Missile kills Pakistan tribal head

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.

http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=74619
3 miscreants killed as battle rages in Wana
Senate warns against use of force in Balochistan

Friday August 20, 2004 (1434 PST)

WANA, August 21 (Online): Three miscreants have been killed as battle rages between miscreants and security officials in the troubled area of South Waziristan.

Miscreants hiding in the mountains of Kham Rang, Tape and Abosh are putting up fierce resistance against the security forces.

Three miscreants are reported to have been killed along with a number of security officials in the battle, which has been continuing for the past two days.

The army has said to taken the dead body of one of the miscreants into custody however it still remains unclear whether the body is that of a tribesman or a foreigner.

The security forces are using gunship helicopters and regular spate of firing is being carried out from Fauji Colony and Kiarza Qila to break off the resistance of the miscreants.

The area is said to be tense and spy planes are seen hovering the skies 24 hours a day.

Meanwhile, Senate Friday warned against use of force in Balochistan province and recommended initiating of political dialogue to find out solutions of the problems.

Taking part in debate on law and order situation prevailing in Balochistan, almost all members of the opposition and treasury benches advised the government to resolve issues through initiating of dialogue with leaders of the nationalist parties instead of targeting them of the military operation and fabrication of cases.

Resolution to debate Balochistan situation was moved by Senator Mian Raza Rabbani parliamentary leader of the opposition PPP and Democratic Alliance.

"Forces shouldn't be used against our own people as use of bullet is no solution to any crisis " most of the Senators said during participation in discussion.

Opposition members strongly opposed establishment of military cantonments in Kohlo, Dera Bugti and Gawadar.

Senator Aslam Buledi was critical of launching military operation and using Frontier Constabulary and Levies against Baloch people.

He deplored that military is targeting unarmed people as Indian, and Israeli armies are doing in occupied Kashmir and Palestine.

He complained that over a thousand people have been arrested in the province in a bid to harass leaders and workers of the nationalist parties. He condemned fabrication of cases against political leaders and flayed the statement of the interior minister dubbing nationalist leaders as 'traitors'.

Baloch Senator termed killing of innocent persons in the guise of the military operation as acts of State terrorism.

Sana Ullah Baloch of the BNP regretted that Baloch people have been betrayed and made targets of military operations by the rulers for raising voice for their rights.

He said "We want that resources of Balochistan should be handed over to our people". He regretted that Balochistan assembly and members of the Parliament were not taken into confidence about Gawadar project.

He was of the view that the project is initiated to benefit outsiders, as it is a project to control assets of the province. He said withdrawal of troops from the province is only solution to crisis adding use of force would be no solution as Baloch people know how to lay down lives for our rights.

MMA leader Prof. Khurshid Ahmed asked the military leadership to learn a lesson from previous mistakes instead of pitting the military to target our own people.

Terming issues in Balochistan as political, he asked the government to resolve these issues by initiating talks.

He made it clear that use of force, large scale arrests of the political leaders and activists was no solution. He said military has no right to indulge in politics. 'They can establish cantonments for defence purposes, but not to use the military and cantonments for political purposes" he added.

Senator Ismail Buledi of the MMA also condemned killing of innocent people in the guise of the drive against terrorists.

He said that by dubbing political opponents as 'traitors', the rulers were weakening national unity. He said no one is against launching uplift projects in the province, but these projects should be taken in hand after consultation with elected representatives.

Mohim Khan Baloch of the treasury benches also disliked dubbing Baloch leaders as traitors. He said launching military operation and establishment of military cantonments would serve no purpose.

Rather jobs, health cover, and educational facilities should be provided to the masses, he added.

Dr Shahzad Wasim of the ruling PML stressed that national unity should be manifested. He was of the view that action against terrorists couldn't be dubbed as victimization.

He opposed criticism against establishment of the military cantonments.

He said the government wants to resolve problems of Balochistan through talks, as we believe in resolving all issues by initiating dialogue.

Mrs. Tanvir Khalid of the treasury benches also defended establishment of military cantonments in the province for defence purposes, which shouldn't be opposed.

http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=74690

Airstrikes launched in Shakai

Saturday August 21, 2004 (1402 PST)
WANA: The clashes between paramilitary forces and militants on Saturday continued and for the first time since military crackdown in South Waziristan Agency was launched airstrikes were launched in Shakai.

Gunship helicopters and two Jet fighters fired rockets at suspected targets of militants as fighting continued in Cheep, Salar and Joni Mela where paramilitary troops have come under a siege and militants are pushing hard on them.

Both sides are using heavy machine guns and rockets to take control over each other. However, reports are there that both sides have lost many men but no body could confirm the actual details of life losses.

In order to break the siege in Cheep army is struggling very hard and in order to assist them in breaking this siege military gunships helicopters and two fighter jets bombarded the suspected targets of militants.

