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]

Boot Hill---- Thanks for the map.

jeffers----If Foopie was in the tribal areas as of a month ago......who else is or was hidihng there.

[Dog]

Boot remeber that action at the border crossing and 5 guys were killed and or captured in a van ......and a car raced across the Iranian border and got away.......this looks like it is the same area.

[AdmSmith]

Thanks Jeffers,

The search engines that spit out possible interesting info do the main job. However, someone has to read it and handle the real meat. I am trying to reduce my actual time for this to about 1-hour per day spread over the day.

Fortunately I am working with investments in the post-Saddam Middle East so I can steal some of my working time. I do not think that people understand how much money there is waiting for projects when the security situation in Iraq is improved. Many companies are in a wait-and-see mood.

We just have to get those bastards that are preventing prosperity and profit to the ordinary people in Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran and are threatening the life and limb of all of us in the industrialized world.

[Dog]

I had a heck of a time finding this thread again......maybe one of us can do a daily ping to the group so we can scan anything new here.

[Coop]

I didn't find the articles misleading. Perhaps it was the inclusion of Quetta (as the likely source of publication for the article) at the beginning? But the text of both discussed operations in the Turbat area.

[Dog]

Quetta is the area that Mullah Omar was using local mobile phone network.

[AdmSmith]

Quetta is an interesting place, remember this:

QUETTA, July 13 (Online): One of the three suspects held on Sunday night in a raid by law enforcing agencies at Joint Road is a foreigner while another was working as a correspondent of a foreign Television channel in the city, reliable sources revealed Monday.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1155685/posts?page=301#301


Unfortunately no further info has been disclosed in the public domain.

[POA2]

In my opinion Al Qaeda's greatest fear is not failing to achieve their objectives, liberating Palestine and the Arabian peninsula, but instead, is realized when Al Qaeda ceases to be an effective mechanism for change. In their minds, they lose when they can no longer recruit members, when they can no longer solicit donations, when their operatives are denied access to target areas, and when Islamic public opinion not only ceases support for them but turns actively against them. Although we would consider these things to be of positive benefit, alone, they do not equate to a western victory.

If we wipe Al Qaeda off the map at the cost of significant casualties from terrorist WMD attacks, if Israel or other friendly governments, including Muslim governments, in the region fall to the extremists, if the supply of oil is interrupted, or if our freedoms are significantly lessened in the process, even the utter destruction of Al Qaeda will not be something we can consider a victory.

Very well put and I see total agreement with what you are saying - I also feel by accelerating what AQ see's as a defeat (points you listed) is key in facilitating what we need as a victory - While some of our victory conditions are not specifically met just by dealing AQ a defeat (our conditions are surly enhanced and the ability for AQ to reverse those conditions becomes harder and harder) -

Outside of the benefits AQ gleans from the warrior/executive abilities of its current leadership, the capture of top leaders would introduce the beginnings of the concept of ultimate loss to the enemy.

When you eliminate Bin Laden, you introduce the fear that defeating America, the world's only remaining superpower, is beyond the reach of the mere mortal terrorist leaders left behind.

Exactly - very well put!! - This is 100% why I see the absolute need for UBL and Zawahiri to be killed / captured as soon as possible - The concept of "certain defeat" will have a resoundingly negative effect throughout not just AQ but also many of the splinter cells as well -

We must pursue their elimination, but at the same time, we need to be very careful. Every failed attempt on our part only strengthens our enemies belief that we can be defeated and that they can prevail.

Again, very astute observation - and another reason for the frustration in tracking these two down - I'm sure this works on both sides as well - the longer they escape capture the more embolded their followers get in thinking victory is possible -

At the same time, the longer time goes our own forces become frustrated in the hunt - Do we even know where he is? - Is he dead? Is this a wild-goose hunt? Frustrations mount because of the need to depend on the Pak forces, etc.

[jeffers]

"...the longer they
escape capture the more embolded their followers get in thinking victory is possible -"


Yes, but this is something we have a great deal less influence over, short of actually capturing or killing him.

We only have the ability to define the public perceptions of our priorities. The effort to bring him to heel must continue unabated, yet naming him as a distinct target is what brings him the most benefit if he eludes capture.

Hence the Administration's comments that he is not a priority and has been marginalized.


"At the same time, the longer time goes our own forces become frustrated in the hunt - Do we even know where he is? - Is he dead? Is this a wild-goose hunt?
Frustrations mount because of the need to depend on the Pak forces, etc."

You overcome this by naming collateral objectives. We aren't after Bin Laden, we are denying them the refuge of the Shawal. This gives the troops measurable successes without giving the enemy confidence. At the end of the day, there's only one way to maximize morale, and that's getting the troops out of the hellholes and back home. There's a tradeoff here, morale and esprit de corps, versus on the ground experience and relationships formed in the theater with indigent populations.

To decide if we are striking this balance successfully, we can always try, but the decisive factor will be the results of time.

In looking at the captures to date, from the 1993 WTC bombers all the way to this week, random chance has played just as much a part, if not more, than strategic planning. That's not to say strategic planning had no effect, it created the random chances that lead directly to the captures, but it emphasizes the criticality of the multi-objective approach.

[AdmSmith]

A macabre puzzle:
http://www.dawn.com/2004/07/31/welcome.htm

Police seek to identify would-be assassin: ISLAMABAD, July 31: Investigators sought today to identify a dead would-be assassin from his bloodied head after a failed suicide bomb attack on prime minister-designate Shaukat Aziz. The body of the attacker was blown into several pieces. Police have found his head, hands, legs and mutilated parts of his torso, and say he was clearly a strong, well-built man. "His face has been damaged, but it is still intact," Zafar Iqbal, senior superintendent of police, told Reuters. "The bomber was a young man in his early 20s." (Reuters) (Updated @ 12:55 PST)

[Dog]

Fresh troops being trucked into the Shakai area......160 trucks....

