ROUND UP THE USUAL SUSPECTS

So the Pakistanis have arrested Obaidullah Akhund, the Taliban's number-three guy? Yeah, I laughed, too -- this is about the eight hundredth time the second-in-command or third-in-command of the Taliban or Al Qaeda or Al Qaeda in Iraq has been arrested with great fanfare. This guy, however, actually does show up in a Google search.

And, as it turns out, this isn't the first time he's been in the custody of our allies:

Early January 2002: Top Taliban Leaders Released

Seven former Taliban leaders surrender to the Northern Alliance near Kandahar, Afghanistan, but are released. Two are on a US list of twelve most wanted Taliban leaders: Defense Minister Mullah Obaidullah Akhund and Justice Minister Mullah Nooruddin Turabi. Akhund "is considered by American intelligence officials to have been one of the Taliban leaders closest to Mr. bin Laden." The US military denies reports of their release, but officials of the new Afghan government confirm the account and are unrepentant about it. They claim they are following through on an announced policy to grant amnesty to any Taliban leaders who surrender....

See also this CNN story from January 2002, and this one.

So what do you think? Do you think he's going to receive the same treatment again, this time from our pals the Pakistanis, who've been such gracious hosts to the Taliban for so long?

*****

Right-wingers are enjoying the ABC report on the arrest (by Brian Ross and Martha Raddatz) because it directly credits pressure from Dick Cheney for Pakistan's decision to arrest this guy. But one part of the ABC report utterly strains credulity:

The arrest reportedly came only hours after Vice President Cheney left Pakistan, after confronting President Pervez Musharraf with "compelling evidence" of the resurgence of the Taliban and al Qaeda in Pakistan.

Hunh? Anyone believe this? Anyone believe that Pervez Musharraf simply didn't know any of this and had to be told by Cheney?