Home
News
In Focus
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more 禄Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
City-born architect lists inspiration behind his designs in a new book
Digitization helps preserve, disseminate intangible cultural heritage
Sunday
- Subscribe
Taliban leader reported killed by missile now believed alive
Source: Agencies |
April 30, 2010, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE head of the Pakistani Taliban is now believed to have survived a US missile strike earlier this year, intelligence officials said yesterday, reversing earlier claims he had died and handing the militants something of a propaganda victory.
US security officials had also said they believed Hakimullah Mehsud was killed in the January attack in an area between the North and South Waziristan tribal regions close to the Afghanistan border. They were not immediately available for comment.
The Taliban themselves had always claimed Mehsud was alive, but said they were not going to offer any evidence such as a video recording because doing so could help security forces hunt him down. Until or unless they do, questions are likely to remain over his fate, given the patchy nature of intelligence from the tribal regions.
Four intelligence officials said Pakistan's main spy agency now believed Mehsud was alive and well. They cited electronic surveillance and reports from sources in the field, including from inside the Taliban.
One official said Mehsud was believed to have been wounded in the attack and had been seen alive after the attack.
All spoke on condition of anonymity because they work for the spy agencies, which do not allow operatives to be named in the media.
One senior official said Mehsud was no longer the major force in the movement, which has carried out scores of attacks in Pakistan in recent years and is allied to al-Qaida and militants in Afghanistan fighting US and NATO troops. He said other Taliban commanders, such as Waliur Rehman, were now overshadowing him.
None of the intelligence officials explained how earlier statements that he had died were wrong.
On February 10, Pakistan's chief civilian security official, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, confirmed reports that Hakimullah was dead.
On February 3, a senior US intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters, said that the best collective information of US intelligence agencies was that the militant was dead. The official would not say what evidence the US had gathered.
The United States has greatly expanded its covert missile strike program in northwest Pakistan over the last 20 months. This year alone it has carried out more than 30 such attacks. US officials do not talk about the program on the record.
US security officials had also said they believed Hakimullah Mehsud was killed in the January attack in an area between the North and South Waziristan tribal regions close to the Afghanistan border. They were not immediately available for comment.
The Taliban themselves had always claimed Mehsud was alive, but said they were not going to offer any evidence such as a video recording because doing so could help security forces hunt him down. Until or unless they do, questions are likely to remain over his fate, given the patchy nature of intelligence from the tribal regions.
Four intelligence officials said Pakistan's main spy agency now believed Mehsud was alive and well. They cited electronic surveillance and reports from sources in the field, including from inside the Taliban.
One official said Mehsud was believed to have been wounded in the attack and had been seen alive after the attack.
All spoke on condition of anonymity because they work for the spy agencies, which do not allow operatives to be named in the media.
One senior official said Mehsud was no longer the major force in the movement, which has carried out scores of attacks in Pakistan in recent years and is allied to al-Qaida and militants in Afghanistan fighting US and NATO troops. He said other Taliban commanders, such as Waliur Rehman, were now overshadowing him.
None of the intelligence officials explained how earlier statements that he had died were wrong.
On February 10, Pakistan's chief civilian security official, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, confirmed reports that Hakimullah was dead.
On February 3, a senior US intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security matters, said that the best collective information of US intelligence agencies was that the militant was dead. The official would not say what evidence the US had gathered.
The United States has greatly expanded its covert missile strike program in northwest Pakistan over the last 20 months. This year alone it has carried out more than 30 such attacks. US officials do not talk about the program on the record.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
