Mullah Baradar

For now it is not clear whether Pakistan will hand over the captured Taliban leaders to Afghanistan, but Pakistan's army chief recently visited Kabul to seek bilateral cooperation on the matter.

Right now, there is a critical opportunity for the international community to continue tracking down top Taliban leaders in Pakistan and disconnecting them from the local commanders in Afghanistan.

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Not only does Pakistan want to preserve its own neck, it wants to be a major player in post-war Afghanistan, and if working with the U.S. to rein in the Taliban is what it takes to accomplish that, then that is the I.S.I.'s new mission.

Contrary to popular opinion, Mullah Baradar's capture by the CIA acting in concert with the Pakistanis is not a game-changer. At best, it presents the Taliban with a minor inconvenience.

While the analysis so far on the capture has largely focused on the implications for U.S. operations in Afghanistan, it is just as significant for what it reveals about the U.S.-Pakistan relationship.