Fierce fighting breaks out..

Sources informed that government has decided to increase strength of security forces to accelerate pace of campaign against miscreants

[AdmSmith]

More about the split posted here earlier:
http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=72617
Ahmadzai Wazir tribes split over surrendering of wanted militants

Saturday July 31, 2004 (1327 PST)
WANA: Ahmadzai Wazir tribes have divided over surrendering of two most wanted militants to government and a jirga of these tribes have set up a lashkar of 4000 tribesmen to take action against the tribal Maliks who are not co-operating in this matter.

A major jirga of Ahmadzai Wazir tribes was held here in Rustam bazar Wana on Saturday. However several tribal elders including two chief Maliks, Malik Baha Khan Kakakhel and Malik Saadat did not attend the jirga.

Sources told Online that these tribal notables have accused that 36-member tribal elders committee was set up at the behest of political agent and it has no representative position.

Ahmad zai Wazir tribes have established a Lashkar comprising 4000 tribesmen to launch action against the tribal notables who had not attended the jirga.

The concerned tribal notables have been asked to appear before jirga today and explain their position otherwise one million rupees fine will be imposed on them and their houses will also be demolished.

[jeffers]

Military sources indicate than an expected mix might be 120 duece and a half type trucks, possibly towing artillery limbers, and 40 jeeps. Marines will put 8 troops in a truck, though pictures I've seen show up to 12 Pakistanis in a truck. There are tradeoffs between number of troops and the amount of gear each can carry in the truck. Individual soldiers wouldn't need much consumable stores for a road march, just enough water, food and ammunition to get from A to B.

Two guys average per jeep, and 8 to 12 guys per truck adds up to a total of 1,080 to 1,520 troops. No matter how you slice it, this adds up to a battalion sized force.

Estimates of the troops previously in the area run from 40,000 to 80,000, counting both Wana and Miram Shah based troops. In US terms, that's from 4 to 8 divisions, from 12 to 24 brigades, from 36 to 72 battalions.

That should give a good idea of the relative size of the reinforcing battalion reported here.

Other reports make a case that the reporters are on the edge of anarchy due to the restrictions the military have placed on them, so we have to assume there is a lot of other information that isn't getting out and into the mainstream media.

[jeffers]

By any chance, did you happen to catch the picture of the DPM in the Times article?

Are those rose petals?

Or was this attack as messy as it looks?

[jeffers]

Well, that's the 64 dollar question, isn't it?

:-)

[jeffers]

http://www.dawn.com/2004/08/01/top8.htm

Armyman dies, 5 hurt as convoy attacked

By Our Correspondent


MIRAMSHAH, July 31: An army hawaldar was killed and five soldiers were wounded when an army convoy came under attack in the North Waziristan tribal region
on Saturday, officials and witnesses said.

They said that terrorists ambushed the army convoy near Qalander Abada in Razmak sub-division, coming from Shawal to Miramshah, the regional headquarters.

They fired rockets and missiles on the army convoy and escaped after the attack. An official said that hawaldar Ferman died on the spot, while five soldier received
injuries, three of them serious.

The wounded soldiers have been identified as Asghar, Tahir, Rab Nawaz, Ahmad Jan, Alaf Gul and Gul Shah Khan. They were shifted to the Combined Military
Hospital, Bannu. Shawal area is believed to be a sanctuary of the militants in the region.

[AdmSmith]

With at least 7 dead and about 70 wounded it was not a nice sight.

[AdmSmith]

http://www.paknews.com/flash.php?id=15&date1=2004-08-01

Anti-Terror Operations Continue In Every Nook And Corner: Faisal
Updated on 2004-08-01 09:24:05

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan : Aug 01 (PNS) - Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat has said security agencies of Pakistan are pursuing terrorists in every corner of the country.

Talking to BBC, he said, "We are undertaking operations on various fronts in the Wana Areas, South Waziristan and in South i.e. is Karachi. We are undertaking operations all over Pakistan, because they could be hiding anywhere in the country." Replying to a question, he said Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani was on the most wanted list of the US government and apparently has head money of close to 25 million US dollars.

He said Pakistani agencies through their intelligence network, were able to pin point the exact location of this individual and his other accomplices. An operation was conducted and there was a gun battle which went on for about twelve, thirteen hours. As a result of that encounter, Pakistani Security Forces were able to apprehend these people, he added.

[AdmSmith]

More for the maps
http://www.paknews.com/flash.php?id=16&date1=2004-08-01

Railway Track To Be Laid Between Chaman, Kandahar
Updated on 2004-08-01 09:24:39

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan : Aug 01 (PNS) - Pakistan government has finalized a feasibility report for laying a railway track between Chaman and Kandhar.

The report has been dispatched to Kabul and the project will be executed when the Afghan government approves it. The railway line will connect the two neighboring countries and will boost trade and economic and cultural ties between them, Voice of America reported. The technical experts of Kabul and Islamabad are in touch to remove reservations of the both countries in this regard.

Officials say the report to this effect has been prepared and sent to Kabul. When Afghan authorities sanction the survey report, the project will be carried out. It is to be mentioned here the proposed project will be completed within two years. The news has sent a wave of of happiness among the trade and business communities of the two countries, saying it will help transport goods between the two countries at minimum cost.

[AdmSmith]

Read this
http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040801/ZNYT/408010377/1004/Local