Taliban Leader Admits Being Weakened in Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Pakistan Sept. 11, 2009— -- Pakistan arrested five leaders of the Taliban in the key Swat Valley today, prompting the Taliban's leader to admit to ABC News that the Islamic militant group has been weakened.

"The Taliban movement is presently in a state of illness. When you are ill your activities are curtailed," the Taliban's leader in Swat Maulana Fazlullah said in a recorded message delivered to ABC News.

"That is what has happened to Taliban organization, but it would bounce back," he said.

In his recorded message, Fazlullah spoke hurriedly in Pashto. At times, it was difficult to understand his words. The voice sounded like Fazlullah, although it was not possible to positively confirm that it was the Taliban leader.

The tape was delivered to ABC News by the Taliban's acting spokesman who is identified by the name Salman.

Fazlullah's message came on the day the Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas announced that Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan and commander Mahmood Khan were captured along with three other members of the Taliban's shura, or leadership council.

Muslim Khan and Mahmood Khan both had bounties on their heads.The other Taliban commanders from Swatwho were arrested were identified as Fazle Ghaffar, Abdur Rahman and Sartaj Ali

The arrests are a coup for the military, which had been criticized for failing to capture or kill any top Taliban leaders in a four-month offensive in the Swat Valley that cleared the insurgents from most of the one-time tourist haven.

The army announced the arrests on the eighth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States. Drawing attention to that fact, the military released photos of the two highest-ranking detainees — spokesman Muslim Khan and commander Mahmood Khan — in custody with the date printed in bold underneath.

The previous night, the Swat Taliban had announced that their five shura members were invited for peace talks by the Pakistani military authorities in Mingora eight days ago and then taken into custody.

It was the latest blow to the Pakistani Taliban. Earlier this year, a missile strike killed the group's charismatic leader Baitullah Mahsud.