WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- White House spokesman Robert Gibbs had next to nothing to say Tuesday about the reported capture of the Taliban's No. 2 leader during fighting in Pakistan.
"I'm not going to get into this topic and not going to discuss any details around this," Gibbs said of the reported capture of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
Baradar, the Taliban's military leader, was taken into custody several days ago in a secret operation and has been subject to interrogation since then, various media outlets reported. U.S. officials said Baradar was the most significant member of the Taliban taken into custody since the United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan. Baradar was described as a close associate of Osama bin Laden prior to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in New York and Washington.
"(This) involves very sensitive intelligence matters, this involves the collection of intelligence," Gibbs said, "and it is best to do that and not to necessarily talk about it."
U.S. and Afghan forces since last week have been engaged in a major offensive operation in southern Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan.
