US Drone strikes in Pakistan are illegal under international law.

[TruthSeeker]

Pakistani Taliban chief survived US airstrike

By Bill Roggio, January 15, 2010 8:24 AM

The leader of the Pakistani Taliban who was targeted by the US in an airstrike in the tribal areas survived but may have been wounded.

US intelligence officials believe Hakeemullah Mehsud escaped the airstrike that killed 12 Taliban and foreign fighters. Two Arabs and several Uzbek fighters were among those reported killed.

Hakeemullah may have been wounded, according to reports in the Pakistani press. BBC Urdu reported that Hakeemullah was treated for a head wound.

"All indications are that Hakeemullah survived the airstrike," A US intelligence official told The Long War Journal. Officials would not comment on reports that Hakeemullah was wounded.

The Pakistani Taliban have denied their leader was killed or even wounded in the strike, but confirmed he was in the town when the strike took place.

"Hakeemullah is alive and safe," Tariq Azam, the spokesman for the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan told AFP. "I met with him last night, there was not even a scratch on him. He left the place (of the strike) 40 or 60 minutes beforehand."

Read more: Pakistani Taliban chief survived US airstrike - The Long War Journal

 

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US strikes kill 11 in North Waziristan

By Bill Roggio, LWJ, January 15, 2010 7:03 PM

The US has carried out two more airstrikes in the Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

Eleven terrorists were reported killed in the strikes, which were carried out by unmanned US Predators or Reapers. The first strike hit a known Taliban compound in the village of Zanini near Mir Ali. Twp Taliban fighters and three "foreigners" were killed in the attack.

"US drones fired four missiles at a militant compound and according to initial information at least five militants have been killed," a Pakistani security official told Dawn.

The second strike took place in the Mirkhwanai region, an area that borders South Waziristan. Six Taliban were reported killed.

The US has carried out three airstrikes inside Pakistan over the past two days. Yesterday's strike along the border of North and South Waziristan targeted Hakeemullah Mehsud, the leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan. US officials believe Hakeemullah survived the attack. Twelve terrorists, including two Arabs and several Uzbek fighters, were killed.

The Taliban denied reports from Pakistani intelligence officials who claimed Hakeemullah was killed. Taliban spokesman Tariq Azam claimed to have met Hakeemullah after the attack. A Taliban leader played a recording to a reporter that purportedly was made by Hakeemullah after the attack. The date of the tape could not be determined, however.

“Sometimes they (the government) launch a propaganda about my martyrdom through the media and sometimes they say that the operation has been completed in South Waziristan. This can never happen,” Hakeemullah said. "I am telling the nation that drone strikes are against Pakistan's sovereignty and the rulers will be responsible for any drastic step taken by the Taliban in retaliation."

The current pace of the strikes is unprecedented. Since the program began in 2004, the US has conducted 107 strikes in total. Last year, the US carried out 53 strikes. Since Dec. 31, 2009, the US has already carried out 9 strikes.

Read more: US strikes kill 11 in North Waziristan - The Long War Journal

 

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Wanted Palestinian reported killed in US airstrike in North Waziristan

By Bill Roggio, LWJ, January 15, 2010 10:10 PM

The US may have killed a wanted Palestinian terrorist during an airstrike in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan on Jan. 9.

Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, a member of the Abu Nidal Organization who was wanted by the US for his role in the 1986 hijacking of Pan Am flight 73 in Karachi, Pakistan, and subsequent murder of 22 hostages, is said to have been killed in the US airstrike in the village of Tappi in North Waziristan.

Rahim, who was released from prison in January 2008 after serving 22 years in a Pakistani prison, was reported to have been killed, Pakistani intelligence officials told The Associated Press.

US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal would not comment on reports of Rahim's death, nor would they disclose if he was the target of the strike.

The US government has offered $5 million rewards for information leading to the arrests of Rahim and of Wadoud Muhammad Hafiz al Turki, Muhammad Abdullah Khalil Hussain ar Rahayyal, and Muhammad Ahmed al Munawar, the three other members still at large of the Abu Nidal terror cell responsible for the Pan Am flight 73 hijacking and subsequent murder. Turki, Rahayyal, and Munawar were also released by Pakistan in January 2008; their whereabouts are unknown.

