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Marines report death of Taliban governor

by Jonn Lilyea••42

Military.com reports that Task Force Southwest, a Marine Corps contingent in Helmand Provence, Afghanistan has taken out Mohammad, a Taliban governor in Marjah;

“He was in a vehicle traveling with deputies, bodyguards, and a cousin of his, who was also a sub-commander,” Hubert said. “We took the shot [with two Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons] successfully, and [he was] dead on the spot, which was huge.”

Mohammad, who was based in the Taliban hotbed of Marjah, but operated throughout Helmand province, had been well-known to the Marines for years.

Col. Matthew Reid, deputy commander of the task force, told Military.com he had known about Mohammad in 2010, when he deployed to Helmand for active combat operations.

“We’re still not really fully aware of the exact ramifications of taking him out,” Reid said. “It was a pretty big takedown, so we’re pretty happy about it. He was behind a lot of attacks against Marines back in the day–really high profile attacks.”…Now, he said, newly leaderless Taliban fighters in southern Marjah are acting disorganized and confused, without orders to carry out.

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42 thoughts on “Marines report death of Taliban governor”

  2. Ooooh! Another crapweasel bites the dust!!

    Could this also be in the “morning feel good stories”?

    And the chickens are now headless, are they? Can we take advantage of that? Do they vote in a new guy or just count heads?

      1. Oh Yes! How I love that airplane! I do hope they keep it around a while longer. Without a doubt, it is the best close air support aircraft that was ever built!

        1. It is good, yes, but a jet. Legs are too short for a good long loiter in the AO. I think the best support aircraft ever was the SPAD, the Douglas Skyraider. They should reintroduce that beast.

      1. I hope that they had to use a rake to police up whatever remained of him, which probably wasn’t much.

  9. I don’t know. I’m kind of skeptical. Did they get Mohammad, Mohammad or Mohammad? Until I get confirmation, I’m not going to celebrate yet.

    1. He was on the radio saying “Derka Derka Derka!” so I’m pretty sure it was the right guy. 😉

  10. They got Mohammad? Which one? Isn’t that, oh, about 50% of the male population.

    Agreed. This belongs in the Thursday Feel Good Section. Adios, MF. Say hello to Helen Thomas.

  11. Now, get serious. Mix the remains with pig-chow and feed the mix to the hogs. Let’s see if the 72 whatevers like pig feces. Until we are serious, these clowns will continue to see Paradise down the muzzle of a rifle and pulling the trigger does not stop them. Being eaten by Hogs will.

  12. Ol’ Mohammad went to Hell, E-I-E-I-O.
    The others need to go, as well, E-I-E-I-O.
    With a Kaboom here,
    A Kaboom there,
    Kaboom, Kaboom, Kaboom everywhere.
    Ol’ Mohammad went to Hell, E-I-E-I-O.

  17. “Now, he said, newly leaderless Taliban fighters in southern Marjah are acting disorganized and confused, without orders to carry out.”

    Now is the time to press the advantage.

    So nice when decision-making is pushed to the operational level and can be implemented in real-time.

  19. [he was] dead on the spot, which was huge.”

    I don’t know what type of weapon they used to kill him, but in 2011, I saw the aftermath of some SF dudes at FOB Gamberi who had an F-16 drop a 200lb bomb on a guy who was planting an IED. The only thing that was left was a smoking hole about the size of swimming pool.

    2. jonp: please read the article linked above in its entirety.

      The primary target in this engagement was a Taliban governor in Marjah:

      ‘“We’re still not really fully aware of the exact ramifications of taking him out,” Reid said. “It was a pretty big takedown, so we’re pretty happy about it. He was behind a lot of attacks against Marines back in the day–really high profile attacks.”…Now, he said, newly leaderless Taliban fighters in southern Marjah are acting disorganized and confused, without orders to carry out.’

      And it wasn’t just ‘one guy’ who got whacked here:

      ‘“He was in a vehicle traveling with deputies, bodyguards, and a cousin of his, who was also a sub-commander,” Hubert said.’

      When high value targets such as these are identified out in the open, timely engagement is critical in order to prevent their escape and one doesn’t delay to engage them in order to summon the most ‘cost effective’ means of taking them out; one hits them hard with what is immediately available in order to ensure their destruction. Engagements such as these are not the time to start worrying about pinching pennies with ordnance.

      As AW1Ed says: ‘Our tax dollars at work-money well spent’.

      Shack.

    4. jonp: how much are you willing to spend to ensure a murdering terrorist doesn’t take out you and your buddies?

      I’ve been a U.S. taxpayer for nigh on 1/2 a century – and I won’t complain about my tax money being spent on taking out a Taliban governor and his henchmen.

      I’d damn sure rather spend money on that than have my son come home in a box.

      You can take your penny-pinching stupidity somewhere else.

  21. Glad they took the shot and took him out.
    Too many times Intel weenies say, “no, can’t take this guy out because we don’t know who will replace him”

    We need to see the enemy and kill the enemy.

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