(Re-) Capturing Mullah Naqibullah

Reports are that Mullah Naqibullah has been captured in Helmand Province.

The senior Taliban leader has played the catch-and-release program well, using corruption within the National Directorate of Security to escape accountability for his actions and to make a mockery of the Afghan Government and Rule of Law. This will mark the third time he has been captured on the battlefield.

Another escape on his part would demonstrate how uncommitted the Afghan government has become to its own cause. The case of Mullah Naqibullah also highlights the urgent need for judicial sector reform and possibly for focused use of the now mostly theoretical National Security Courts architecture within the National Directorate of Security.