According to sources from the area at least 13 bombs were fired at militant targets and their blasts were heard some 40 kilometres away from the spot they were hit from.

One Saeedullah a local who witnessed the bombardment said that five houses were completely destroyed due to bombardment and fire and clouds were visible from different places.

However, no reports of life loss were reported from either side.

Paramilitary troops have closed down all exit and entrance routes leading to area. In the meantime the locals are fleeing the area to get shelter in safer regions.

On the other hand the fighting between Al Qaeda backed militants and paramilitary forces continued in Wana Scouts fort and Tyarza area and fighting was continuing till filing of this report.

In the meantime Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan Director General Inter Services Public Relation talking to a private television channel reiterated government commitment of flushing out terrorists from South Waziristan Agency.

"Every militant is a high value target for us and we are going to continue operation as we cannot bear militants on our land," he added.

Mr Sultan said that operation launched in June was because of stubbornness of miscreants and these clashes between militants and armed forces will continue until militants are completely flushed out of the area.

"On June 9 militants breached Shakai accord by attacking a security agency convoy that resulted in martyring many men and this operation is follow up of that breach," he added.

He also said that besides military operation government was also following political path for the solution of South Waziristan crisis.

Mr Sultan went on to say that in last many days military was attacked in several areas and having no other option left military has to move toward the troubling areas.

"In fresh fighting many militants have been killed and large number of their hide outs were completely destroyed, even yesterday we found dead body of a foreigner killed during clashes and he had a machine gun, grenades, ammunition and a rifle present near his corpse, " he maintained.

When asked to comment on flights of fighter jets he said there are many reasons for these flights, however he made it clear that when fighter jets were used for bombardment the point of protecting civilian population is always in mind of pilots.

He went on to say that gun ship helicopters were flying over Mantio, Santoi and Shwal to gather intelligence related information.

He also denied that any kind of bombardment was going on in South Waziristan Agency at the time being.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4440886,00.html

Pakistan Says It Has Foiled Terror Plots

Saturday August 21, 2004 9:01 PM

By MUNIR AHMAD

Associated Press Writer

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Pakistan has arrested at least five al-Qaida-linked terrorists who were plotting suicide attacks on government leaders and the U.S. Embassy, officials announced Saturday.

Security forces captured five or six suspects - one Egyptian, the others Pakistani - in the past week across the country, and seized some weapons, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told reporters.

He said authorities were hunting for four to five other suspects, and that those already detained had ``wanted to kill hundreds of innocent people'' and cause unrest in Pakistan.

Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayyat told The Associated Press, however, that a ``gang'' of a dozen suspects was captured.

He said the group been planning suicide attacks on ``important personalities,'' and that it wanted to hit the official residence of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Parliament and the U.S. Embassy in the capital, Islamabad, as well as Army House in the neighboring city of Rawalpindi.

They also wanted to target some government ministers, he said.

``This is a gang of suicide bombers, and our security agencies have done a remarkable job by foiling this plot,'' Hayyat said, adding that those captured were ``definitely they are linked to al-Qaida.''

In the past five weeks, Pakistan - a key ally in the U.S.-led war on terrorism - has captured more than 60 terror suspects, including some key al-Qaida operatives, officials have said.

Days ago, authorities said they'd foiled a plot by terrorists to sabotage last weekend's Independence Day celebrations in Islamabad, making at least two arrests.

Hayyat said that some of the suspects arrested in the past week had links with Abdul Rashid Ghazi, a senior cleric and head of a religious school in Islamabad. He said security agencies seized missiles, rockets, detonators, electronic surveillance equipment and other ammunition planned for use in attacks - including on Independence Day.

The officials confirmed the identity of only one of the suspects: a Pakistani, Farrukh Usman, arrested at the religious school in the capital.

Details of the plot were announced as Pakistani troops backed by artillery and aircraft attacked two suspected terrorist hide-outs near the rugged Afghan border, killing and wounding a number of militants, said Pakistan army and security officials.

The attack was launched near Shakai in the South Waziristan tribal region, scene of several military counterterrorism operations against al-Qaida fugitives and renegade tribesmen in recent months.

Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan told state-run television that Pakistani troops had ``killed and wounded some foreign miscreants'' on Saturday in an exchange of fire near Shakai, but gave no details. He denied that a major new military operation was underway.

An intelligence official in Islamabad said on condition of anonymity that the troops had surrounded two hide-outs of foreign terrorists and their local supporters, who had reportedly used light weapons to attack the army.

In South Waziristan's main town, Wana, local journalist Allah Noor Wazir cited residents as saying three Pakistani fighter planes had launched a 45-minute attack on Saturday morning in a forested area near Shakai, where militants were believed to be hiding. Officials couldn't confirm the report.

