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Afghanistan
U.S. airstrike kills a top Taliban leader
2006-12-23
A top Taliban military commander described as a close associate of Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar was killed in an airstrike this week close to the border with Pakistan, the U.S. military said Saturday.
"near" Pakistan, huh?
Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Osmani was killed Tuesday by a U.S. airstrike while traveling by vehicle in a deserted area in the southern province of Helmand, the U.S. military said.
or Waziristan or somewhere else....
Osmani was the Taliban's chief military commander in southern Afghanistan and played a "central role in facilitating terrorist operations" including roadside bombs, suicide attacks and kidnappings, the U.S. said.
"played" as in "past tense"
He was part of a group of "co-equals" at the top of the Taliban leadership chain just under Omar, U.S. military spokesman Col. Tom Collins said. "This guy had been deeply involved in terrorist acts against the people of Afghanistan, NATO and the government," Collins said. "He was a top commander of Taliban operations in the south and now he's no more."
Naught but a fond memory and a lingering odor...
Osmani was also in charge of the Taliban's finances, Collins said.
that's gonna hurt
Collins said that Osmani had been "utilizing both sides" of the Afghan-Pakistan border, and that the U.S. military had been tracking him "for a while."
... on both sides of the border.
"When the time was right, and we thought we had a good chance of hitting him without causing any harm to civilians, we struck," he said.
"The force is strong in this one!"
[KERBLASTO!]
"... But not that strong."
Though the U.S. said Osmani was an associate of bin Laden, Omar and Afghan insurgent leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Collins said he didn't know the last time Osmani had contact with any of the three.
"we think he texted 'Blinky' yesterday, but I can say no more"
There was no immediate confirmation from Afghan officials, and a purported spokesman for the Taliban could not immediately be reached for comment.
Posted by:Frank G

#20  Teamwork works, as they say. Well done, team!
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-12-23 23:15  

#19  yep, it sounds he was set up for the bomb.
Posted by: Shipman   2006-12-23 23:11  

#18  Timesonline indicates the RAF was working with US special forces, they picked up a satellite telephone transmission from Osmani & pinpointed it for the bomb.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2006-12-23 22:46  

#17  From AP (!):

A purported Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi, denied that Osmani had been killed. He said the airstrike killed a group commander and three other Taliban fighters.

"I confirm that Osmani is alive and is in Afghanistan," Ahmadi told The Associated Press by phone from an undisclosed location.

But other sources said there was little doubt. Collins said officials waited four days to announce the news in part so that they could be sure the Taliban commander was dead.

Identifying remains was difficult, Collins said, because of the damage inflicted by the airstrike. "The vehicle was completely destroyed, there was nothing to recognize," he said.


Sounds like we're pretty sure we got him but won't be too surprised if he shows up again.
Posted by: Glenmore   2006-12-23 16:25  

#16  no stinkin papers...
Posted by: RD   2006-12-23 15:39  

#15   was killed in an airstrike this week close to the border with Pakistan

On which side of the border?
Posted by: gromgoru   2006-12-23 14:15  

#14  Good, he was a jerk anyway.
Posted by: Ol Dirty American   2006-12-23 14:09  

#13  I think they've been watching him to see if he'd lead them to Blinky. Guess they got tired of waiting...
Posted by: Old Patriot   2006-12-23 13:57  

#12  Like Trailing Wife says...who cares.
Posted by: anymouse   2006-12-23 13:49  

#11  LOL! Trailing, to true. knocked him right off his camel they did. Spread over both side of the boarder he is!

In a related story, Keith Ellison is said to be in a state of deep depression.
Posted by: Icerigger   2006-12-23 13:47  

#10  airstrike this week close to the border

Inquiring minds want to know, on which side of said border, and which way was he headed?

Inquiring minds most definitely do not want to know. Inquiring minds are simply happy to know the result. ;-)
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-12-23 12:31  

#9  The start of a very hard winter for the Taliban.

Posted by: Penguin   2006-12-23 11:00  

#8  the full article indicates "Two associates also were killed".

Been a couple of days since Jimmy Carter has been seen.

Coincidence??
Posted by: Justrand   2006-12-23 10:56  

#7  "He was part of a group of "co-equals" at the top of the Taliban leadership chain just under Omar..."

A group of #2's...how quaint.
Posted by: DepotGuy   2006-12-23 10:33  

#6  Only his fleas, Musharoff, and Democrats mourn his death.
Posted by: airandee   2006-12-23 10:15  

#5  airstrike this week close to the border

Inquiring minds want to know, on which side of said border, and which way was he headed?
Posted by: N guard   2006-12-23 09:13  

#4  Osmani was also in charge of the Taliban's finances, Collins said.

Maybe the money went up with him. Got a feeling these guys aren't big on banks.
Posted by: tu3031   2006-12-23 09:01  

#3  Nice, but what I really want for Christmas is OBL served up halal
Posted by: regular joe   2006-12-23 09:01  

#2  "we thought we had a good chance of hitting him without causing any harm to civilians, we struck,"

This policy needs to change.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-12-23 09:00  

#1  Budda-bump-bump-bump
Another one bites the dust!
Bump-bump-bump
Another one bites the dust!
Posted by: Mike   2006-12-23 07:59  

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