Top Taliban’s arrest an ominous signal

[Oregone]

Another top Taliban leader has been arrested in Pakistan, the latest in a string of captures that risks strengthening the insurgency's hard-line base.

Maulavi Abdul Kabir, a onetime governor of eastern Afghanistan before the overthrow of the Taliban regime, was arrested by Pakistani forces, Taliban and Afghan government sources confirmed.

...

“But for the Afghan government, which wants some effective peacemakers within the insurgency, I don't think that, for example, Baradar's arrest has been productive, based on their own thinking. … It shows that many Taliban-friendly elements within the Pakistani government and Quetta shura never wanted Baradar to decide the destiny of insurgents in Afghanistan.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/top-talibans-arrest-an-ominous-signal/article1477633/

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I wonder if someone is using the Pak forces to eliminate competition and do a power grab. Perhaps they are dropping names for their own benefit, or maybe its simply about weeding out moderates.

[Robb]

1. The flaw in that article is in suggesting those recently captured/killed were all moderates.

Most were leaders of regional military committees.

[Oregone]

2. "moderate" is a relative term when talking about the Taliban

Maybe they meant these people didn't favor killing women if they spotted their eye brows through their burkas