The last major military operation in South Waziristan ended in June, leaving more than 100 dead. Sporadic clashes have continued, with militants frequently launching rockets against security forces.

On Thursday, Pakistani troops killed a foreign militant, an Uzbek, in an exchange of fire near Shakai. They also seized some weapons.

Pakistan has been hunting remnants of al-Qaida and Taliban in its tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, where hundreds of militants, including Arabs and Central Asians, have taken refuge since the fall of the Taliban regime in late 2001.

In March, a top Uzbek militant named Tahir Yuldash was injured in an army operation in the region, but he got away and remains at large.

Officials say the military operations have forced some al-Qaida operatives to flee the area and move elsewhere in Pakistan. A number of those arrested in the terror crackdown over the past month are believed to have moved from South Waziristan.

Among them was Ahmad Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian wanted in the 1998 U.S. embassies in east Africa that killed more than 200 people. He was captured in eastern Punjab province last month.

A series of deadly attacks, which authorities say were masterminded by al-Qaida, have targeted top government figures in recent months.

On July 30, a suicide bomber attacked prime minister designate Shaukat Aziz near Islamabad, killing nine people. Aziz was unhurt. Musharraf narrowly escaped injury in two huge bombings that killed 17 in Rawalpindi in December.

http://www.dawn.com/2004/08/22/top2.htm

"WANA, Aug 21: Fighter planes and helicopter gunships carried out strikes on militants' positions in South Waziristan on Saturday. Officials said that troops renewed
their assault in the volatile region in response to continued night time attacks by militants on security forces and military installations in the area.

Eyewitnesses said that two F-7 planes and several helicopter gunships bombed militants' positions in the forest-covered Kip Sar, Bosh Naraia and Zawara valleys
near the Afghan border, believed to be safe hideouts for attackers.

Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan, the director-general of Inter Services Public Relations, said that PAF planes and helicopters flew over the area, but not necessarily for
carrying out strikes.

"Planes can fly for collecting intelligence or any other purpose," Maj-Gen Sultan told Dawn by phone from Islamabad.

He said that security forces operating in the area targeted suspected locations to flush out 'miscreants' hiding in Santoi, Mantoi and other areas from where they fired
rockets on military installations.

"This is in response to miscreants' attacks, which caused casualties to the security forces and civilians," the ISPR chief said.

Troops were using precision weapons to avoid civilian casualties, he added.

Witnesses said that fighter planes and helicopters started bombardment at about 8am, which continued for more than an hour. There was no report of any casualties.

The Shakai valley residents said that militants hiding in forests also targeted planes with gunfire. "Thick smoke billowed from the high peaks," they said.

The ISPR chief claimed that three militants had been killed during three days in the mountainous area of South Waziristan. They were killed during an encounter east
of Raghzai.

An official source said that one of the dead had been identified as Uzbek."

Bosh Narai can be found on the SE Quadrant Map, and Zhawar lives in the valley south of and between Ezhgal and Zer Khizhai (Sargassi) on the SW Quadrant map.

From Adm Smith's report, and as noted earlier, Jani Mela is one kilometer due east of Mandorai on the SE Quadrant map.

A report from the Pakistan Times confirms the heavy fighting and airstrikes noted here and in other posts, and also mentions a rocket diffused in Razmak shortly before the arrival of the chief administrator of the tribal areas.

Not seeing confirmation of any direct fighting at Wana or Tiarza, but many reports confirm that the artillery tubes there are staying warm.

http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail.php?newsId=en70984&F_catID=&f_type=source

Jets pound militant hide-outs in Wana

WANA: Jets and helicopter gunships bombed terrorists' hide-outs in Saleer, Jani Melasar and Zawer areas near Shakai in South Waziristan tribal agency on Saturday killing and injuring a number of militants.

Three jets and two helicopters took part in the operation. According to locals, the jets dropped bombs that exploded with big bangs while helicopters hovered over the area for more than 30 minutes strafing the positions of militants. Artillery shells were also fired from Zari Noor and Tiarza military camps to target the hide-outs of militants. Exact losses to life or property in these attacks could not be immediately ascertained.

Dozens of families were seen migrating to safer places from the troubled areas near Shakai. Sporadic gunbattles between terrorists and security forces and economic blockade have made life difficult for the common man in the tribal agency, commented a tribal elder. He expressed the fear that more people would face displacement as the fight was getting intense day by day. He appealed to the government to help mitigate the sufferings of people displaced during the fighting.

As many as 30 vehicles carrying fresh Army personnel also reached Wana on Saturday evening and are believed to be dispatched towards the troubled areas. There are also reports that the forces have laid a siege to the Saleer mountainous region to plug the points in order to stop the militants from getting out of the area.

Agencies add: Pakistan Army spokesman Maj-Gen Shaukat Sultan told state media that the troops had killed and wounded some foreign miscreants on Saturday in an exchange of fire near Shakai, but gave no further details. He denied a major new military operation was underway.

