'Baradar's arrest won't affect Taliban insurgency'

In a major success, a top militant commander considered to be a close aide of elusive Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Mohhamad Omar was captured from Pakistan's port city of Karachi.

Mullah Baradar was captured from Karachi in a joint raid by personnel of the Inter-Services intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency. But Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid rejected the news, saying, "Baradar has not been arrested; it is a rumour through which the US wants to divert public attention from the defeat of its forces in Marjah Helmand."

Mullah Baradar reportedly has close links with Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

 "Mullah Baradar was arrested some four days ago from Baldiya Town in Karachi on the information provided by the CIA. ISI carried out the raid and arrested him without any resistance; Mullah Baradar has been in Karachi since the last two weeks," said some sources in the Pakistani intelligence.

The arrest of Baradar, said to be second-in-command to Omar, is a major blow to the Taliban and is being described as a major success to Obama Administration's war against terrorism in the Af-Pak region.

'Mullah Baradar has been in Pakistani custody for several days, with American and Pakistani intelligence officials both taking part in interrogations, according to the officials,' The New York Times said.

The arrest of Mullah Baradar could lead to arrest of other Taliban leaders, including Omar, US officials hope, the daily said. Most immediately, they hope he will provide the whereabouts of Omar, the one-eyed Taliban chief.

According to an Interpol alert, the daily said Mullah Baradar was born in 1968 in Weetmak village, in Afghanistan's Oruzgan province.

'Terrorism experts describe him as a skilled military leader, who runs many high-level meetings of the Taliban's top commanders in Afghanistan,' it said.  

Some locals told rediff.com that Mullah Baradar has been living in Karachi's Leah Market area since a long time. "He kept on visiting Afghanistan from time to time, to organise militants against America-led North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's forces, but his permanent abode was Karachi."

Mullah Baradar was an important member of the Taliban Shura who was considered to a close aide of reclusive Taliban leader Mullah Omer.

Mullah Baradar, who hails from the Popalzai tribe, belongs to Kandahar, the stronghold of Taliban. During the Taliban regime, he served on various key posts, and played a major role in Taliban's offensive against foreign forces in Afghanistan.

While Washington has termed the arrest of Mullah Baradar as a big setback to the Afghan Taliban, claiming it would significantly weaken militants, some experts disagree.

Talking to rediff.com, Rahimullah Yusafzai, senior journalist and an expert in the country's affairs, said, "Mullah Baradar is undoubtedly an important member in the Taliban leadership, but his arrest will not irreparably damage the Taliban. As he was a member of the Taliban Shura, his role was not much different than that of Taliban leader Obaidullah Akhund (The number three leader in the Taliban council, who was also arrested by Pakistani agencies in 2007 from Quetta.). The arrest will only affect the Taliban's political stature and put some psychological pressure on the outfit. But it will not affect the overall position of the Taliban."

Taking about the impact of Mullah Baradar's arrest on the Taliban, Asia Times Online's Pakistan Bureau chief Syed Saleem Shahzad told rediff.com, "Undoubtedly, Mullah Baradar's arrest is a big loss for the Afghan Taliban, but it will not disturb Taliban insurgency the way the Americans expect. Baradar belonged to the Popalzai Durrani tribe, which was against Talibanisation, while most Taliban commanders belonged to the Ghalzai tribe. Baradar never had any support from his own tribe -- unlike other leading commanders -- and he mostly relied on the Ghalzai tribe. In Afghanistan, whenever an important Taliban is killed or captured, it is considered a setback to the whole tribe, But in Baradar's case, it is a big loss to the Shura, but will not discourage Taliban fighters."

With inputs from PTI