Zayd Safarini, the leader of the Flight 73 hijacking cell, was captured by the US in Malaysia on Sept. 28, 2001, shortly after his release from a Pakistani prison. In May of 2004, Safarini was convicted of murdering two US citizens and sentenced to 160 years in prison.

Safarini brutally executed Rajesh Kumar, a US citizen, by shooting him in the head in front of the passengers after Safarini's demands for a new flight crew were not met. The other 21 passengers were killed as Pakistani commandos prepared to board the plane. The terror cell opened fire on the passengers and lobbed hand grenades into the seats.

Read more: Wanted Palestinian reported killed in US airstrike in North Waziristan - The Long War Journal

 

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Latest US airstrike in Pakistan kills 20

By Bill Roggio, LWJ, January 17, 2010 9:02 AM

The US continues the hunt for Pakistani Taliban chieftain Hakeemullah Mehsud in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan. Unmanned US strike aircraft killed more than 20 Taliban and al Qaeda fighters in the latest strike in the region.

At least three unmanned aircraft, the Predators or Reapers flying from bases in Afghanistan and Pakistan, targeted Hakeemullah Mehsud in a compound in the Shaktoi region in North Waziristan, an area that borders South Waziristan.

"The target was a militant compound," a Pakistani intelligence official told AFP. "The toll has gone up and 20 militant deaths have been confirmed."

The compound was reportedly run by Usman Jan, the new leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Five Uzbeks are thought to be among those killed. Usman Jan replaced Tahir Yuldashev, who is thought to have been killed in a US airstrike in South Waziristan on Aug. 27, 2009.

Taliban fighters and commanders are known to have sought shelter in the Shaktoi region to avoid the ongoing Pakistani Army offensive in the Mehsud areas in South Waziristan. Hakeemullah is known to visit the region.

Hakeemullah, the leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, was the target of an airstrike in Shaktoi on Jan. 14. Pakistani officials claimed he was killed, but Hakeemullah released a recording to prove he survived.

"Today, on the 16th of January, I am saying it again -- I am alive, I am OK, I am not injured... when the drone strike took place, I was not present in the area at that time," Hakeemullah said in a recorded statement that was played for reporters.

Hakeemullah also said he holds the Pakistani government responsible for the US attacks. Pakistan officially denies supporting the strikes but privately provides intelligence and logistical support for the attacks.

“If the drone attacks continue, the TTP [Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan] will not be responsible for any dangerous steps in future -- the government of Pakistan will be responsible,” Hakeemullah threatened.

Hakeemullah has been responsible for the wave of suicide attacks and conventional assaults against civilian and military targets throughout Pakistan and in Pakistan-held Kashmir that began on Oct. 5, 2009. He took control of the Pakistani Taliban after Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a US strike in South Waziristan in August 2009.

The US has ramped up the attacks in Pakistan since the beginning of December after a lull in strikes in October and November of 2009, when only four airstrikes were launched. Today's strike is the ninth this year and the 10th in 18 days.

The pace of the strikes is unprecedented. The US carried out the most strikes in Pakistan in Oct. 2008; 10 attacks were carried out that month. The US is set to match that record with the next strike, and this month is only half over.

Read more: Latest US airstrike in Pakistan kills 20 - The Long War Journal

 

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US airstrike in North Waziristan kills 6

By Bill Roggio, LWJ, January 19, 2010 11:13 AM

Unmanned US strike aircraft killed six Islamist extremists in an attack on a compound in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

The strike took place in the Datta Khel region in North Waziristan, a region that hosts a headquarters for al Qaeda's Shadow Army.

"Two missiles fired by a US drone hit a compound which was being used by militants," a senior Pakistani security official told Dawn. "One missile hit a compound and the other hit a vehicle outside it. Six militants were killed."

At this time, no senior al Qaeda or Taliban commanders have been reported killed.

The Datta Khel region in North Waziristan is a known haven for al Qaeda and allied Central Asian jihadi groups. The US has conducted multiple strikes in the Datta Khel region since January 2008, which is administered by Hafiz Gul Bahadar and the Haqqani Network. The latest strike in Datta Khel, on Jan. 6, killed 17 terrorists, including two "foreigners," a term used for Arab al Qaeda members.