An intelligence official speaking on condition of anonymity in Islamabad said the troops had surrounded two hide-outs of foreign terrorists and their local supporters who had reportedly used light weapons to attack the Army.

"We have recovered body of one suspect, who is a foreigner," Shaukat Sultan said. He refused to disclose his nationality. "We have also recovered a machinegun, Kalashnikov, hand grenade and some other weapons," he said.

Local residents and journalists said the military used fighter planes and helicopter gunships and artillery to pound suspected hideouts of al-Qaeda-linked militants for 45 minutes in the mountains.

"We would not accept the presence of any miscreants and terrorists at any cost in the area," the military spokesman said. He said they tried to establish peace with militants through the Shakai Agreement but they violated the accord and failed to present the foreigners hiding in the area for registration.

Sultan said the militants opened indiscriminate firing from north of Shakai on the security forces during the last two days. "We are following the miscreants and we will not spare them," he said, adding that they would continue the operation till the elimination of terrorists.

He said the security forces were not following any manhunt campaign but trying to nab the foreign terrorists who were hiding in the area and carrying out militant activities against the forces.

The spokesman said the air planes and helicopter gunships were on reconnaissance mission. "We are using the planes to monitor the activities of the militants and specific targets in the area". He said the planes and helicopters were hitting the targets and they were trying their best to avoid any civilian causality in the operation against the terrorists.

Here are the names of the five:

http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail.php?newsId=en70982&F_catID=&f_type=source

Plot to hit GHQ, parliament, US embassy, Convention Centre uncovered: Five suspects arrested

ISLAMABAD: The law-enforcement agencies have arrested five members of a 'terrorist' group, including foreigners, who had planned to attack main official buildings and embassies in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said this at a hurriedly-called press conference here on Saturday night.

He said the law-enforcement agencies were hunting two masterminds of the plan who belonged to Egypt.

The agencies also seized a huge cache of arms and munition, including bombs, grenades, rockets, rocket launchers, detonators and around 50 other explosive devices, he said.

The group had planned attacks on the Presidency, the Prime Minister House, General Headquarters (GHQ), the US embassy, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) House, Convention Centre and Lal Haveli on the night between August 13 and 14, Sheikh Rashid added.

The two Egyptians, still at large, have been identified as Qari Ismael and Shaikh Essa.

He said the law-enforcement agencies were still hunting four other members of the group. He said the terrorists had planned to carry out attacks in two groups.

The minister said the alleged terrorists were arrested from different places last week.

They were wanted by the law-enforcement agencies in a number of cases.

He said the group had links with terrorists who were arrested in Gujrat, including Ghailani, Talha and Shifa Ibrahim.

One Usman and Abdul Rasheed Ghazi (son of a local religious leader) had also connections with the group. These two men had met Qari Ismael who had provided them three mobile connections.

The agencies also seized a van, the minister said. Police were also on the lookout for the two.

During investigation, the name of Javed Ibrahim Piracha also came to light, he said.

APP adds: He said the gang had plans to cause devastation and killings in the twin cities. Their plan was spread over a week, he added.

More arrests are expected in a couple of days, the minister said.

He told a questioner that these arrests were made during last one week from different cities.

A number of vehicles which were to be used in these attacks have also been traced, he said.

He said that the identity of those arrested was being kept secret as more arrests were yet to be made.

When asked whether the gang had any connections with some internationally-known terror group, he said facts were being gathered.

He, however, said it was a small new group.

He made it clear that they had no links with the Jamaat-i-Islami nor Naeem Noor Khan had any links with them.

He said the arrests were made solely by Pakistani security agencies.

He said the country's security agencies had penetrated into terrorists' network and they had achieved notable successes.

Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hyat told APP in Lahore that the two Egyptians belonged to Al Qaeda.

He claimed that 10 persons involved in the terror plan "have been caught."

"Imam of Lal Masjid Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi played an important role in this conspiracy and the law-enforcement agencies were searching for him," he said.

"We hope to catch him and the rest of the gang members soon."

In this article and others, Saleer seems to refer to an area, not a village, per "Saleer mountainous region". It could refer to the range west of the Shakai Valley which includes Janimela, Mandata and Dre Narai, or the range west of there, which includes Zer Khizhai and Zilli Khel, or both taken together. If I had to guess, I'd include both, since the recent engagements cover both ridge systems.

Zari Noor, from context over several weeks, is either immediately NW of Wana, or between Wana and the Saleer mountainous region. It is the feeder station for troops coming from Wana heading towards the mountains in all of the recently reported engagements. If I had to guess, I'd say Zari Noor was a suburb of or Fort within the boundary limits of Wana, rather than further out, simply because of the presence of artillery there. In the SE region surrounding the Shawal Valley, I only know of two discreet firebases, one being Tiarza (Tiarza Scouts Fort) the other being Wana. If Zari Noor is indeed a discrete firebase on its own, then the Paks obviously have three firebases in the immediate area. Not a military no-no, but militarily redundant, as you only require one additional firebase to provide indirect fire support if the bad guys attack a firebase directly.

