Taliban: hard to find, but not to phone

[dArKeR]

REUTERS , SPIN BOLDAK, AFGHANISTAN
Saturday, Jul 10, 2004,Page 6

A captured member of the Afghan Taliban has contacted the movement's leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, a senior official said yesterday, the first indication in months that the one-eyed fugitive is still alive.

Afghanistan's southern security chief, Abdullah Laghmani, said Mullah Mujahid, whom he described as Omar's former bodyguard, was captured about 80km north of Kandahar city this week.

"Last Monday, Mujahid spoke to Mullah Omar in our presence," Laghmani said. "But since then, when we tried to contact him on this number they disconnected it. Mullah Omar is alive."

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/07/10/2003178424

[truthisfreedom]

1. gee, you think we mighta used some technology to track that sucker?

or, is this just more election-year fear mongering?

pathetic.

[Aidoneus]

2. They have actually been quite active over the last few months

They have good cover, because they stay in areas of strong support (most of the south and east of the country). The Afghan resistance movements, primarily Taliban & Hekmatyar's branch of the Afghan Islamic Party, reorganized their command structure over the winter before the spring & summer operations. The regional commanders would have been in good contact with each other and with the central command (under Hekmatyar & Omar, who was re-affirmed as the leader). It is surprising that with so much contact--they use sat phones by all accounts--, and yet with so much technology at the hands of the invaders, there have been no big "breaks" (aside from Mullah Mujahid most recently).

[ewagner]

3. Snarf

Area code 202?

[AndyTiedye]

4. They Would be Fools to Leave a Satphone ON All The Time

If they just left the satphone on all the time, it would be very trackable.
It's likely they can figure out within a few km where Omar was when the call was received,
just based on which satellite handled the call and when it was made.

[Aidoneus]

5. and it's just as likely..

that he won't be anywhere near there when the trace is completed.

[AndyTiedye]

8. Maybe That's Why We Bombed that Wedding Party Last Year

[daleo]

6. It sounds like a tip-off, in a slightly round about way

"By the way Omar, the U.S. has your phone number, so you will want to quit taking calls or they could track you. Have a nice day."

I think the security chief in question knows the U.S. won't be around forever, so he's hedging his bets.

[elvisbear]

7. Just dial BR549 - ask for Junior Samples

.