Pakistan's Taliban boss killed in attack
Source: Agencies |
August 8, 2009, Saturday
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PAKISTAN'S Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, who led a violent campaign of suicide attacks and assassinations against the Pakistani government, has been killed in a United States missile strike, a militant commander and aide to Mehsud said yesterday.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in Islamabad that intelligence showed Mehsud had been killed in Wednesday's missile strike on his father-in-law's house in Pakistan's lawless tribal area, but authorities would travel to the site to verify his death.
Pakistani and US intelligence officials said the CIA was behind the strike. All spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
"I confirm that Baitullah Mehsud and his wife died in the American missile attack in South Waziristan," Taliban commander Kafayat Ullah said by telephone.
Mehsud's demise would be a major boost to Pakistani and US efforts to eradicate the Taliban and al-Qaida. However, Mehsud has deputies who could take his place.
Pakistani intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said yesterday that Taliban commanders were already believed to be meeting to choose a replacement.
Three Pakistani intelligence officials said the likeliest successor was Mehsud's deputy, Hakim Ullah, a commander known for recruiting and training suicide bombers.
Two other prominent possibilities, the officials said, were Azmat Ullah and Waliur Rehman, also close associates of Mehsud.
Whether a new leader could wreak as much havoc as Mehsud depends largely on how much pressure the Pakistani military continues to put on the network, especially in the lawless tribal area of South Waziristan.
Mehsud has al-Qaida connections and has been suspected in the killing of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Pakistan viewed him as its top internal threat and had prepared an attack against him.
For years, the US considered Mehsud a lesser threat to its interests than some of the other Pakistani Taliban, their Afghan counterparts and al-Qaida, because most of his attacks were focused inside Pakistan, not against US and NATO troops in Afghanistan.
That view appeared to change in recent months as Mehsud's power grew and concerns mounted that increasing violence in Pakistan could destabilize the US ally and threaten the region.
Rehman Malik, the interior minister, said Pakistan's military was determined to finish off Pakistan's Taliban. "It is a targeted law enforcement action against Baitullah Mehsud's group and it will continue till it is eliminated forever," he said.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in Islamabad that intelligence showed Mehsud had been killed in Wednesday's missile strike on his father-in-law's house in Pakistan's lawless tribal area, but authorities would travel to the site to verify his death.
Pakistani and US intelligence officials said the CIA was behind the strike. All spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
"I confirm that Baitullah Mehsud and his wife died in the American missile attack in South Waziristan," Taliban commander Kafayat Ullah said by telephone.
Mehsud's demise would be a major boost to Pakistani and US efforts to eradicate the Taliban and al-Qaida. However, Mehsud has deputies who could take his place.
Pakistani intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said yesterday that Taliban commanders were already believed to be meeting to choose a replacement.
Three Pakistani intelligence officials said the likeliest successor was Mehsud's deputy, Hakim Ullah, a commander known for recruiting and training suicide bombers.
Two other prominent possibilities, the officials said, were Azmat Ullah and Waliur Rehman, also close associates of Mehsud.
Whether a new leader could wreak as much havoc as Mehsud depends largely on how much pressure the Pakistani military continues to put on the network, especially in the lawless tribal area of South Waziristan.
Mehsud has al-Qaida connections and has been suspected in the killing of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Pakistan viewed him as its top internal threat and had prepared an attack against him.
For years, the US considered Mehsud a lesser threat to its interests than some of the other Pakistani Taliban, their Afghan counterparts and al-Qaida, because most of his attacks were focused inside Pakistan, not against US and NATO troops in Afghanistan.
That view appeared to change in recent months as Mehsud's power grew and concerns mounted that increasing violence in Pakistan could destabilize the US ally and threaten the region.
Rehman Malik, the interior minister, said Pakistan's military was determined to finish off Pakistan's Taliban. "It is a targeted law enforcement action against Baitullah Mehsud's group and it will continue till it is eliminated forever," he said.
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