Taliban leader (Baitullah Mehsud) 'killed'

BBC ^ | 10:04 GMT, Friday, 7 August 2009 | Abdul Hai Kakar

[gandalftb]

Pakistan's most wanted man, Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, has been killed by a US missile.

Kafayat Ullah, an aide to Baitullah, told AP by telephone on Friday that his leader had been killed along with his second wife by a US missile.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Quresh said the government was seeking "ground verification".

Taliban leaders have gathered in S Waziristan to choose a successor, local sources have told the BBC.

Three names are under consideration: Hakimullah Mehsud, Maulana Azmatullah and Wali-ur-Rehman.

The missile fired by the US drone hit the home of the Taliban chief's father-in-law, Malik Ikramuddin, in the Zangarha area, 15km (9 miles) north-east of Ladha, at around 0100 on Wednesday (1900 GMT Tuesday).

The Taliban leader was said to be on the roof, suffering from an illness for which he was taking medication.

Some who had seen his body said that it had been half-destroyed by the blast.

Baitullah was buried in the nearby village of Nardusai.

[gandalftb]

This is a wrap on the previous FR posts:

"Drone kills Mehsud's wife, brother (Baitullah too?)"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2309121/posts?q=1&;page=1#1

and "U.S. drone" hits a family home of Pakistan Taliban chief"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2308515/posts

The Taliban will officially confirm later today after Friday prayers and likely name a successor.

This hit puts a real hurt on the Taliban, a game changer, two other minor factions of Taliban have already thrown in the towel.

Baitullah was a focal point, anyone taking over knows his fate will be the same.

On to bin Laden and Zawahiri.

Again, congrats and compliments to our teams, contractors, CIA and UAV drivers on a job WELL DONE.

[jimbo123]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124961991813313685.html

A senior Pakistan security officer said Mr. Mehsud was with his wife on the roof of the compund when hit by a missile fired by a US drone. “He was not well and had an intravenous drip on when he was targeted,” said a senior intelligence official.

[Cindy]

I hope you’re right gandalftb.
Time will tell.

#

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/08/baitullah_mehsud_is.php

“’Baitullah Mehsud is alive’ - US intelligence official”
By BILL ROGGIOAugust 6, 2009 6:04 PM

Baitullah Mehsud from a recent Taliban video.

SNIPPET: “Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud was not killed in yesterday’s airstrike in South Waziristan, US intelligence officials told The Long War Journal.

“Baitullah is alive,” one official old The Long War Journal. “We’re aware of the reports that he might have been killed and we are looking into it, but we don’t believe he was killed.”

The late night airstrike on a compound operated by Ikramuddin Mehsud, Baitullah’s father-in-law, in the village of Zanghra in the mountains near Baitullah’s home town of Makeen, killed Baitullah’s second wife and two other Taliban fighters. One of Baitullah’s two brothers was also reported to have been killed.

Witnesses on the scene immediately said that Baitullah was not among those killed. He reportedly visited his wife but left an hour prior to the attack.

But more than one day after the US strike in South Waziristan, rumors have surfaced that Baitullah was killed in the attack. The local Taliban are said to have cordoned off the area for over 36 hours to prevent outsiders from viewing the attack site, fueling conjecture that Baitullah is dead.

Earlier today, Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman speculated that Baitullah was killed.

“We suspect he was killed in the missile strike,” Interior Minister Rehman Malik told Geo News. “We have some information, but we don’t have material evidence to confirm it.”

Pakistan’s chief military spokesman later denied reports the strike killed Baitullah.

Later today, a US intelligence official told ABC News that “there is strong indication” Baitullah was killed.

“Efforts are under way to determine for certain whether it was Mehsud, but there are hopes that it is him,” the official told the television network.

The Taliban have not issued a statement to confirm or deny Baitullah’s death. In the past, the Taliban and al Qaeda have released martyrdom statements upon the death of their senior leaders.

