Now, seven months later, Pakistani officials are telling a very different story. They say they set out to capture Mr. Baradar, and used the C.I.A. to help them do it, because they wanted to shut down secret peace talks that Mr. Baradar had been conducting with the Afghan government that excluded Pakistan, the Taliban’s longtime backer.So, to recap... the Pakistani government is actively supporting the Taliban... the same folks who are blowing up Canadian troops. They are receiving billions of dollars in financial aid from the U.S. government... and now we should pony up billions more?
In the weeks after Mr. Baradar’s capture, Pakistani security officials detained as many as 23 Taliban leaders, many of whom had been enjoying the protection of the Pakistani government for years. The talks came to an end.
“We picked up Baradar and the others because they were trying to make a deal without us,” said a Pakistani security official, who, like numerous people interviewed about the operation, spoke anonymously because of the delicacy of relations between Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States.
“We protect the Taliban. They are dependent on us. We are not going to allow them to make a deal with Karzai and the Indians.”
As for Mr. Baradar, he is now living comfortably in a safe house of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Pakistani official said. “He’s relaxing,” the official said.
Many of the other Taliban leaders, after receiving lectures against freelancing peace deals, have been released to fight again.
Hey... just send more money... that'll solve all the worlds problems.
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"Where the World Trade Center 'collapsed'"**********
LAST WORD: At least we know...
...where the Greenies stand.