Jefferson City, Mo. – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) released the statement below following media reports of the capture of senior Taliban official Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Pakistan:

“Media reports of the capture of Mullah Baradar highlight the effectiveness of this Administration’s new strategy in Afghanistan and speak to the progress we can continue to make through our strengthened relationships in the region—particularly with Pakistan.

“This capture of a senior Afghan Taliban leader would be the most significant capture since the start of the war and is a serious setback to the Taliban efforts. At the same time the U.S. Marines in Marjah, working closely with a significant number of Afghan forces, are undertaking the largest offensive since the first year of the war in Afghanistan. These are some of the most serious blows we have dealt since the conflict was forgotten by our previous administration.

“Defeating the Taliban and denying safe haven for terrorists are critical to our national security and to global security. I am so proud of our men and women in uniform and in the intelligence community, who are working tirelessly to keep America safe.”

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