GREAT – AT 10:05 P.M. ET:  There's good military news this evening.  From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON — The Taliban’s top military commander was captured several days ago in Karachi, Pakistan, in a secret joint operation by Pakistani and American intelligence forces, according to American government officials.

The commander, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, is an Afghan described by American officials as the most significant Taliban figure to be detained since the American-led war in Afghanistan started more than eight years ago. He ranks second in influence only to Mullah Muhammad Omar, the Taliban’s founder and a close associate of Osama bin Laden before the Sept. 11 attacks.

Mullah Baradar has been in Pakistani custody for several days, with American and Pakistani intelligence officials both taking part in interrogations, according to the officials.

COMMENT:  I'm glad no one read him his Miranda rights.  And I hope they don't bring him to New York to be tried at Radio City after a performance by the Rockettes.

This is good news.  But it should remind us of how foolish it is for the administration to pledge that we'll start withdrawing from Afghanistan in 2011.  Why give the enemy a timeline?

February 15, 2010