Baitullah Mehsud’s dead, confirms Pak Taliban

I-G

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Baitullah Mehsud’s dead, confirms Pak Taliban

Friday, August 07, 2009, 11:29 IST
Zeenews Bureau

Islamabad: In a major development, Tehrik-e-Taliban on Friday confirmed the death of its leader Baitullah Mehsud and his second wife in an August 5 drone strike by US forces in south Wajiristan region of Pakistan.

According to reports, Tehrik-e-Taliban has also revealed that Mehsud’s funeral was held in Narkosa village yesterday.

Following the death of its leader, the Tehrik-e-Taliban's advisory council Shura is now scheduled to meet later today to elect Mehsud’s new successor who will carry forward the militant organisation’s anti-US agenda.

The Tehrik-e-Taliban is expected to announce Mehsud's death after Friday prayers together with the announcement of his successor. Among those being considered are his spokesman Hakimullah, Azmatullah and Wali Ur Rehman.


Earlier, indications also came from Pakistan government sources about Mehsud’s death with Interior Minister Rehman Malik saying, “The chief of Pakistan-Taliban, Baitullah Mehsud, might have been killed along with his wife and bodyguards in a drone attack two days ago.”

"We suspect he (Mehsud) was killed in the missile strike. We have some information, but we don't have material evidence to confirm it," Malik was quoted as saying by Geo TV.

A US official had also said there was "reason to believe reports of his death may be true, but it cannot be confirmed".

Pakistani intelligence services and security official are also trying to discover the identity of another victim, who died along with Mehsud's wife, one of his brothers and seven of his bodyguards in the US drone airstrike.

Pakistani officials on Wednesday had said Mehsud's wife had been killed in a missile attack from a US drone in the northwestern South Waziristan tribal region.

On Sunday, Pakistan had offered a $615,000-reward for information leading to the capture, dead or alive, of Mehsud, who is blamed for the deaths of hundreds of people in terror attacks over two years.


Taliban chief Mehsud may be dead: Rehman Malik
 

Tamil

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happy news for Jihadis ha ha ha ha... kill them more and more, if any one ask human rights just book a case under anti-animals protection act...:india:
 

vijaytripoli

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Baitullah Mehsud Is DEAD

Intel officials: Taliban leader Mehsud dead

By ISHTIAQ MAHSUD and MUNIR AHMAD (AP) – 22 minutes ago

DERA ISMAIL KHAN — Three Pakistani intelligence officials say that Pakistan's Taliban chief has been killed in a CIA missile strike and his body buried. But one of the three says no intelligence agent has actually seen the body.

The officials say Mehsud was killed in Wednesday's missile attack on the home of his father-in-law. They say his body has been buried in the village of Nardusai in South Waziristan, not far from the site of the missile strike.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

One official says he has seen a classified intelligence report stating Mehsud was dead and buried, but that agents have not seen the body as the area was under Taliban control.

Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik says "there is no confirmation to his death as far as the evidence is concerned. I repeat again, yes, the information is pouring from that area that he is dead."


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/articl...6wVTmAD99TRKMG0
 

fateh71

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If true, it takes all air out of claims by some Pakistani commentatros that US was protecting Mehsud and not bombing him even when Pakistan gave his whereabouts to US.

And those claims were being made right when Pakistan was busy cutting deals with the Talibs :) The art of spreading conspiracy theories to shield the obvious has been perfected in Pakistan.
 

Tamil

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If true, it takes all air out of claims by some Pakistani commentatros that US was protecting Mehsud and not bombing him even when Pakistan gave his whereabouts to US.

And those claims were being made right when Pakistan was busy cutting deals with the Talibs :) The art of spreading conspiracy theories to shield the obvious has been perfected in Pakistan.
its true! even you here some kind of answer as Bin Laden is safely n-joying in whitehouse. who knows..?
 

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I would like to wait for this news to come in the western news outlets to believe it. I definitely don't believe Rehman Malik who has previously proclaimed a terrorist dead and he was found to be alive giving TV interviews. Let US/NATO confirm this news.
 

Yusuf

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Previous reports of his death were unfounded. The Americans have not yet confirmed it though they say it's possible. Without firm evidence on the ground, it's difficult to say. It can also be a ploy of Pak Taliban to divert the attention away from Mehsud. The report hoes by what his accomplices have to say. It's not reliable.
 

IBM

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Its difficult to confirm reports as to confirm they have to go and check his body. Its impossible to go on that terrain. Neither pak or US army can go in those terrain that y they r attacking through drones..
 

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Good news. One of the few real accomplishments of these strikes. They kill far too many civilians, but in that area that is acceptable to the Pakistani state.

It's actually really funny. At another forum all the Pakistani members are saying the CIA "betrayed" him so that Pakistan could not catch him LOOL.
 

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Q+A: Mehsud probably dead, but will it help win the war?

