Posted on 12/23/2006 2:21:03 AM PST by HAL9000
KABUL, Afghanistan - 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.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.
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.
Good.
Bin Laden's "close associate" killed in southern Afghanistan
KABUL (AFP) - US-led coalition forces have killed Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Osmani, a close associate of Osama bin Laden and a Taliban leader, in southern Afghanistan, a military statement said.
"Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Osmani, a senior member of the Taliban's inner circle, was killed on December 19 in Helmand province," the statement said on Saturday.
A coalition airstrike hit Osmani's vehicle, which was travelling in a deserted area, killing him and two unidentified associates, it said.
Another one, eh? Well, good. Unfortunately it's a lot like whack-a-mole.
U.S. SAYS IT HAS KILLED ONE OF TOP FOUR TALIBAN LEADERS
Not a very Merry Christmas for the Dems is it?
I fear these guys are as replaceable as lug nuts on a Ford truck.
People react to this kind of news as "Ho hum, ANOTHER 'top leader'?"
The response should be "YES, another top leader--that's how you deal with terrorist groups, you have to get them where you can, they're not sitting in an easily-found capitol city waiting to get blown up!"
The glibness with which Americans, including FReepers, react to this kind of story is discouraging; I can't imagine how discouraging it must be to the troops doing the heavy lifting. It's not just the DUmmies who are bringing our people down in terms of morale.
COMBINED FORCES COMMAND - AFGHANISTAN
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
APO AE 09356
http://www.cfc-a.centcom.mil
News Desk: 070-076-454
Kabul-Presscenter@cfc-a.centcom.mil
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 23, 2006
Release # 061223-002
Coalition Forces Kill Senior Taliban Leader
KABUL, Afghanistan - Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Osmani, a senior member of the Taliban's inner circle, was killed Dec. 19 in Helmand Province.
Credible intelligence led Coalition Forces to Osmani's location near the border with Pakistan. His vehicle, traveling in a deserted area, was destroyed by a Coalition air strike, instantly killing him and two unidentified associates.
"Osmani was in the top ring of the Taliban leadership and he was also a close associate of Osama bin Laden and Gulbuddin Hekmatyr," said Col. Tom Collins, Coalition spokesperson. "His death is a major achievement in the fight against extremists and their terrorist networks."
Osmani was the Taliban's chief of military operations in the provinces of Uruzgan, Nimroz, Kandahar, Farah, Herat and Helmand. He played a central role in facilitating terrorist operations involving Taliban, al-Qaeda and the Haqqani Network, to include IED and suicide attacks, kidnappings, numerous atrocities against innocent civilians, and direct attacks on Coalition, NATO, and Afghan forces, Collins said.
-30-
This is heartening news. Thanks for posting it!!
P.S.Merry Christmas
COMBINED FORCES COMMAND - AFGHANISTAN checked their list and determined he was naughty.
They gave him a lump of HE instead of coal.
Good. This is stuff the President should be highlighting. He should give a live TV address and mention it. I'd bet there's video. Maybe show that, too.
He needs to emphasize the positive and take the debate from the media.
Hopefully, if this guy was that high up, the same intelligence will help with other Taliban and AQ leaders.
I think we should be much more active in assassinations and "black ops" and taking out leaders and cadres. Stuff like this should be happening much more often.
Wow. I think I once read the French equivalent of your post during a similar engagement in Northern Africa.
Basically the eventually killed all of the top-leaders and then withdrew with their tails between their legs.
Of course the French are good at surrender, but ultimately your mentality is the same as theirs and it is what caused the defeat.
It is important to go after the militants and their leaders, but if you don't couple it with a plan to cut off the supply of their replacements (i.e. economic growth, stability and opportunity for young men) you can forget about winning. And killing without winning is just killing.
Have a Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas PING!
Ping
Amen!
What the hell are you talking about? Nothing I wrote has any connection to your comments about it.
If you disagree with my sentiment that our troops don't need the constant whining that results whenever they eliminate another AQ leader, I have to wonder if your first name isn't Jaques--what that has to do with claiming I said we should just kill the leaders and run away, I don't know, but it's obvious English isn't your first language.
They have the House and Senate.
There is no way around it - the Dems are still dancing and it was a terrible year for conservatives.
Left boot production is up 54% and Emanuel Goldstein is a nasty chap.
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