KABUL: A former CIA officer has described the intelligence operation that led to the death of senior Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah, saying the capture of a teenage boy from his circle became an important development in efforts to track the commander.
In the National Geographic documentary “Tracking the Butcher,” part of the Inside the CIA: Secrets and Spies series, former CIA officer Darryl Blocker recounts an operation that he says lasted around eight to 10 months.
According to the documentary, intelligence forces detained two of Dadullah’s men and a teenage boy during a raid. The teenager was described as a victim of sexual exploitation associated with the practice known as bacha bazi.
The documentary says Dadullah became increasingly concerned about the teenager’s fate and made additional phone and radio communications while attempting to determine what had happened to him. Intelligence officers were then able to use those communications to help trace his network.
The documentary further states that after Dadullah’s brother Mansour Dadullah was released, a tracking device was placed on him. Intelligence personnel followed his movements between locations until they reached Dadullah’s position in Helmand province.
British Special Boat Service forces subsequently carried out the final operation, using intelligence that the documentary says was partly provided by the CIA. Dadullah was shot while attempting to flee and, according to the documentary, died after falling into an irrigation canal in May 2007.
Blocker also described his interaction with the teenager, saying he attempted to gain his trust through conversations about history, poetry, music and art. He said the teenager showed considerable talent in painting and argued against returning him to the circumstances that had led to his exploitation.
The details above reflect accounts presented in the documentary and statements attributed to Blocker.