One caveat here. Immediately prior to the Shakai Valley major engagement, there were repeated reports of artillery positions being dug in on a ridge above Azam Warzak, which would place them roughly five kilometers due south of Zilli Khel. This could be part of an encampment called Zari Noor also.

All previous references in this post refer to Zilli Khel near the southern end of the ridge system west of Bagrai.

Obviously, there is more to discuss here, especially regarding how this series of engagements fits into the larger picture as a whole, but there isn't any way to do that without speculating about future intentions, which I'm not comfortable doing at this time.

What is clear and easily inferred from official reports is that the Paks have established an objective of denying the high ground to the enemy which overlooks the Sperkai Nawal Kot-Shkin road, the Sholam-Chinal Algad road, and the Aranglita-Sra Kanda Algad road. Note also that there is almost certainly some kind of track suitable for at least carts, running from Baghrai to Galgassi through the obvious pass, and this is included in the objective stated above.

Regarding the report of 30 additional trucks, you can figure on about a battalion of infantry there. Whether you figure 8 men per truck or 12, the number is too small for a brigade and too large for a company. If the figure of 100,000 Pak troops reported earlier was correct, the Paks would have about 90 battalions already in the theater. A battalion would be about right to reinforce an attack on a single village or to deal with prisoners and mop-up or as a garrison force while consolidatring gains. My money is on the former, since several reports have mentioned a siege situation somewhere in the Saleer mountainous region. The reports I've seen to date do not specify who is sieging whom.

In the meantime some news from across the border:
http://paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=74674
US unleashes new anti-Taliban weapon: charm

Saturday August 21, 2004 (1336 PST
LONDON, August 22 (Online): Colonel Scott McBride had gathered together the villagers of Daychopan, a Taliban stronghold in the mountains south of Kabul, to make them an offer they could not refuse.

The villagers were on edge. Two hours earlier the Americans' had arrived in terrifying style. Three giant Chinook helicopters, each the size of a bus, had dropped out of the sky at dawn and landed in boiling clouds of dust and sand thrown up by the rotors. Startled farmers emerged blinking from their mud fortress-homes to see what was happening.

Assault guns pointing in every direction, young American soldiers began methodically searching for arms caches and Taliban suspects, barging into homes and training machine guns on the streets as their radios crackled out instructions.

"The Taliban aren't here," said one surly shopkeeper. "Perhaps they are up in those mountains," he said, pointing to spectacular ranges of sun-baked jagged rocks in the middle distance beyond the valley's almond fields.

The morning before two teenagers with AK-47s had been shot as they tried to make a run for it during a raid on a village in a neighbouring valley. One boy's head was blown apart by a burst of gunfire.

So the atmosphere across the cups of green tea and plates of banana creme biscuits was tense at first as the American officers sat awkwardly cross-legged on the carpet in kevlar helmets and bullet-proof jackets addressing a collection of anxious-looking men in huge turbans.

What happened next left the villagers bemused. What did they want the most, Colonel McBride demanded - a new school, a well to be dug, a doctor for the derelict clinic? "Just tell us what you want and how we can help you," he urged while the villagers furiously stroked their long Taliban-style beards and stared as if unable to believe their luck.

"Have you come to build or come to destroy?" one of them had nervously asked before the meeting. They remember Soviet soldiers whose policy was to carpet-bomb villages, not build schools for them.

On the roof above were snipers in position, watching the scruffy bazaar where GIs in sunglasses tried smiling and waving at scowling tribesmen in a charm offensive. The soldiers have been warned to tone down the raids and ensure fewer doors are kicked in and suspects handcuffed. The military is here to make friends as well as hunt down enemies.

The days of "smoke 'em out" must seem like long ago for the 17,000 US combat troops still scouring Afghanistan for Al-Queda and the Taliban, whose insurgency refuses to die and is probably growing. The military, overstretched in southern Afghanistan's endless barren mountain ranges and facing often hostile populations, accepts that it will never by itself beat the Taliban, a stubborn if disorganised enemy.

They are still fighting a vicious war 235 Charlie Company has suffered 11 casualties since it arrived in April and the tactiturn FBI men who took charge of blindfolded suspects were evidence of the ongoing hunt for Al-Queda and the Taliban.

But now the emphasis is on building up Afghan security forces and winning over the conservative Pushtun tribes who have always been the Taliban's main supporters.

The hope is that development projects funded by the US government - the Vietnam-era phrase Hearts and Minds is meticulously avoided - will win friends while security sweeps force the Taliban into the high mountains.