Reports of senior al Qaeda and Taliban leaders killed in Pakistan have been highly unreliable.”

[MarkT]

Ah, Baitullah, we hardly knew ye.

[Recon Dad]

The Taliban leader was said to be on the roof......

I hope he was looking up!

[worst-case scenario]

This was the guy that had been responsible for the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. In March, the State Department authorized a reward of up to $5 million for him.
Guess we won’t have to pay it now!

[bushpilot1]

Was he a sunni mussie? Difficult to imagine the Kenyan would allow a hit on his bro.

[King of Florida]

Taliban leaders have gathered in S Waziristan to choose a successor new target

Fixed it.

[bitterohiogunclinger]

“.Taliban leaders have gathered in S Waziristan to choose a successor, local sources have told the BBC.”
Sounds like they might need another missile or two in S. Waziristan.

[DGHoodini]

FNC: Taliban confirms death.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

I thought the Mullah Omar (the one eye’d bandit) was the head of the Taliban? Or is he just the head of the Afghanistan Taliban and this Mehsud is the leader of the Pakistan Taliban?

[Recon Dad]

Taleban, is a Sunni Islamist, predominantly Pashtun fundamentalist religious and political movement

Maybe Zero is Shia.

[dools007]

Sounds like a target rich environment to me.

[Recovering Hermit]

...choose a successor, local sources have told the BBC. Three names are under consideration: Hakimullah Mehsud, Maulana Azmatullah and Wali-ur-Rehman.

"Fetch me my brown trousers!"

[csvset]

said to be on the roof

The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire...

[snarks_when_bored]

As ye slaughter, so shall ye be slaughtered.

[Venturer]

***Taliban leaders have gathered in S Waziristan to choose a successor new target
Fixed it. ***

The gathering should be the new target.

[naturalized]

When this old world starts getting me down
And people are just too much for me to face
I climb way up to the top of the stairs
And all my cares just drift right into space
On the roof, it’s peaceful as can be
And there the world below can’t bother me
Let me tell you now

When I come home feelin’ tired and beat
I go up where the air is fresh and sweet (up on the roof)
I get away from the hustling crowd
And all that rat-race noise down in the street (up on the roof)
On the roof, the only place I know
Where you just have to wish to make it so
Let’s go up on the roof (up on the roof)

At night the stars put on a show for free
And, darling, you can share it all with me

I keep a-tellin’ you

Right smack dab in the middle of town
I’ve found a paradise that’s trouble proof (up on the roof)
And if this world starts getting you down
There’s room enough for two
Up on the roof (up on the roof)
Up on the roo-oo-oof (up on the roof)
Oh, come on, baby (up on the roof)
Oh, come on, honey (up on the roof)

[BigEdLB]

Taliban leaders have gathered in S Waziristan to choose a successor

CANDIDATE #1: I HAVE BIGGEST RPG. I AM NEW LEADER!


CANDIDATE #2: I HAVE MOST YES MEN. I AM LEADER.


CANDIDATE #3: I HAVE BEST BEARD. I AM LEADER.


CANDIDATE #4: I HAVE MOST GOATS, AND AM MOST SATISFIED. I AM LEADER.


CANDIDATE #5: I AMPUTATE MOST LIMBS OF APOSTATES AND THIEVES. I AM LEADER


CANDIDATE #6: I STONED MOST HARLOTS. I AM LEADER.


CANDIDATE #1: YOU GOT ME BEAT, #6
CANDIDATE #2: THAT TOPS ME, #6
CANDIDATE #3: #6, YOU PLANNED AHEAD!
CANDIDATE #4: THAT TRUMPS MY GOATS, #6
CANDIDATE #5: YOU BEAT MY COLLECTION, #6
CANDIDATE #6: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, YOU WILL ALL BE BEHEADED AT SUNRISE

[nikos1121]

“Taliban leaders have gathered in S Waziristan.”

Excuse me...but how about gathering a few more missiles to greet them?