A strike on Dec. 17, 2009 targeted Sheikh Saeed al Saudi, Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law and a member of al Qaeda's Shura Majlis, or executive council. Al Saudi is thought to have survived the strike, but Abdullah Said al Libi, the commander of the Shadow Army or Lashkar al Zil, and Zuhaib al Zahibi, a general in the Shadow Army, were both killed in the attack.

Al Qaeda is known to have deposited its donations received from Europe into the Bayt al Mal, or Bank of Money, in Jani Khel, according to a report at the NEFA Foundation. The Bayt al Mal served as al Qaeda's treasury.

Read more: US airstrike in North Waziristan kills 6 - The Long War Journal

 

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Wanted Abu Sayyaf operative reported killed in North Waziristan

By Bill Roggio, LWJ, January 21, 2010 1:40 PM

A wanted member of the Philippines-based, al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group is thought to have been killed in a US airstrike in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan last week.

Abu Sayyaf operative and bomb-making expert Abdul Basit Usman is thought to have been killed in an airstrike on Jan. 14 in North Waziristan. Usman is believed to have died in the attack that targeted Taliban chieftain Hakeemullah Mehsud in the Pasalkot region in North Waziristan, an area close to the border with the neighboring tribal agency of South Waziristan.

Ten Taliban and foreign fighters were reported killed in the attack, which hit a madrassa, or religious school, used by Taliban fighters from South Waziristan who dodged the Pakistani Army operation in South Waziristan.

Usman is wanted by the United States for his involvement in multiple bombings in the Philippines and also has links to Jemaah Islamiyah, al Qaeda's regional affiliate in Southeast Asia.

"Because of his association with these US Government-designated international terrorist organizations, US authorities consider Basit to be a threat to US and Filipino citizens and interests," states the Rewards for Justice website. "He is believed to have orchestrated several bombings that have killed, injured, and maimed many innocent civilians."

The US has put a $1 million reward out for information leading to his capture and prosecution.

It is unclear when Usman entered Pakistan. As of May 2009, the US believed Usman was hiding on the Philippine island of Mindanao.

Usman's death in North Waziristan, if confirmed, would further reinforce the reports that Pakistan's tribal areas are a nexus for al Qaeda-linked groups across the globe.


Read more: Wanted Abu Sayyaf operative reported killed in North Waziristan - The Long War Journal

 

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Five killed in US drone strike in Pakistan: officials

(AFP) – 1 hour ago

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — At least five militants were killed in a US drone strike in Pakistan's tribal area near the Afghan border late Friday, officials said.

The attack targeted a militant compound in Muhammad Khel, a town in North Waziristan, a local government official said.

"Initial reports say at least five people were killed and there are fears the toll may go up," he said.

A security official, who also confirmed the toll, said the drone fired three missiles.

The compound was believed to be a centre for local Taliban and was also a base for insurgents belonging to the Haqqani network, which is active against foreign forces across the border in Afghanistan.

Officials also said the site was used by foreign fighters but the identity of the insurgents killed in the attack was not immediately known.

AFP: Five killed in US drone strike in Pakistan: officials

 

[TruthSeeker]

Predators pound terrorist camp in North Waziristan

By Bill Roggio, LWJ, February 2, 2010 12:09 PM

A swarm of unmanned US aircraft pounded an al Qaeda camp in the Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan today.

Five unmanned US strike aircraft, likely the Predators and Reapers, are reported to have fired 18 missiles at a camp and vehicles in the village of Datta Khel, a known al Qaeda and Taliban stronghold.

Seventeen terrorists are reported to have been killed in the missile attack. At this time, no senior al Qaeda or Taliban commanders have been reported killed.

Today's airstrike is also the 13th since Dec. 30, 2009, when a Jordanian al Qaeda operative and double agent carried out a suicide attack at Combat Outpost Chapman in Afghanistan's Khost province. The bomber killed seven CIA officials, including the station chief, and a Jordanian intelligence officer.

