Pakistan: Dead al-Qaida Man Not Intelligence Chief (WANA Operation )

The Las Vegas Sun ^ | March 30, 2004 at 5:00:53 PST | MUNIR AHMAD

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -

An al-Qaida fugitive killed in a recent Pakistani military operation near the Afghan border was a local operative and not the terror network's intelligence chief, Pakistan's army spokesman said Tuesday.

On Monday, army spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan told a news conference that intelligence sources indicated that the al-Qaida intelligence chief, whom he named only as Abdullah, had been killed in the operation.

Another member of Pakistani intelligence said the military was showing photos of Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah - who is on the FBI's Most Wanted List - to captured militants, but none had identified the photo.

On Tuesday, Sultan said the man apparently killed in South Waziristan was far less senior.

"Now I can confirm that he was only the head of al-Qaida's intelligence in Wana," the main town in South Waziristan, said Sultan. He blamed the mistake on faulty initial intelligence.

A U.S. intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said earlier the United States doesn't know if Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah was slain. "We do not have any confirmation on it," the official said.

There were conflicting accounts among Pakistani intelligence and government officials about whether Abdullah's body had been recovered. Sultan would give no details.

Meanwhile, authorities have found the bodies of two Pakistani government officials dumped in a well after they were abducted two weeks ago at the start of the operation - largest ever sweep for al-Qaida fugitives - that wound up Sunday.

Tribesmen in the Kaloosha area of South Waziristan found the bodies of Mati Ullah and Ameer Nawaz late Monday, bringing the government and military death toll in the operation to at least 48.

The two officials were captured by militants in a botched initial assault on March 16 when the paramilitary forces raided homes in Kaloosha but met with stiff resistance.

"Their bodies were found in a well," said a government official in Wana, the main town in South Waziristan. He spoke on condition of anonymity.

Their bodies were taken to a hospital in Wana and then claimed by their families, local officials said.

"Probably they were murdered several days ago," said Brig. Mahmood Shah, chief of the security for Pakistan's tribal regions bordering Afghanistan.

Twelve paramilitary soldiers who were also abducted were freed on Sunday, when the military pulled out thousands of forces after negotiations conducted by tribal elders.

The military declared the operation a success, claiming it had killed 63 foreign and local militants. But hundreds of other militants are still at large. Uzbek terrorist leader Tahir Yuldash was reportedly wounded in the assault but escaped.

In all, Pakistani forces arrested 167 people in the operation, including 73 foreigners. Security officials have said Uzbeks, Chechens and Arabs were among them.

The two-week Wana operation was the largest since President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, a key U.S. ally, sent 70,000 troops to the border with Afghanistan after the Sept. 11 attacks to prevent cross-border assaults.

U.S. and Afghan forces have been deployed on the other side of the border in an offensive against al-Qaida and Taliban forces there.

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[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[Monty22]

So the whole thing was a lot of bluster and noise, signifying nothing.

[Xphantasos]

Why am I not surprised?!?

[Cap Huff]

Yes, I saw it earlier and pasted it into a couple of the threads that had been running yesterday about this. Even though I'm disappointed, I think it important to clearly have it posted for the record.

The hunt goes on . . . .

[oceanview]

well, its perhaps not all that bad. sometimes to have to shake the nest, get some of these guys on the move, and just keep hunting for them.

[milestogo]

Military clarifies killed fighter was local Al-Qaeda spy

ISLAMABAD (AFP) -Pakistan's military Tuesday clarified that an Al-Qaeda fighter killed in an operation near the Afghan border was just a local intelligence operative and not the terror network's spy chief. "He is not really the intelligence chief for all Al-Qaeda, but he was one of the top intelligence people in Wana (South Waziristan) for Al-Qaeda," military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan told AFP. Sultan at a news conference on Monday said Pakistan army killed "Mr Abdullah, who was the chief of Al-Qaeda intelligence." Sultan still refused to answer questions whether the military recovered Abdullah's body, saying he has no details about the full name, nationality and identity of the man.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for adding that.

[Qaz_W]

Having inveigled Major Non Nato Ally status guess no more utility for Pakistan in pushing the “High value” Al Qaeda story.

Was it merely coincidence that the story of the “High value” Al Qaeda was broken by Gen. Musharraf to CNN just as Sec. Colin Powell was due to visit Pakistan, I ask ?

Anyway from Pakistan’s viewpoint it has paid off and so downgrading the “High Value” target from Zawahiri, down to Al Qaeda intelligence chief and now down to local intelligence chief.