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December 23, 2006

US kills Taliban leader

KABUL, Afghanistan -

A top Taliban military commander described as a close associate of Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar was killed in an airstrike this week close to the border with Pakistan, the U.S. military said Saturday. A Taliban spokesman denied the claim.

Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Osmani was killed Tuesday by a U.S. airstrike while traveling by vehicle in a deserted area in the southern province of Helmand, the U.S. military said. Two associates also were killed, it said.

There was no immediate confirmation from Afghan officials or visual proof offered to support the claim. A U.S. spokesman said "various sources" were used to confirm Osmani's identity.

While the US military seem confident that they actually Osmani, personally I'd like to declare the 24 hour rule for definitive proof.

However, let's say I'm also hopeful of the good news.

U.S. military spokesman Col. Tom Collins described Osmani's death as a "big loss" for the ultraconservative militia.

"There's no doubt that it will have an immediate impact on their ability to conduct attacks," Collins said. "But the Taliban is fairly adaptive. They'll put somebody else in that position and we'll go after that person, too."

He was regarded as highly ideological and was instrumental in some of the excesses of the Taliban rule such as the destruction of the ancient Buddha statues in Bamiyan and the trial of Christian aid workers in 2001, Rashid said.

More, please.

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Posted by Darleen at December 23, 2006 06:55 AM

Comments

Merry Christmas to you and your family.

OH and one little thing to add. I am tagging you for a fun thing if you would like to do it. It is a Christmas MEME.

http://www.theodoresworld.net/archives/2006/12/christmas_meme.html

It was my first time to be tagged so you are also the first person I am tagging too. heh heh

Thank you for your friendship, it is an honor to know you!

Posted by: Wild Thing at December 24, 2006 01:57 AM

These Taliban types are based in Pakistan and cross the border under the noses of Pakistani border guards. See the LA Times article today at

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-border24dec24,0,1969856.story?coll=la-home-headlines

I've noted the same thing in a couple of my own blogs...

Posted by: Carl W. Goss at December 24, 2006 09:26 AM