Missile kills Pakistan tribal head

CNN ^ | Friday, June 18 | Syed Mohsin Naqvi

[AdmSmith]

ISLAMABAD (CNN) -- A tribal leader accused of harboring Al Qaeda militants in Pakistan's western border region was killed Thursday night in a targeted missile strike, according to Pakistan intelligence sources. The Associated Press quoted an army spokesman Friday as identifying the tribal leader as Nek Mohammed, a former Taliban fighter.

He was killed late Thursday at the home of another tribal chief, the spokesman said.

"We were tracking him down and he was killed last night by our hand," Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan told The Associated Press.

[Dog]

Mardan is where they caught al-Libbi.

[nuconvert]

Thanx for that last map, Boot.



btw - We've passed the 1400 mark for posts.

[Boot Hill]

nuconvert:   "Thanx for that last map, Boot."

LOL, I think you mean AdmSmith, he posted that fine map!

[AdmSmith]

Important article by Syed Saleem Shahzad, about the coming showdown (click to read the full article and see the pictures):

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HB08Df01.html

The Taliban's bloody foothold in Pakistan
By Syed Saleem Shahzad

KARACHI - By taking control of virtually all of Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal area on the border with Afghanistan, the Taliban have gained a significant base from which to wage their resistance against US-led forces in Afghanistan. At the same time, the development solidifies the anti-US resistance groups in Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, which will now fight under a single strategy.

The Taliban recently declared the establishment of an "Islamic state" in North Waziristan, and they now, through the brutal elimination of the criminal elements who previously held sway, in effect rule in the rugged territory.
< snip>
The next segment (of the video) showcases the establishment of strong bases in which thousands of turban-clad youths can be seen with guns. Commanders scan the ranks and select a squad to launch a guerrilla attack on a US base in Khost province in Afghanistan. They put on headbands with the wording "There is no God but the one God; Mohammed is the messenger of God."
< snip>
Al-Qaeda's link with Iran, although at a very low level, could prove critical in the coming months. Should Iran find itself sanctioned, or even attacked by the US, few states would dare to support Tehran.

Al-Qaeda, however, would seize the opportunity, asking in return that it be given its desperately needed corridor through Iran to link Afghanistan and Pakistan with Iraq and the Arab world.
< snip>
According to Asia Times Online investigations, more than 100 suicide squads have been lined up for the summer assault. These squads have precise targets all over Afghanistan. The Taliban leadership is also encouraged by the strong representation of Islamists in the new Afghan parliament as potential supporters.

The Taliban have already disseminated warnings to all the governors in the south and southeast of Afghanistan not to mobilize forces in search of the Taliban - or else they will face the music in the form of suicide attacks. (On Tuesday in the southern city of Kandahar, a suicide bomber attacked a guard post outside the police headquarters, killing 13 people and wounding 11.)

[nuconvert]

Time for heavy bombing

[Coop]

The Taliban have already disseminated warnings to all the governors in the south and southeast of Afghanistan not to mobilize forces in search of the Taliban - or else they will face the music in the form of suicide attacks.

In other words... we are going to commit 100 suicide attacks this summer, and if anyone dares to come look for us we are going to commit 100 suicide attacks this summer.

[Straight Vermonter]

Musharraf confirms 'al-Qaeda' hit

Pakistan's president has confirmed that "a close relative" of al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in a US air strike in Pakistan last month. Pervez Musharraf also confirmed for the first time that Zawahiri had been expected to be at the house targeted by the US, a military spokesman says.

President Musharraf added that another wanted militant was among five foreigners killed in the bombing.

Eighteen local people died in the raid, sparking widespread anger.

"Five foreigners were killed in the US attack," Gen Musharraf told tribal leaders in north-western Pakistan, the Associated Press news agency reports.

"One of them was a close relative of Ayman al-Zawahri and the other man was wanted by the US and had a US$5 million (4.19 million euro) reward on his head."

He did not name the foreigners who had died in the attack.

more..

[Coop]

Thanks for the info. Added it to my Damadola thread.

[Dog]

Ayman Zawahiri confirms he was in the mudhut that was attacked by Pakistani forces back in March 2004 ...he escaped out the back..

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/393376p-333439c.html

[AdmSmith]

The problems in Pakistan are piling up:

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HB22Df03.html

Musharraf losing his grip
By Syed Saleem Shahzad

KARACHI - Low-profile government-sponsored rallies to condemn publication of cartoons featuring the Prophet Mohammed have swiftly escalated into a campaign directed against Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf.

