Taliban Denies Karzai's Claim it's Ready for Afghan Peace Talks
A day after almost 500 inmates--many of them Taliban fighters--escaped from a Kandahar prison through a tunnel built by the Taliban, Afghan President Hamid Karzai's office issued a statement noting signs of "cooperation and facilitation from inside," according to the AFP, adding an additional layer of intrigue to a tale that already seems ripped from TV. Mohammad Abdullah, who claimed he helped organize the escape from within the prison, told the AP yesterday that he had received copies of cell keys from "friends," without defining who those friends were. Afghan authorities have so far recaptured 65 prisoners in their massive manhunt, according to CNN.
While many analysts are characterizing the prison break as a blow to U.S. efforts in Afghanistan, international forces did announce a military victory today: Abu Hafs al-Najdi, NATO's second most wanted Al-Qaeda fighter in the country, was killed in an airstrike along the border with Pakistan earlier this month. International forces won't share the identity of NATO's most wanted militant in Afghanistan, Al Jazeera explains, but alliance commanders have said in the past that there are only 50 to 100 Al-Qaeda fighters still active in Afghanistan.
Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments
or send an email to the author at
ufriedman at theatlantic dot com.
You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
Uri Friedman
| Related Articles | More by Uri Friedman | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Have a story we missed? A link we have to click? A sharp opinion about the news? Instead of waiting for us to post it, tell us on the Open Wire.
Submit your news and ideas | See all reader posts
User Comments
Please type your comment and click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be prompted to log in or register