| Fred did you give your hat away so quickly? |
Afghanistan will soon put on trial 14 members of the fundamentalist Taliban who became the first insurgents loyal to the government ousted four years ago to be extradited from Pakistan, officials said. The men were being questioned by the national intelligence agency in Kabul, said presidential spokesman Khaleeq Ahmad. Pictures showed some of them arriving in the city on Wednesday blindfolded and handcuffed. "They will be put on trial... Soon, in the coming days, weeks," Ahmad said.
 | | Hey! I got a hat like that! |
One of them is Abdul Latif Hakimi, a spokesman for the Taliban who was arrested in Pakistan this month. He frequently called the media to say the Taliban were responsible for attacks on Afghan and US-led forces and civilians. Another was Mohammad Yasir, also a one-time spokesman for the Taliban who was reportedly arrested in August.
Investigations would determine the charges the men would face, another presidential spokesman, Karim Rahimi, said. "After the investigations are completed they will be put on trial," he said. Evidence against Hakimi included a recording of a telephone call in which he is allegedly heard to order killings, another government official said on condition of anonymity. The arrests showed "they can't hide inside Afghanistan and they can't hide outside Afghanistan. They will be caught no matter where they are," he said.
An intelligence official said Hakimi would in particular be questioned about his links to the Taliban leadership including Mullah Omar, the elusive one-eyed zealot who headed the hardline government that controlled most of the country from 1996 to 2001. "It could take a while," the official said.
| "... and it could be very painful." |
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