US offers US$200,000 in new 'Most Wanted' campaign in Afghanistan

A new US "Most Wanted" campaign is offering up to US$200,000 for information on a dozen elusive Taliban and al-Qaida leaders who are believed to be fueling a surge in bombings and suicide attacks. Police in the south said militants hanged a teenager for having US currency in his pocket, then stuffed five US$1 bills into his mouth, apparently as a warning to others about having American money. To help track down 12 insurgent commanders, posters and billboards will go up around eastern Afghanistan with their names and pictures. Rewards ranging from US$20,000 to US$200,000 will be offered for information leading to their capture. "We're trying to get more visibility on these guys like the FBI did with the mob (Mafia)," US Lt. Col. Rob Pollock said at the main American base in Bagram. "They operate the same way the mob did. They stay in hiding."