Top Taliban Commander Killed in Fighting

[Ghost in the Machine]

Published: 5/13/07, 9:25 AM EDT
By NOOR KHAN
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) - The Taliban's most prominent military commander, a one-legged fighter who orchestrated an ethnic massacre and a rash of beheadings, was killed in a U.S.-led military operation in southern Afghanistan, officials said Sunday.

Mullah Dadullah, a top lieutenant of Taliban leader Mullah Omar, was killed Saturday in the southern province of Helmand, said Said Ansari, the spokesman for Afghanistan's intelligence service. NATO confirmed his death, calling it "a serious blow" to the insurgency.

Dadullah is one of the highest-ranking Taliban leaders killed since the fall of the hard-line regime following the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. His death represents a major victory for the Afghan government and the international coalition that has struggled to contain a Taliban-led insurgency wracking the south and east of the country.

"Mullah Dadullah was the backbone of the Taliban," said Asadullah Khalid, governor of the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar. "He was a brutal and cruel commander who killed and beheaded Afghan civilians."

Khalid showed Dadullah's body to reporters at a news conference in the governor's compound. An Associated Press reporter said the body, lying on a bed and dressed in a traditional Afghan robe, had no left leg and three bullet wounds: one to the back of the head and two to the stomach.

http://home.bellsouth.net/s/editorial.dll?pnum=1&bfromind=7406&eeid=5211413&_sitecat=1505&dcatid=0&eetype=article&render=y&ac=1&ck=&ch=ne&rg=blsadstrgt&_lid=332&_lnm=tg+ne+topnews&ck=&cntp=beta

[ixion]

1. oh double plus good

we'll see extra choco-rations for sure!

[Ghost in the Machine]

2. don't forget about the cashew chicken MRE's!...

and possibly some water that's drinkable...

[otohara]

3. OMG He Was In Afghanistan

top Taliban guy not in Iraq - golly gee wiz!

[Ghost in the Machine]

4. amazing, isn't it? They're starting to get the #1's now that even Iraq is

calling for our withdrawal from there.

[rasputin1952]

7. The vacuum just created will be filled, ost likely by someone

wanting to "prove" themselves as a hardass. While I feel no remorse for this murderous thug's demise, if things take their natural course, things might get worse...:(

[NNN0LHI]

5. He lost that leg while fighting against the Soviets with CIA backing

Just for the record.

Don

[Ghost in the Machine]

6. Thanks, I didn't know that...n/t

[Drifter]

8. Let me guess ... was he #2

It has been awhile since we killed or captured the #2 guy of some enemy that we are fighting.

Cheers
Drifer