two may be brothers-in-law via marriage to two sisters).[2] In 1994 he helped Omar found the Taliban.[5]

During Taliban rule (1996–2001), Baradar held a variety of posts. He was reportedly governor of Herat and Nimruz Province,[6][7] and/or the Corps Commander for western Afghanistan.[2] An unclassified US State Department document lists him as the former Deputy Chief of Army Staff and Commander of Central Army Corps, Kabul[8] while Interpol states that he was the Taliban's Deputy Minister of Defense.[1]

Following the September 11th attacks the United States invaded Afghanistan and deposed the Taliban. Baradar fought against the US-supported Northern Alliance and, according to Newsweek, "hopped on a motorcycle and drove his old friend [Omar] to safety in the mountains" in November 2001.[2] One story said that a US-linked Afghan force actually seized Baradar and other Taliban figures sometime that month, but Pakistani intelligence secured their release.[9] Another story reported by Dutch journalist Bette Dam contends that Baradar actually saved Hamid Karzai's life when the latter had entered Afghanistan to build an anti-Taliban force.[10]

Baradar now found himself fighting the newly formed Afghan government under President Hamid Karzai, though he was reportedly behind several attempts to begin peace talks, specifically in 2004 and 2009.[2]

Capture

U.S. account

Reported killed in an airstrike in Helmand Province on August 30, 2007,[11][12] he was captured in a joint operation by the ISI and CIA in either Baldia Town, Karachi, Pakistan[13] or at the Madarassa Khuddamul Quran (45 km NE of Karachi) on February 8, 2010, in a morning raid.[3] The presence of Taliban in Karachi is not unprecedented; previous reports have indicated that the city hosts a sizable network of Taliban militants, serves as a major source of funds, and may even be the location of Mullah Omar.[14]

Taliban account

One Taliban commander confirmed his capture to the press, though claimed that Baradar had instead been captured in Helmand during Operation Moshtarak;[15] another flatly denied that he was in custody.[16]

Pakistani account

Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik denied the The New York Times[9] article that broke the story, stating that there was no joint U.S.-Pakistani raid and that "We are a sovereign state and hence will not allow anybody to come and do any operation. And we will not allow that. So this (report) is propaganda".[17]

2010 capture reports

Abdul Ghani Baradur was reported to have been captured in mid-February 2010.[18] CNN quoted "US officials" who told it the capture could represent a "turning point" in the struggle with the Taliban.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "BARADAR, Abdul Ghani". Interpol. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
  2. ^ a b c d e Moreau, Ron (2009-07-25). "America's New Nightmare". Newsweek. Retrieved 2010-02-16. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b "Taliban commander Mullah Baradar 'seized in Pakistan'". BBC News. Retrieved 2010-02-16. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |Date= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ Green, Matthew (2010-02-16). "Taliban strategist was seen as future negotiator". Financial Times. Retrieved 2010-02-16. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ "Profile: Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar". BBC News. 2010-02-16. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
  6. ^ "The Hunt For Bin Laden". TIME. 2001-11-26. Retrieved 2010-02-16. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ Adamec, Ludwig W. (2005). Volume 30 of Historical dictionary of Afghan wars, revolutions, and insurgencies. Rowman & Littlefield. p. lxxxiii. ISBN 0810849488.
  8. ^ "B1, 1.4(D)". US State Department. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
  9. ^ a b Mazzetti, Mark (2010-02-16). "Secret Joint Raid Captures Taliban's Top Commander". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-02-16. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ {{cite news |first=Bette |last=Dam |title=Mullah Baradar: friend or foe? |url=http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/mullah-baradar-friend-or-foe |publisher=[[Radio Netherlands Worldwide |date=2010-02-16 |accessdate=2010-02-16}}
  11. ^ "Top Taliban Commander Killed In Southern Afghanistan". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 2010-02-16. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |Date= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "Top Taliban Leader Killed in Afghanistan". ABC News. 2007-08-30. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
  13. ^ Shah, Saeed (2010-02-16). "Afghanistan's No. 2 Taliban leader captured in Pakistan". Retrieved 2010-02-16. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |publihser= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ Yusuf, Huma (2010-02-16). "Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar: Are other Taliban leaders hiding in Karachi". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2010-02-16. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ "Afghanistan's Taliban Confirm Capture of Number-Two Commander". BusinessWeek. Bloomberg. 2010-02-15. Retrieved 2010-02-15. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ "Report: Taliban's top military commander captured". Associated Press. 2010-02-15. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
  17. ^ "Mullah Baradar arrest reports propaganda: Rehman Malik". Dawn. 2010-02-16. Retrieved 2010-02-16. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  18. ^ "Capture may be turning point in Taliban fight". CNN. 2010-02-16. Retrieved 2010-02-16.
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