Taliban Have Announced That The Founder Of The Haqqani Network Has Died In Afghanistan

The Guardian: Leader of militant Haqqani network in Afghanistan has died, say Taliban

Jalaluddin Haqqani died ‘after a long sickness’, the insurgent group says

The Taliban have announced the death of Jalaluddin Haqqani, the leader of Afghanistan’s Haqqani militant group – one of the most powerful and feared affiliates of the insurgency.

The Taliban said he died after “a long struggle with a disease”, according to the monitoring group Site.

According to the statement, Haqqani has been buried in Afghanistan.

Haqqani originally founded the group to fight Soviet occupation in the 1970s, and was once funded by the CIA and lionised by some in the US.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: He was a nasty piece of work whose network has brought untold suffering to millions of Afghans.

More News On The Taliban's Announcement That The Founder Of The Haqqani Network Has Died In Afghanistan

Taliban say founder of Haqqani network dies in Afghanistan -- CTV News/AP
Afghan Taliban Announces Death Of Haqqani Network Founder -- NDTV/AFP
Jalaluddin Haqqani, founder of Afghan militant network, dies -- BBC
Taliban: Haqqani network leader dead -- DW
Taliban says founder of militant Afghan Haqqani network dies -- Reuters
Jalaluddin Haqqani death: Founder of most-feared Afghan militant network is dead, Taliban says -- The Independent
Jalaluddin Haqqani death: Who was the Taliban-affiliated militant leader? -- Al Arabiya
Who are the Haqqanis, Afghanistan's most feared insurgents? -- AFP

Another Top Afghan Militant Leader Being Reported Dead One Year After His Death

Pakistani militant Jalaluddin Haqqani (file photo)

BBC: Afghan militant leader Jalaluddin Haqqani 'has died'

Jalaluddin Haqqani, the Afghan founder of the militant Haqqani network, died at least a year ago, sources close to the group have told the BBC.

Haqqani died after a long illness and was buried in Afghanistan, the sources added.

Rumours about Haqqani's death have circulated for some years and can still not be independently confirmed.

The latest report comes a day after the Taliban acknowledged that its leader, Mullah Omar, was dead.

Reports of Haqqani's death, quoting Taliban sources, also appeared in Pakistani media on Friday. One senior Afghan official said he had died six years ago.

WNU Editor: Another top militant's death being reported a year after the fact .... of course .... the family is denying these reports .... Rumors Over Jalalludin Haqqani's Death Swirl, Family Denies (Reuters).

More News On The Death Of Jalaluddin Haqqani

Jalaluddin Haqqani, veteran Afghan militant leader, 'has died' -- The Telegraph
Haqqani Network leader Jalaluddin Haqqani has died -- Khaama Press
Pakistani Media: Founder Of Militant Haqqani Militant Died 'A Year Ago' -- Radio Free Europe
‘Haqqani Network’ chief Jalaluddin Haqqani dead -- Times of India
Jalaluddin Haqqani, chief of Haqqani network, dead: Report -- Hindustan Times
Haqqani Network Chief Jalaluddin Haqqani Dead: Sources -- NDTV

The Killing Of Jalaluddin Haqqani, One Of The Taliban's Most Important Leaders

Jalaluddin Haqqani

Change We Can Believe In: Pakistan Raids -- Threatswatch

From my friend Eli Lake at The New York Sun:

While American special forces and military contractors have conducted raids in Pakistan, such actions were rare and required Cabinet-level approval. In July, the leadership of Central Command, which oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, was given the sole authority to approve ground assaults in Pakistan. Late last month, the American military began launching ground attacks in the country on a near daily basis, depending on local conditions and intelligence, according to a military official who requested anonymity.

The escalation in Pakistan is due in part to the incoming leader of Central Command, General David Petraeus, who has been credited with changing the course of the Iraq war and is said to have the full trust of President Bush. Before formally taking the reins at Central Command, General Petraeus began meeting in June with Pakistani political leaders to develop an effective strategy for combating Al Qaeda in the border provinces.

Most important for the Bush administration, however, has been the political implosion in Islamabad since the resignation of America’s longtime ally, President Musharraf.

“With Musharraf gone, the policy of self-deterrence is now gone,” a former senior counterterrorism official for both the Clinton and Bush national security councils, Roger Cressey, said. “We would deter ourselves from doing anything for fear that any action would destabilize Musharraf.”
“The other point here is the brazenness and frequency of Taliban-led raids really required U.S. forces to be aggressive,” he said. “I think this is less about getting bin Laden than it is about responding to the Taliban.”

It is far preferable for the Pakistani military - the Army, not the Frontier Corps - to execute precision operations against the Taliban-al-Qaeda undertaking an insurgency within their own country. But that’s just not going to happen. So the buck falls to… you guessed it.

Read more ....

My Comment: This post "The Failing Campaign to Kill Jalaluddin Haqqani" was posted in 2002. It puts forward an excellent case on why this man is dangerous, and why he must be eliminated. His death is a good day for everyone in Afghanistan.