Pakistan arrests former Taliban spokesperson Eric Firkel at 8:51 AM ET
[JURIST] Pakistani officials Saturday announced the re-capture of high-level Taliban operative Ustad Mohammed Yasir in the northern city of Peshawar near the Afghan border. Yasir served as senior aide and spokesman to Taliban leader Mullah Omar [BBC profile]. He was first arrested in 2005 by Pakistani officials and handed over to Afghanistan, but was released in a controversial hostage deal in April 2007 in which he and three other Taliban members were released in exchange for captured Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo [BBC report]. Some argue that the raid in Peshawar [AP report] signals Pakistan's commitment to cooperate with Afghanistan, despite brewing tension with India over the Mumbai terror attack [BBC backgrounder]. Pakistan did not say when the arrest occurred.
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