The guerrillas' hold is based on fear, the Americans insist. Villagers sick of war and Taliban banditry are increasingly tipping them off about hideouts, ambush plans and arms caches - usually of weapons supplied to anti-Soviet guerillas by the CIA's 1980s covert operation and now turned against American boys in scrappy firefights.

In the complex world of Pushtun tribal politics, however, where hedging your bets and saying what your listener wants to hear are strategies for survival, finding the right people to make friends with does not always prove easy.

District police chief Mohammed Wahid was the man chosen to do business with in Daychopan, although the meeting with him and the other villagers was a case of American can-do spirit versus Afghan inertia.

Mr Wahid was doubtful that any doctor would dare to come to his village, deep in lawless Zabul Province, and he was sure that teachers would be killed by the Taliban. He liked the idea of a new well but didn't think the Americans would find a contractor brave enough to dig one.

Outside his delapidated headquarters the soldiers inquired about bullet holes sprayed in the police chief's pick-up truck, obviously the result of a kalashnikov magazine being emptied into the vehicle from dead ahead.

It was a Taliban ambush that killed one of his twenty men, Mr Wahid said vaguely. The Taliban had also killed a man last week, a government employee.

Exactly how Mr Wahid managed to survive in such a Taliban-afflicted area was not explained. One of the American's Afghan translators didn't like the village and wasn't taking any chances. He kept his checked scarf wrapped around his face at all times, even while conveying the colonel's generous offers of help.

"The people here are scary motherfuckers," he said later in Afghan-accented GI-speak. "I have a nice life in Kandahar city. If they come there and recognise me, I'm dead." The US officers admit that four months in-country they can rarely be sure who is a friend, who is an enemy, and who can be both at different times.

Last month the American's difficulties were graphically exhibited when a police chief and district chief in the nearby Khak-e-Afghan valley were caught playing both sides of the street, lending four US-provided cars to the local Taliban to use at night.

When rumbled the administrator fled with most of the USD 100,000 cash he'd been given for building a school and paying the salaries of his men, presumably over the border to Pakistan, while the policeman is now in jail pleading that his survival required an accommodation with the enemy.

"Even these guys who aren't pro-Taliban, they are still with the Taliban because they have no choice," said Captain Mike Berdy. One of the grunts put it another way. "They smile at you in the morning, and at night they might be planting a mine in the road or firing a rocket at your ass."

Bombing prompts call for U.N. pullout in Afghanistan

The bombing of a U.N. election office in Afghanistan that injuring six policemen drew calls from a U.N. union Friday for a withdrawal of staffers from the embattled nation.

The Staff Union called for a security review and revamped safety measures for Afghanistan-based U.N. personnel, saying "the safety of staff remains the highest priority".

"As we approach the election time, more than likely attacks will intensify," said Guy Candusso, the union's vice-president. "We think the U.N. should consider suspending operations and rethink security before moving into the next critical phase of the election process".

Afghan voters are scheduled to elect a president on Oct. 9 and a parliament in April.

U.N. associate spokesman Stephane Dujarric, asked about a possible staff withdrawal from Afghanistan, said a U.N. security assessment mission recently returned from the country with specific recommendations which have been approved and are in the process of being implemented.

"The overall security in Afghanistan is in the process of being upgraded, both on a management and operational level," he said. "Obviously, security is being examined on a daily basis in the country's different regions. And as in every mission, we have to tailor our activities to the security conditions".

In the latest attack targeting election workers, a series of bombs went off Thursday at a U.N. voter registration office in Farah City in western Afghanistan, near the border with Iraq. Six policemen were injured, two seriously, vehicles were set ablaze and windows shattered.

Police have detained four security guards, two Afghans working for the United Nations, and a U.N. security guard for questioning.

It was not clear who was behind the attack. Taliban militants have been blamed for a series of attacks on workers preparing the country for its first presidential vote. Scores of election workers and civilians have been killed in the attacks.

The blasts occurred on the first anniversary of the bombing at U.N. headquarters in Iraq, which killed 22 people, including top U.N. envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello. That attack, and the subsequent investigation that criticized a "dysfunctional" U.N. security management system, has led to a major overhaul and rethinking of U.N. security worldwide.

In a speech in Geneva marking the anniversary, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the United Nations was "wrestling with wrenching, fundamental questions" about its operations at a time when its staff and blue flag may have become "one of the main targets of political violence".

In other violence, militants attacked police in central Ghzani province, killing one officer and injuring two others, state television reported Friday.

Three militants and a civilian caught in the crossfire also died in the fighting Thursday in Rahman, a village 100 miles south of Kabul.

The father of the Talibans:
http://www.pakistanlink.com/headlines/Aug04/23/04.html

Gul demands end to military action

PESHAWAR : The former head of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt. General (R) Hamid Gul on Sunday demanded of the government to stop military actions in Wana and Balochistan.