By Simon Cameron-Moore
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - As information poured in on Friday that Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud was killed two days ago by a U.S. missile strike, a whole series of questions arise over what it would mean for Pakistan, Afghanistan and U.S. policy and Western military forces in the region.
The following is look at the possible repercussions for the war against Taliban guerrillas in the borderlands between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
WILL IT HELP WESTERN FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN?
Probably not much, at least directly, according to some senior diplomats in Islamabad.
But the United States will be happy to have eliminated a militant leader whose actions were destabilizing Pakistan to the point where concerns were growing over the safety of the Muslim nations nuclear assets.
Mehsud may have controlled the largest number of fighters, variously reckoned at between 10,000 and over 20,000, and they have mounted attacks on Western forces in Afghanistan, but they have mostly attacked the Pakistan government and security forces over the past two years.
The Mehsud stronghold in the mountains of South Waziristan is not contiguous with the Afghan border.
One diplomat watching military affairs said that strategically, Mehsud was effectively helping to guard the back of those Taliban factions located next to the border and who are heavily involved in the Afghan insurgency.
These groups include Maulvi Nazir Wazir in South Waziristan and Hafiz Gul Bahadur in North Waziristan, who both control more than 5,000 fighters apiece. And also the powerful Haqqani faction that operates mainly out of North Waziristan and southeast Afghanistan. The United States and other Western allies hope that Pakistan will one day turn on these groups, as well as the Afghan Taliban using Pakistan's southwest Baluchistan as their safe refuge. Analysts say Pakistan has failed to take on any of these groups seriously, and in some cases adopts a permissive stance.
WOULD MEHSUD'S DEATH HELP PACIFY PAKISTAN?
His death is a major coup for Pakistan.
It shows efforts to push back the Taliban tide in the northwest going in the right direction, with the army already in the final stages of a campaign to clear the insurgents out of Swat, a valley far to the east, closer to the capital Islamabad.
But the removal of Pakistan's Public Enemy No. 1 leaves open the question of whether the army will now carry out any major ground offensive against Mehsud's stronghold.
The terrain is perfect for guerrilla warfare and the army would be up against far more battle-hardened fighters, including Uzbeks and Chechens, than they encountered in Swat, so the risk of heavy casualties was high.
Some analysts believe the more likely strategy will be to keep routes in and out of the Mehsud lands blocked, while continuing air attacks, and also seeking to isolate the Mehsuds from other Taliban factions with different tribal loyalties.
Meantime, there is a clear risk of revenge attacks by Mehsud's loyalists inside Pakistan.
Qari Hussain, one of Mehsud's lieutenants, is regarded as the main overseer of the suicide bomb campaign and other high profile attacks inside Pakistan, and he is still alive.
Hussain belongs to the Mehsud tribe but he is also a member of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a militant group based in the central province of Punjab that forged ties with al Qaeda well before the September 11. 2001 attacks on the United States.
WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT THE STATE OF U.S.-PAKISTAN RELATIONS?
It shows the U.S. and Pakistan military are working closely together, regardless of Pakistan's public opposition to U.S. drone attacks on Pakistani territory.
CIA-operated drone aircraft began targeting Mehsud territory in June, after the Pakistani government told its army to go after the militant leader.
There is a chance that the United States might have an understanding with Pakistan on which Taliban groups to focus on next, which could also hurt the Afghan insurgency.
WHO COULD TAKE OVER FROM MEHSUD?
Mehsud was the Taliban commander with the clout to forge a single group out of the various Taliban factions in Pakistan, and his successor might struggle to impose himself within the loose-knit confederation of regional commanders.
The leader of the Afghan Taliban Mullah Mohammad Omar will undoubtedly play a role in trying to unify competing chieftains.
The hot favorites to become the new head of the Pakistani Taliban are: Hakimullah Mehsud, Maulana Azmatullah and Wali-ur-Rehman.
Hakimullah Mehsud commands an estimated 8,000 fighters in three tribal regions -- Orakzai, Khyber and Kurram -- and is an important leader in the Taliban hierarchy.
Azmatullah also hails from the Shahbikhel, the same branch of the Mehsud tribe that Baitullah Mehsud's Bromikhel clan belongs to. He is an important commander and a member of the Pakistani Taliban shura, or council of leaders.
Wali-ur-Rehman is another shura member, and is a former spokesman for Baitullah. Some analysts see him as the most likely contender to take over Mehsud's group if not the whole Taliban movement in Pakistan.
(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)


Q+A: Mehsud probably dead, but will it help win the war? | International | Reuters
 

Sridhar

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Guys can there be any relation between this news and increasing of US Marines/staff at US Embassy .
 

Daredevil

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Guys can there be any relation between this news and increasing of US Marines/staff at US Embassy .
Don't think so. They haven't increased the staff yet, even if hey had, they were not involved in CI operations. Most likely he would have been killed in drone attacks.

Anyways, if this news is true, it is a bad news as far as India is concerned. He was actually keeping the focus of PA away from India and teaching a lesson to Pakistan of what happens if you support/perpetrate terrorism.
 