In this respect, the Shah-i-Mustafa (in respect of the Prophet Mohammed) rallies have already turned into a nascent Tehrik-i-Nizam-i-Mustafa movement - that is, to enforce Prophet Mohammed's way of life, or sharia law, on to society.

Qazi Hussain Ahmed, leader of the six-party opposition religious grouping the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), who was briefly detained on the weekend, has set a deadline of March 23 to depose Musharraf, but there are clear signals that within a matter of weeks the military regime could have further lost some of its grip on power.

The administration has already in effect been sidelined in the tribal areas of North West Frontier Province, where in South and North Waziristan a Taliban-led administration is in place and the Pakistani security forces cannot move beyond their district headquarters of Wana and Miranshah.

Similarly, Balochistan province has turned into a quagmire, with the armed forces having lost their iron grip to insurgents, who are now calling the shots. Almost daily, the fierce resistance blows up gas pipelines and electricity lines in the resource-rich region, and there is little the Pakistani army can do. Last week, three Chinese engineers and their Pakistani driver were gunned down in Balochistan. The Chinese are helping build the important warm-water Gwadar port.

In such a situation, the country's largest province, Punjab, has been the only base from which the establishment has been able to maneuver freely. Now even this is under threat.

Across the province, whether in small districts such as Chiniot or the headquarters of the armed forces, Rawalpindi, or the national capital, Islamabad, the masses have taken to the streets to vent their displeasure with the state.

On the political surface
It is an open secret that the government encouraged and sponsored rallies ostensibly against the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. The aim was to send a message to the West of the dangers of extremism in Pakistan, and that it could only be contained by the military dictatorship.

This scheme has badly backfired, which the government was quick to realize. After a few rallies in Punjab, for example, the administration imposed the so-called Section 144 across the province and in the federal capital, under which all public gatherings were banned. A large rally in Islamabad on Sunday, however, defied the ban, even in the face of the military, paramilitary and police. Tear-gassings, shootings with rubber bullets and baton charges followed, with wide-scale arrests.

In an unprecedented reaction, when the police arrested hundreds of workers at a rally, private citizens of Islamabad, who are mostly employed in the public sector, took to the streets and pelted the police with stones. Ultimately, the administration backed down and allowed the rally to continue.

Among those arrested were many top leaders, including the secretary general of the Jamaat-i-Islami, Syed Munawar Hasan. Qazi Hussain Ahmed was also arrested, at his residence in Mansoor, Lahore, but such was the reaction that he was set free after just one day in detention.

The extent of the popular demonstrations has led the most organized and most powerful member of the MMA, the Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan, to harness this people's power into an anti-Musharraf movement. The only obstacle is the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of the Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam, a powerful segment of the MMA, who is not ready to launch such a campaign.

However, inner circles of the MMA tell Asia Times Online that whether or not Rehman supports the movement is not critical, as it is the masses that are driving the campaign.

Behind the political scenes
In addition to the religious-political parties, the country's hardcore religious segment has embraced the call for Tehrik-i-Nizam-i-Mustafa, and by implication the ouster of Musharraf. This includes the madrassas (seminaries) and calls from the mosques.

On Friday, after a call by Maulana Abdul Aziz of the Lal Masjid, Islamabad, about 5,000 people pledged their willingness (bait) to sacrifice their lives for the cause of jihad against the pro-US Musharraf government. Similar pledges were made in other mosques in Islamabad, and in Rawalpindi and Lahore.

Maulana Abdul Aziz and Ghazi Abdul Rasheed are sons of the slain Maulana Abdullah. The government has wanted on numerous occasions to arrest the brothers for their fiery remarks, but has never done so as they command great respect not only in the civilian population, but also in the army. Many top officers visit them in their modest houses near Lal Masjid, even though the Ministry of the Interior has branded them wanted criminals.

For the first time, white flags on which the Kalma (There is no God but the one God. Mohammed is the messenger of God) was inscribed in black appeared in sizable numbers at demonstrations. These special flags recall those used by the Prophet Mohammed 1,400 years ago.

Historical parallels
The current situation parallels the tumultuous times of 1977 when the Pakistan National Alliance, in which left- and right-wing parties were grouped, launched a Tehrik-i-Nizam-i-Mustafa that paved the way for the an army coup in which General Zia ul-Haq removed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and imposed martial law.