Speaking at a function here, he said that these actions must be stopped without any delay. "All the issues should be settled through dialogue. Armed actions lead to more chaos in the country", he said.

He asserted that anti-Pakistan elements were trying to destroy Pakistan by engaging armed forces within the country against their own people. He emphasized the need for negotiations to solve every problem in the country.

Gul said that the people of the tribal areas had given a lot of sacrifices for the country. "Whether it was Kashmir or Afghanistan, the people of these areas have always played their part. Therefore they should not be treated in this way", he added.

He criticized the opposition parties for not playing an effective role for the promotion of democracy and real politics in the country. "If the politicians had played their part well, most of the problems would not even have emerged", he said.

He also asked the scholars and thinkers to do their job in a more efficient way to build a national consensus on different issues.

"We should not step down from our principle stand of two-nation theory. At this point in time, we should not bow our head before those powers, who are trying to use us for their own interests, but try to create unity in our ranks and fight these forces", he stressed.

He condemned the West for declaring the freedom fighters in Kashmir, Chechnya, Palestine and Afghanistan as 'terrorists'. "These people are fighting to get their basic right of freedom. They are not terrorists", he said.

He said that there was a leadership crisis in Pakistan and it could only be solved, if the politicians of our country get matured.

Special Dispatch - Jihad & Terrorism Studies Project August 20, 2004 No. 767

To view this Special Dispatch in HTML format, please visit: http://www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=SD76704

Interview with Osama Bin Laden's Former Bodyguard

The pro-Saddam London daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi conducted an interview with Nasser Ahmad Nasser Al-Bahri, also known as Abu Jandal, an Al-Qa'ida member who was formerly Osama bin Laden's bodyguard. Al-Bahri, who was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was arrested in 2001 in Yemen on suspicion of involvement in the attack on the American destroyer USS Cole, and was released after receiving amnesty from the president of Yemen, Ali Abdallah Saleh. The following are excerpts from the interview:(1)

Al-Bahri's Activities in Al-Qa'ida

"I joined the Al-Qa'ida organization at the end of 1996 after returning from a trip in Tajikistan... My first visit to Afghanistan took place in late summer in 1996, and from then on I left Afghanistan three times. The first time I left was in order to get married. The second time I went to Yemen to arrange and finalize the wedding arrangements of Sheikh Osama bin Laden [with a Yemenite woman]. My third and final trip was approximately two and a half months before the action against the Cole. I was in charge of guarding Sheikh Osama Bin Laden and I served for a while as his personal bodyguard."

The Attack Against the Cole and the French Supertanker Limburg

"A watch was established on the [Cole] destroyer for a while during which time information was gathered by the 'Committees for Intelligence-Gathering.' Only two people worked on this, no more and no less. The allegations that the Mossad was responsible [for the attack on the Cole] are nonsense and are an attempt to cast doubt on the ability of the Muslims to do something of this sort. Those who carried out the operation were well-known young men from among the ranks of our brothers the Mujahideen - may Allah have mercy on them ... Hassan Al-Khamri from the Shuba district, originally from Al-Ta'if in Saudi Arabia, and Ibrahim Al-Thur, from San'aa, also originally from Al-Ta'if."

Al-Bahri, in response to the question of why the destroyer was chosen as a target, answered: "There were many reasons: [we wanted to] damage the USA's reputation in the naval arena, to raise the morale of the Muslims, and to prove to the Islamic nation that its sons are capable of striking the nation's enemies wherever they may be, by sea, by air, and by land... Nearly 71 Islamic countries are incapable of saying 'no' to the USA but as individuals we can say 'no' to it... The choice of the best destroyer in the American navy and the best product of the American military was a difficult blow for the USA, [which proves that] we are capable of striking them whenever we see fit and in any manner that we see fit."

About the strike against the French supertanker Limburg off the shores of Al- Mukalla: "That was the result of a mistake of both sides. [It was] in retaliation for the killing of Yahya Majly(2) who was killed in the city of San'aa by [Yemenite] government forces. The response was a hasty and irrational one with harsh consequences both for the Yemenite government and for the Yemenite people."

Al-Qa'ida Activity in Yemen

"At present one could say that Al-Qa'ida does not exist in Yemen as an organization, and that there are only individuals who believe in the ideas of Al-Qa'ida. [The activities of] the organization [in Yemen] came to an end when Sheikh Abu Ali Al-Harithi, commander of the organization in Yemen, was martyred... There are many in Yemen who belong to the organization in terms of their sympathies but do not belong to it on the ideological, organizational, and administrative levels, and they are not enlisted [in the organization] ... but we do not have peace with the country [Yemen].

