Afghan Warlord Says He Helped Bin Laden Escape Tora Bora

Fox News ^ | Thursday, January 11, 2007 | Associated Press

[do the dhue]

Afghan Warlord Says He Helped Bin Laden Escape Tora Bora Thursday, January 11, 2007 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Afghan insurgent leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar said in a television interview broadcast Thursday that his fighters helped Al Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden escape intense U.S. bombing in the Tora Bora mountains in 2001. Hekmatyar, a former Afghan prime minister and leader of the Hezb-e-Islami militant group, told Pakistan's private Geo TV network that when the United States began its assault on the rugged Afghan mountains five years ago, some of his fighters moved bin Laden, his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri and other associates to "a safe place" where he met them later. He did not say where they found the shelter. Bin Laden and al-Zawahiri are believed to be still hiding along the Afghan-Pakistan border after the heavy U.S. pounding failed to kill them or lead to their capture. Hekmatyar was a leader of the mujahedeen that fought the Soviet occupation of the 1980s and was briefly Afghan prime minister during the civil war of the early 1990s that cost tens of thousands of lives. In the interview, Hekmatyar insisted he has not maintained links with Al Qaeda. "We have no organizational link with Al Qaeda," he said. "We have no military operations outside of Afghanistan." Hekmatyar was speaking in Pashto language. Only fragments from Hekmatyar's comments were audible under a voiceover translated into Urdu, Pakistan's main language. Geo did not disclose when or where the interview was made. He was seen sitting in front of a backdrop with a painting of a mountain. He also said that he had offered the Taliban that the two militant groups should unite in a joint fight against U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, but he added that the Taliban leaders did not support the idea.

[do the dhue]

He also said that he had offered the Taliban that the two militant groups should unite in a joint fight against U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan, but he added that the Taliban leaders did not support the idea.

I think the only thing on the Taliban's mind at the time was: RUN!

[perfect stranger]

IMO Bin Laden died at Tora Bora(sic) in 2003.

Remember the big deal he made about the US military loss in Somalia during Clinton?

If he was still somewhere here alive enough to be recorded don't you think he's have something to say about the most recent developments in Somalia?

[do the dhue]

I have said that too. He would want to show his face to his fellow terrorist. It would be an embarassment to the US. You see Dr. Z but not ubl.

Bin Laden is probably little pieces of DNA blowing around Tora Bora. Moabs will do that to a feller.

[swheats]

We'll never mistake Obama again for Usama.

[perfect stranger]

Recent events in Somalia show that Osama Bin Laden is fact dead and has been since last summer

[endthematrix]

I wouldn't put it past Hekmatyar, that after helping OBL escape, that old warlord killed OBL himself.

You are correct in the assumption that players can't keep out of the fight. Hekmatyar is proof of this.

I wonder "what-if" Hekmatyar flipped to the US and Dostam went renegade.

[coconutt2000]

Maybe Osama is hanging out in the same Limbo as Fidel Castro?

[airborne]

Big deal.

I helped Captain Kirk escape from the 'Kobayashi Maru'!

[Prost1]

Hekmatyar and Dostum cannot be trusted.

However, the 1st is on our death list, the 2nd knows the pen is in the ink well and behaves accordingly.

[perfect stranger]

that old warlord killed OBL himself. Don't forget about the 25 mil bounty IIRC.

I'm only recently familiar with Dostam, so I can't comment with any authority.

[HAL9000]

Hekmatyar and Dostum cannot be trusted.

Dostum can be trusted to be Dostum. He's not a problem at the moment.

Hekmatyar just needs to be killed.

[do the dhue]

(Elect an Airborne Ranger,Vietnam Veteran for President in 2008!)

How about a Marine like Ollie North?

[endthematrix]

He's that Uzbek warlord of the Northern Alliance. He was about the most powerful on the ground. He IMO was offered everything including a cabinet position in the new government. Hekmatyar and Dostam worked together when Afghanistan kicked out the Soviets.

[airborne]

I would vote for Ollie if he ran. But he isn't.

What we need is a true, blue 'Reagan Conservative'!

[endthematrix]

I think Hekmatyar wanted to be in the Jurga (sp) and US (CIA?) said forget it. IIRC there was a raid on him specifically. I'll check over at State to see if they have anything regarding his role at Tora Bora.

[perfect stranger]

Thanks. Now I'll go out on another round of research.

[HAL9000]

IIRC, we fired a rocket from a UAV at Hekmatyar. It missed.

[do the dhue]

Michael Reagan?

Reagan/North in 08

I wish I wasn't dreaming.

BTW, I mean the adopted Reagan. Not Ronnie JR.

[piasa]

CIA FIRES MISSILE ...

[piasa]

From that link - mention of his ties to Iran :

...Ruthless power struggles between his forces and those of rivals laid waste to whole neighborhoods of the Afghan capital and killed tens of thousands. Hekmatyar fled to Iran after the Taliban took Kabul in 1996.

Iranian authorities closed Hekmatyar's offices in the country in February, and ordered him out. The move appeared a gesture toward the United States and Karzai.

Hekmatyar called for jihad against the United States in November, left exile in Iran in February, and joined some of his armed followers in Afghanistan, said another U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity...