Search Results for *baitullah mehsud*
October 9, 2009
Do or Die?
Preparations are afoot for launching a full-scale military action against the Taliban militants in South Waziristan, but the timeline for undertaking the mission is not known. It could happen in the coming weeks, as a delay would then push the…
September 12, 2009
Another Blow to the Pakistani Taliban
The Pakistani army has dealt another blow to the Taliban. The arrest of Muslim Khan, the chief spokesman for the militants, along with four other commanders, is a major breakthrough in Pakistan’s battle against Al-Qaeda-backed militants. Muslim Khan is more…
September 10, 2009
The Cult of Personality
Baitullah Mehsud achieved incredible success for a man described as a madrassa dropout. In fact, he seemed to have little going for him. He had neither proper formal education nor family wealth. He didn’t stem from a long line of…
September 10, 2009
The New Face of Terror
Hakimullah Mehsud had positioned himself well to take over the leadership of the TTP by prevailing upon Baitullah Mehsud to keep him posted as the commander of three important tribal agencies — Orakzai, Kurram and Khyber. When he was reportedly…
September 10, 2009
Second in Command
Maulana Waliur Rahman couldn’t become the amir, or head, of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) following the death of Baitullah Mehsud, but he did manage to grab arguably the most powerful job in the banned organisation. As the amir of the…
September 10, 2009
Staging a Comeback?
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates struck twice against the personnel of the law-enforcement agencies with suicide bombings on August 29 and 30 in different parts of the NWFP, killing 38 Khassadars and policemen, to send a warning that…
September 10, 2009
Who’s Afraid of Blackwater?
Pick a name that sounds like a parody of those terrorist organisations in James Bond movies bent on world-domination, and chances are that you will constantly be dogged by controversy. The charge-sheet against the military company Blackwater, founded by Erik…
September 9, 2009
Terror’s Training Ground
A few years ago, I met some young boys from my village near Bahawalpur who were preparing to go on jihad. They smirked politely when I asked them to close their eyes and imagine their future. “We can tell you…
August 8, 2009
From Suicide to Safety
Wearing smudged clothes and broken sandals, the boys looked haggard. Some of them fidgeted nervously with their soiled white skullcaps as they spoke about their ordeal at the Taliban camps where they were being trained to become suicide bombers. “It…
July 6, 2009
A Formidable Enemy
The two-month old military campaign against the militants in the NWFP has now expanded to newer and more dangerous places, such as South Waziristan. This has created a real risk that neighbouring North Waziristan could become the new battlefield, and…