"These youth have no leadership... Those who carry out operations are not necessarily Al-Qa'ida members. People without an organizational connection to Al-Qa'ida are perfectly capable of carrying out operations such as, for instance, the murder operation against the American missionaries in Jablah, or the murder of Jar Allah Omar at the Reforms Convention."

He added: "I can tell you that 95% of Al-Qa'ida members are Yemenites ... including the leader of the Al-Qa'ida organization, whose origins are from Yemen. His bodyguards are Yemenite, the drill instructors in the camps are Yemenite, the front-line leaders are Yemenite, and all of the operations against America were coordinated with the Yemenite members of the organization. "

Al-Qa'ida Activity in Iraq and Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarkawi

"A large number of Al-Qa'ida operatives have entered Iraq and they are currently fighting in the ranks of the Iraqi resistance... The problem is that today Al-Qa'ida is not an organization in the true sense of the word but only an idea that has become a faith.

"Many among the youth have begun to believe in Al-Qa'ida's views and beliefs regarding the struggle against America. Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarkawi was in Afghanistan and in Kabul. He met with Osama bin Laden a great many times, but I do not believe that he is number one in the Al-Qa'ida organization, since Al- Qa'ida has Iraqi leaders present on the ground in Iraq and they are not in need of Al-Zarkawi."

Terror Attacks in Saudi Arabia and Abd Al-Aziz Al-Muqrin - The Saudi Government Originally Supported the Jihad

In response to the question of whether Al-Qa'ida was involved in the attacks in Saudi Arabia, Al-Bahri said: "On the basis of my personal acquaintance with some of the [Al-Qa'ida] leaders and with some of those who commit martyrdom operations in Saudi Arabia, I can say that they [the latter] are Al-Qa'ida operatives. But one must ask the question: what causes these youth to take up arms and to commit bombings on Saudi soil?

"I think that it is the stupid policies of the Saudi government regarding these people. Those who blew up the Al-Muhaya compound spoke in their recorded messages on the internet sites about the fact that they went to the Jihad with the permission and sanction of the state and with the encouragement of Sheikh Sa'd Al-Bureik, Sheikh 'A'idh Al-Qarni, and Sheikh Salman Al-Odeh, as well as many others who incited among these young men. However, when the struggle against the government began, the youth were surprised to find that the same sheikhs who in the past had urged them on, now disavowed them. Not only that, but people like Sheikh Sa'd Al-Bureik and Sheikh 'Ai'dh Al-Qarni have even begun to attack these youth, despite the fact that their actions were the logical outcome of their own lectures, sermons, [and] classes...

"The operations in Saudi Arabia were reactions [against the Saudi government]. The case of Abd Allah Al-Ma'badi, whom I know personally, is a good example. Not only was he opposed to the idea of [perpetrating] operations in Saudi Arabia, he was even against any operation that would harm Saudi Arabia. How, then, did he end up committing an operation in Saudi Arabia? Abd Al-Aziz Al- Muqrin was also completely opposed to the idea [of operations in Saudi Arabia]. What caused him to carry out such an attack was the fact that [members of] the [Saudi] Criminal Investigations Department broke into Abd Allah Al-Ma'badi's house [in which Al-Muqrin was staying at the time], they beat Al-Muqrin's mother and broke his brother's hand, and broke into his sister's bedroom. What can you expect from a guy who was in solitary confinement for a year and five months for no reason other than that he went to [fight] the Jihad?"

According to Al-Bahri, the armed operations against Saudi Arabia will continue "as long as Saudi Arabia continues in its policies which are designed to appease the United States."

The Failure to Arrest Osama bin Laden

In response to the question, "Why is America unable to arrest Osama bin Laden, whereas it was able to arrest Saddam Hussein within a short time after the war in Iraq?" Al-Bahri answered, "Many people claim that Osama bin Laden hasn't been arrested yet because he is an agent [of the United States]. But we say that the comparison between Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein is not an apt one, since Saddam has some dark chapters in his past conduct toward his people - just look at the massacre of the Kurds in Halabja, the massacre of the Shi'ites in the south [of Iraq], the violation of Iraqi women, the anarchy, the despotism, and the enslavement of the Iraqi people; [all of these factors] caused him to be hated and that made his arrest easier, but Osama bin Laden, wherever you go from one corner of the world to another ... he is popular and well-received."

Al-Qa'ida's Goal

"The Al-Qa'ida organization's goal from its inception is to sow conflict between the United States and the Islamic world. I remember that Sheikh Osama bin Laden used to say that we can not, as an organization, continue in quality operations,(3) but rather we must aspire to commit operations that will drag the United States into a regional confrontation with the Islamic peoples."

Endnotes: (1) Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), August 3, 2004.

(2) This name is transliterated - it is perhaps supposed to be "Majally."

(3) "Quality operation" is a standard term among Islamists that designates a

large-scale attack on a target of strategic significance that causes a large number of casualties.

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