4 Threat Matrix: Baradar to Afghanistan? Not so fast

Written by Bill Roggio on February 24, 2010 4:40 PM to 4 Threat Matrix

Available online at: http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2010/02/baradar_to_afghanistan_not_so.php

Rehman Malik, Pakistan's Interior Minister, quickly backed away from reports by an Afghan official that Pakistan will turn over Mullah Baradar, Mullah Omar's deputy, to the Afghan government. From CNN:

However, Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik told CNN there is no agreement to hand over Baradar as part of a prisoner swap and Afghanistan has not made a formal request for Baradar to be extradited.

"No such agreement has been reached between the two governments and no formal request has been received for the handing over of Mullah Baradar by the Pakistani government," he said.

"A prisoner swap was discussed but the Afghan Taliban we arrested are not prisoners. They have been detained and are being interrogated. We are examining if they've committed any crimes in Pakistan. Once they've gone through the legal scrutiny in Pakistan then we will consider any requests by the Afghan government to hand them over."

It is ironic that the person who assured us last October that "the fact is, the Quetta shura does not exist" now has to discuss the possibility of turning over the leader of said shura to Afghanistan.