Mullah Omar ‘hiding in Pakistan’

Taleban leader Mullah Omar is living in Pakistan under the protection of its ISI intelligence agency, a captured Taleban spokesman has said.

The spokesman, Muhammad Hanif, made the apparent confession to Afghan agents who videotaped the questioning.  (h/t n2l)

source

I don’t think this comes a great surprise to anyone. Musharref has waged an increasingly difficult battle against alqueda/taleban sympathizers within the intelligence apparatus of Pakistan, as well as against the wild west provinces which are a no-go zone.

Tags: troops | spokesman | protection | leader | Intelligence | hiding | confirm | CAPTURED | Agents | agency | Taleban | quetta | Politics | Pakistan | OMAR | MULLAH | Hanif | afghanistan | afghan

Top Taleban spokesman ‘arrested’

Last night I reported an incident where two Afghani civilians stepped up and prevented a suicide bomber from attacking a coalition base, and in the process, saved many lives. Today, from BBC, another significant piece of work from the Afghani government:

 

Intelligence service spokesman Sayed Ansari named him as Dr Muhammad Hanif, who has been speaking for Afghanistan’s former rulers since October 2005.

Mr Ansari told the Associated Press the spokesman had been detained on Monday. He did not say where he is being held.

Dr Hanif’s capture, if confirmed, would be a notable success for the Afghan government as it battles the Taleban.

The authorities say more than 4,000 people were killed in Afghanistan in 2006 as bombings by the Taleban and their allies and operations by Nato-led troops soared.

‘Confessed’

Mr Ansari said Dr Hanif had been detained in the border town of Towr Kham in Nangarhar province soon after entering Afghanistan from Pakistan.

BBC

Tags: Towr | Nangarhar | Hanif | troops | spokesman | speaking | SERVICE | rulers | PROVINCE | operations | notable | named | KILLED | Intelligence | Government | Entering | DETAINED | confirmed | capture | border | Bombings | being | BATTLES | authorities | arrested | ALLIES | Taleban | Sayed | Politics | Pakistan | October | Nato-led | Muhammad | Monday | Kham | Associated | Ansari | afghanistan | afghan

Chuck Hagel for President?

Over the last couple of years, I’ve heard that Nebraska senator Chuck Hagel has been considering a run for the ’08 nomination. Unless he is considering changing parties, I would suggest to this poltroon that he not quit his day job.

Congress to Send Critics to Jail, Says Richard Viguerie

 

“In what sounds like a comedy sketch from Jon Stewart’s Daily Show, but isn’t, the U. S. Senate would impose criminal penalties, even jail time, on grassroots causes and citizens who criticize Congress.

“Section 220 of S. 1, the lobbying reform bill currently before the Senate, would require grassroots causes, even bloggers, who communicate to 500 or more members of the public on policy matters, to register and report quarterly to Congress the same as the big K Street lobbyists. Section 220 would amend existing lobbying reporting law by creating the most expansive intrusion on First Amendment rights ever. For the first time in history, critics of Congress will need to register and report with Congress itself. “The bill would require reporting of ‘paid efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying,’ but defines ‘paid’ merely as communications to 500 or more members of the public, with no other qualifiers. ”

On January 9, the Senate passed Amendment 7 to S. 1, to create criminal penalties, including up to one year in jail, if someone ‘knowingly and willingly fails to file or report.’ “That amendment was introduced by Senator David Vitter (R-LA). Senator Vitter, however, is now a co-sponsor of Amendment 20 by Senator Robert Bennett (R-UT) to remove Section 220 from the bill.

Unless Amendment 20 succeeds, the Senate will have criminalized the exercise of First Amendment rights. We’d be living under totalitarianism, not democracy.

h/t slashdot

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Tags: Rights | report | register | PENALTIES | PAID | members | lobbying | Jail | Grassroots | critics | criminal | COMMUNICATE | causes | bill | amend | Vitter | Viguerie | senate | says | Richard | Politics | Congress

Muslim Escapes Law Via Mosque.

A British-born terror suspect was on the run last night after breaking his control order and evading police by taking shelter in a mosque.

The man, aged 26, is thought to have escaped abroad after claiming that he wanted to undertake terror training in Afghanistan.

His disappearance is a further embarrassment for John Reid, the Home Secretary, as he is the third terror suspect under a control order to escape in less than six months.

It raises serious questions about the effectiveness of the orders, which were introduced by Government in 2005 and are designed to control and monitor terrorist suspects who can’t be prosected or deported from Britain.

Opposition MPs last night demanded that the suspect be identified. Currently there is an anonymity order in place and the Government has not applied to overturn it.

The man, who is of Pakistani origin and lives in Manchester, was only placed under the control order this month. But within four days he disappeared. Police sources say that the man failed to show up at a local police station to surrender his passport. He was traced to a nearby mosque, where community leaders say he had sought sanctuary. Police rarely enter a mosque: they began discussions with both local community figures and leading officials connected to the mosque.

It is understood that while these talks were taking place, the young suspect was helped to escape through a back entrance while officers from Greater Manchester Police were stationed outside.

Whitehall officials said it is not known whether the person inside the mosque who helped this suspect escape knew that he was under a control order

This after two Mulsims wanted for serious crimes escaped Britain by wearing Burkhas.