Soham

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I hope he never meets his 72 virgins.
 

Singh

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Don't know what to feel ?
He is, afterall, a RAW Agent, an ISI agent and also a Patriotic Pakistani on the payrolls of Zionist and Brahmins.
 

Soham

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Really ? Didn't know that. Could I have more details ?
 

Pintu

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This is what which bothers me :

Afghan Taliban say unhurt by Mehsud death | Reuters

Afghan Taliban say unhurt by Mehsud death

(For other stories on Afghanistan and Pakistan click [ID:nAFPAK])

KABUL, Aug 7 (Reuters) - The reported death of the chief of Pakistan's Taliban movement will not hurt the Taliban cause in neighbouring Afghanistan, an Afghan Taliban spokesman said on Friday.

Pakistani officials say they believe Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud was killed by a missile strike two days ago, in what would be a major coup in Pakistan's fight against the militants.

In Afghanistan, Western countries have more than 100,000 troops fighting Taliban Islamist insurgents who ruled that country until being driven out in 2001. They believe the Afghan Taliban shelter and train across the border in Pakistan.

The Taliban movement has its roots in Pashtun tribes which straddle both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier. But Mehsud's Pakistani organisation is seen as mainly preoccupied with affairs on its side of the border, known as the Durand line after the British official who drew it during the colonial era.

"The Taliban's jihad against foreign forces in Afghanistan will not be affected if a Pakistani Taliban leader is killed on the other side of the Durand line," Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said by telephone from an undisclosed location.

"We feel sympathy for our brothers who fight for the same cause, but resistance against the Afghan government and its foreign allies will continue."

(Reporting by Hamid Shalizi; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Jeremy Laurence)
 

Pintu

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ANALYSTS' VIEW - Pakistani Taliban chief likely dead | South Asia | Reuters

ANALYSTS' VIEW - Pakistani Taliban chief likely dead
Fri Aug 7, 2009 7:39pm IST



ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud was probably killed in a missile attack two days ago, Pakistan's interior minister said on Friday.

Mehsud was leader of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Movement of Taliban of Pakistan, a grouping of 13 factions.

Following are analysts' comments on the potential implications for Pakistan, Afghanistan and U.S. policy and Western military forces in the region if he is confirmed dead.

SAJJAN GOHEL, SECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST AT ASIA PACIFIC FOUNDATION IN LONDON:

"His death is significant because he was the head of the TTP but it's not going to lead to long-term damage to the TTP.

"You can eliminate the individual leader but if you do not dismantle the infrastructure and the network then that individual can be replaced.

"He was not a mere figurehead. He was operational. The best indication of that is that the Pakistani government hated and feared him. They were deeply concerned by his activities. He was very able to plot and plan attacks and he was charismatic to the extent that he inspired people."

MEHMOOD SHAH, FORMER CHIEF OF SECURITY IN PAKISTAN'S TRIBAL AREAS AND A RETIRED BRIGADIER:

"It is quite a setback for the Taliban movement. He is one man who really organised the Taliban, kept unity among them and really forwarded the agenda with a lot of ... strategic thinking.

"He was sort of cool-minded, he attacked when he felt he could and went defensive when he thought he was weak.

"The Taliban would find it difficult to really find a good successor for him.

"He also had some sort of good qualities, like he was not media-hungry, he hardly spoke. He wasn't using any electronic gadgets and that's why many efforts to eliminate him failed, because he took extreme measures to ensure his security.

"From the government of Pakistan's point of view, it's good news. They should stick to the strategy. The only negative thing about the whole thing is that it is still being done by the U.S. missile drone attacks, which Pakistan doesn't like and doesn't appreciate."

KARIN VON HIPPEL, A SECURITY EXPERT AT THE CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES IN WASHINGTON:

"It would have better to arrest him and bring him to trial to see if he really did kill Benazir Bhutto.

"There are 40-plus militia leaders that comprise the Pakistani Taliban alone.

"I'm not sure we have a very good understanding of how all these militia groups operate within Pakistan and with the networks across the border in Afghanistan.

"What happens when you kill one person, is another comes in and takes their place pretty quickly."

JEREMY BINNIE, SENIOR TERRORISM AND INSURGENCY ANALYST AT JANE'S INTELLIGENCE:

"The Pakistani military might now take the opportunity to take their foot off the pedal when it comes to moving into South Waziristan, which they indicated a while back was imminent.

"In fairness, determining what exactly these (TTP) guys are up to and how influential they are is pretty tricky. But without Baitullah there might be a lot less emphasis on taking the war to Pakistan.

"If that is the case, and if his successor becomes less aggressive towards Pakistan and more focused on supporting the Afghan Taliban, then that would certainly take the pressure off the Pakistani authorities, having eliminated the number one bad guy, to now address the Taliban strongholds in the tribal areas."
 

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