Sultan Amir Tarar, a.k.a. Colonel Imam Has Died

Who is Sultan Amir Tarar and why is his death important? Sultan Amir Tarar is a former Colonel in Pakistan's Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) similar to America's CIA and the person most responsible for the creation of the Taliban and the training of Mullah Omar the leader of the Taliban. Over time Colonel Tarar and the ISI have been accused of continued support of the Taliban even though Pakistan is supposedly an ally in the War on Terror. Given those circumstances is it any wonder why Pakistan's army hasn't done anything to root out the Taliban from North Waziristan.

Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan — A retired Pakistani intelligence agent regarded as an architect behind the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan died after being held hostage by militants for 10 months, though officials in northwestern Pakistan said they had yet to determine whether his captors killed him or he died of natural causes.

Sultan Amir Tarar, known throughout Pakistan as Colonel Imam, was kidnapped by militants last spring along with another former Pakistani spy, Khalid Khawaja, and a British television journalist. The hostage-takers killed Khawaja in April and later released the journalist.