U.S. forces capture top Taliban commander in AfghanistanOctober 12, 2013 - 09:35 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. forces in Afghanistan have captured senior Pakistani Taliban commander Latif Mehsud in a military operation and detained him under a law authorizing use of force against al Qaeda following the 2001 attacks, the Pentagon said on Friday, October 11, according to Reuters. The arrest of Mehsud, a trusted deputy to Tehreek-e-Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud, could be a big blow to the group, which seeks to topple the U.S.-backed government Pakistan but has also taken aim at U.S. forces in Afghanistan and sought to strike the United States itself. A Pentagon spokeswoman said Mehsud was captured in a U.S. military operation in Afghanistan, but The Washington Post reported on Friday that he was forcibly snatched from an Afghan government convoy in Logar province several weeks ago as Afghan officials were trying to recruit him to launch peace talks. The Post said the incident, viewed as a major breach of Afghan sovereignty, enraged Afghan President Hamid Karzai and had contributed to a chill in U.S.-Afghan relations at a time when American officials are pressing for a deal to let a small force of U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan after 2014. Pentagon officials declined to comment on the Post report. The Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, is believed to have trained Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad in bomb-making techniques and funded his plot to detonate a car bomb in New York's Times Square in 2010. The device failed to explode and was defused by a bomb squad. The group has been involved in many attacks within Pakistan. These have included attacks on U.S. diplomats and assaults that have killed Pakistani civilians. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. Aram I supports Karekin II’s “patriotic position” Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I has expressed support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. |