They hail from countries all over the world, hold degrees in law, medicine, engineering, political science and military strategy, and have worked in positions as diverse as a senior manager at IBM, a Managing Director on Wall Street and the president of Chile.

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He said he wanted to ensure that if Mr Obama asked Britain to send more troops, any deployment would be part of a clear military, political and economic strategy.

BBC: Miliband denies UK troops claim

Pakistani journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai told the BBC that Mullah Baradar was in charge of the Taliban's military and political strategy and that his capture, if confirmed, would be a huge blow for them.

BBC: Profile: Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar