Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Captured
By streiff Posted in War — Comments (9) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has been captured in what is described as a joint US/Afghan raid in what is described as eastern Afghanistan but which probably was a Special Operations raid somewhere in Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier or Waziristan.
One is always uncertain about attaching undue significance to the capture or death of any single actor in the GWOT. Hekmatyar’s talent for fratricide, mayhem, deceit and double dealing was extraordinary even by the standard set by Pushtun tribesmen. So it is possible that he may be succeeded by someone who can actually be trusted by others opposing the government of Hamid Karzai just as it is equally possible that a successor without Hekmatyar’s reputation as a warlord will be unable to recruit cannon fodder from Pakistan’s Pushtun tribes.
Oddly enough, this capture probably has as much significance for India as for operations in Afghanistan. Referring back to Steven Coll’s indispensable Ghost Wars, Hekmatyar used the military assistance provided to fight the Soviets during the 1980s to form terror camps and recruit fighters to run raids into Jammu and Kashmir. An avocation that he has continued. Without Hekmatyar it is likely that the groups he sponsored will wither away.
A lot more information and informed speculation is a Bill Roggio’s Fourth Rail.
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Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Captured 9 Comments (0 topical, 9 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
Is it a coincidence that this happened so shortly after Musharraf (1) publicly pulled out of Waziristan and (2) inked a new cooperation deal with Karzai? (I'd be stunned if it wasn't a major purpose of (2)).
"No compromise with the main purpose, no peace till victory, no pact with unrepentant wrong." - Winston Churchill
I don't think very many in the West have enough understanding of the intricate politics Musharraf has to deal with in the tribal territories.
Initially I'd thought of the deal as an abject surrender (don't believe I was alone in that opinion). Then Hekmatyar is captured. Well this guy has been bullet proof for four years. And allegedly he is captured in Afghanistan. If he was in Afghanistan the question is "why" because there is really no reason for him to venture into hostile territory. And if he was there it implies that Pakistan was no longer as hospitable as it was. Regardless of where he was captured we can bet a large sum of money greased the skids for that event.
I mean, didn't you hear? We've completely abandoned Afghanistan to its fate and everything.
Or so I've been assured; usually by people whose knowledge of the history of the region isn't even up to the level you'd get from reading Flashman...
Moe
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC.
Do you believe guys like Hekmatayar are now giving up rather then fighting to the death based on our increasingly legalistic terrorist treatment? Is the bet they will not be executed and receive additional propaganda value via this action?
"Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori"
When you look at how warfare is conducted in tribal societies it is very common to be able to buy or bargain your way out of tough spots. Hence Saddam's famous quote when caught: "I am Saddam Hussein and I am willing to negotiate."
To the Western mind this sounds nothing short of deranged, why would we negotiate? To him it was an imminently reasonable offer.
It is why these putzes, as mentioned above, don't become martyrs and why they don't go down fighting because there is a belief that ultimately they can either purchase their liberty or become so invaluable to their captors that they will not be harmed/imprisoned.
I guess this is what Zarqawi was mumbling about after the LGB. Perhaps next time we should be a bit more sensitive to the culture.
"Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori"
They are cowards, prepared to send children into battle and hide behind women (even disguising themselves with the occasional burkah.) They were always bluster as long as they were surrounded by people willing, or dumb enough, to die for them.
My guess is he needed a change of underware after those troopers leveled their weapons at him and the squad leader said, "Greetings from President Bush. Mr. Hekmatayar it's your call now, this can go either way, its up to you."
John
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True, you can sit outside in Paris and drink little cups of coffee, but why this is more stylish than sitting inside and drinking large glasses of whisky, I don't know.
P.J O'Rourke
just like all of these blowhards who will 'never be taken alive', who will 'fight to the death rather than be captured', who will 'kill the crusaders who try to capture him' ... he was reportedly taken without a fight.
John
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True, you can sit outside in Paris and drink little cups of coffee, but why this is more stylish than sitting inside and drinking large glasses of whisky, I don't know.
P.J O'Rourke