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Taliban leader Mansour 'likely killed'
 [ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The United States has carried out a drone strike against Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mansour in southeast Afghanistan, the Pentagon says.
Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement "Today, the Department of Defense conducted an Cook said that Mansour has been "actively involved with planning attacks against facilities in Kabul ...the capital of Afghanistan. Home to continuous fighting from 1992 to 1996 between the forces of would-be strongman and Pak ISI/Jamaat-e-Islami sock puppet Gulbuddin Hekmayar and the Northern Alliance, a period which won Hek the title Most Evil Man in the Worldand didn't do much for the reputations of the Northern Alliance guys either.... and across Afghanistan, presenting a threat to Afghan civilians and security forces, our personnel, and Coalition partners." Cook added that "Mansour has been an obstacle to peace and reconciliation between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban, prohibiting Taliban leaders from participating in peace talks with the Afghan government that could lead to an end to the conflict." According to local reports, the Ready to Rule from Day One... has authorized the strike. Additional next-day text: The Taliban have so far not commented on the American strike or confirmed Mansour's death. He had been appointed leader last July. But Afghanistan's main spy agency confirmed his death. "Mansour was being closely monitored for a while... until he was targeted along with other fighters aboard a vehicle... in Balochistan," the National Directorate of Security said in a statement. The drone attack came just days after US, Chinese, Pakistani and Afghan officials held a fresh round of talks in Islamabad aimed at restarting the stalled peace process between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Posted by: Fred 2016-05-22 |
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