A bureaucrat who retired after reaching the senior position of secretary to the government of Pakistan recalled that anti-traditionalism had reached a serious level in the 1970s. Alcohol had become a part of the social culture and social climbers prevailed in the power corridors. A leading US-based magazine ran a cover story titled "Pakistan: A country ruled by pimps and prostitutes".

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the bureaucrat said, "In fact, Tehrik-i-Nizam-i-Mustafa was a mass rebellion against the establishment when it tried to change social norms."

The reasons for the dissatisfaction with Musharraf might be different - chief among them is his pro-US position in the "war on terror" - but powerful mosques, jihadis, religious parties and opposition parties have added their weight to the movement. Musharraf is currently on a state visit to China.

On Friday, the opposition parties called for countrywide demonstrations, and on Sunday they called for a rally in Lahore, even though protests have been banned there.

More protests have been scheduled for next month. These could coincide with a visit by US President George W Bush, although no dates have been announced.

The situation is fast coming to a head.

Syed Saleem Shahzad is Bureau Chief, Pakistan Asia Times Online. He can be reached at saleem_shahzad2002@yahoo.com.

[AdmSmith]

Read this article

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HB22Df04.html

snip

Haqqani reveals a carefully hidden, but obviously powerful, repetitive pattern in Pakistani military coups. All coups are carefully planned, well in advance. They are preceded by carefully orchestrated disorder and demonstrations in the streets. These riotous movements against ruling chosen governments are invariably led by small but influential Islamist political parties, usually well funded.

Although religious parties such as the Jamaat-e-Islami and Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam never do well at election time, they mysteriously do succeed in mobilizing angry crowds against civilian leaders. Thus they enable the military "reluctantly" to step in once more to "clean up the mess", usually within hours after its announcement to do so, and without any significant opposition from within its own ranks. The first claim from any military leader always is to declare that the army was "provoked to act decisively" by an unjustly acting civilian government. There follows the usual mumble-bumble about "preserving the national unity", etc. Interestingly enough, there never has been any form of protest from Islamic parties against military regimes - on the contrary.

snip

[Coop]

Unfortunately I fear you may be right.

[Cap Huff]

Pakistan Instigates New Hunt for Taleban, al-Qaida Insurgents

Pakistani officials say security forces armed with fresh intelligence are tracking about 40 suspected Taleban and al-Qaida insurgents thought to be hiding out in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

Officials in Pakistan say the manhunt was instigated after Afghan President Hamid Karzai provided a series of leads about key Taleban and al-Qaida figures during his visit to Pakistan earlier this month.

The Afghan delegation also shared intelligence information regarding the suspected hideout of Taleban leader Mullah Omar inside Pakistan.

But speaking to reporters, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasneem Aslam says those reports have not proven reliable.

"Some information was provided about Mullah Omar's whereabouts. Some of that information has already been checked and it's not correct," she said.

Not included on the Afghan list, she says, is al-Qaida terrorist Osama bin Laden.

The Saudi-born militant is widely believed to be hiding out in the rugged mountains dividing Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Aslam repeated long-standing Pakistani objections to the claims.

"There is no evidence that Osama bin Laden is here or was here or where he is. If we knew where he was he would be caught," she said.

U.S. and Afghan officials also claim hundreds of Taleban insurgents have established bases inside Pakistan.

Islamabad says it has taken all possible measures to prevent illegal cross border movements, including deploying more than 70,000 troops to the area.

The issue is expected to take center stage during President George Bush's trip to Pakistan later this week.

President Bush is scheduled to arrive March 4, after touring neighboring India.

Pakistan remains an ally in the U.S. led war on terror. But Washington is reportedly seeking greater assurances from Islamabad that border security will be tightened.

[Cap Huff]

Looked fine in preview, but came out crummy.

[Coop]

I can't think of a lovelier gift for a visiting head of state than a one-eyed terrorist's head on a platter.

[AdmSmith]

I think that you are referring to a biblical gift ;-)

[AdmSmith]

It will probably be a detour for a few hours to Afghanistan as well...

[DOGEY]

The funeral is this week. They ought to send another Predator.

[HardStarboard]

I wonder if "by our hand" meant a Pakistni missle was used, or if it was a Predator/Helllfire shot by CIA or US Forces acting on information from Pakistani intellligence?

Anyone got a clue on this.....?

[Dog]

It was a missile.