Read more: Predators pound terrorist camp in North Waziristan - The Long War Journal

 

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Suspected US drone strikes kill at least 29 in Pakistan

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:04:18 GMT

Islamabad - Multiple missile strikes carried out by suspected US pilotless drone aircraft killed at least 29 people in Pakistan's restive tribal region on Tuesday, a Pakistani intelligence official said. Several more people were injured in the air attacks that took place in at least four villages of the North Waziristan district, a known sanctuary of Taliban and al-Qaeda militants conducting cross- border raids on US-led NATO forces in Afghanistan.

"At least eight drones took part in the attack, and they have fired some 18 missiles at three training camps of Taliban, their two vehicles and some bunkers," said a local intelligence official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Taliban militants have fired at the US aircraft from some of these bunkers. One drone was shot down by the militants on January 24.

"According to the initial reports we have received from various areas, at least 29 people have been killed while around a dozen more are injured," said the official about Tuesday's attack, adding that the death toll might rise.

People are buried under the debris of the demolished house, but no one dares to carry out rescue work since the drones are still flying in the area, the official said over phone. "Almost all those killed are Taliban (fighters)."

Suspected US drone strikes kill at least 29 in Pakistan - Summary : Asia World

 

[TruthSeeker]

US strikes training camp in North Waziristan

By Bill Roggio, LWJ, February 14, 2010 12:40 PM

The US killed five terrorists in an attack in the Taliban-controlled tribal area of North Waziristan.

Unmanned US strike aircraft, likely the Predators and Reapers, fired two missiles at a Taliban training camp near Mir Ali, one of the two main towns in North Waziristan.

"Two missiles landed on a militant compound in Zor Babar Aidak village near Mir Ali town," a Pakistani security official told Dawn. "The US drone strike killed five people and wounded three others."

No senior al Qaeda, Taliban, or allied terror group commanders have been reported killed.

The town of Mir Ali is a known stronghold of al Qaeda leader Abu Kasha al Iraqi, an Iraqi national who is also known as Abu Akash. He has close links to the Taliban and the Haqqani Network. The Haqqani Network and Hafiz Gul Bahadar also have influence in the Mir Ali region.

Abu Kasha serves as the key link between al Qaeda's Shura Majlis, or executive council, and the Taliban. His responsibilities have expanded to assisting in facilitating al Qaeda's external operations against the West.

Today's strike is only the second this month. In January 2010, the US carried out 11 strikes, the greatest number of strikes in the tribal areas in any month since the program of targeting al Qaeda and Taliban leaders and camps in Pakistan began in June 2004.

Read more: US strikes training camp in North Waziristan - The Long War Journal

 

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US strike kills four in North Waziristan

By Bill Roggio, LWJ, February 15, 2010 7:09 AM

The US killed four terrorists during an airstrike in the Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

Unmanned US strike aircraft fired two missiles into a vehicle transporting "militants" out of the village of Tabi Ghundi Kala.

"It was a drone attack," an unnamed Pakistani intelligence official told AFP. "Two missiles were fired into the vehicle. Four militants were killed."

The region is under the control of Hafiz Gul Bahadar, the senior Taliban commander in North Waziristan. Bahadar shelters al Qaeda and is allied with the Haqqani Network. While he is not a member of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, the Taliban alliance headed by Hakeemullah Mehsud, he has allied with them in the past and is currently sheltering their leaders and fighters as the Pakistani military is operating in the Mehsud tribal regions.

Today's attack is the second in 24 hours. Yesterday unmanned US aircraft, the deadly Predators or Reapers, hit a training camp in the Mir Ali region in North Waziristan, killing five.

Read more: US strike kills four in North Waziristan - The Long War Journal

 

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Latest US airstrike kills 3 in North Waziristan

By Bill Roggio, LWJ, February 17, 2010 12:04 AM

The US carried out the third unmanned airstrike in four days in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.

A missile fired from an unmanned Predator or Reaper attack aircraft struck a Taliban compound in the village of Tapi near Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan.

Three "militants" were killed, Pakistani intelligence officials told Reuters. It is not yet known if senior Taliban or al Qaeda commanders were among those killed.

The region is under the control of Hafiz Gul Bahadar, the senior Taliban commander in North Waziristan. Bahadar shelters al Qaeda and is allied with the Haqqani Network. Although he is not a member of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, the Taliban alliance headed by Hakeemullah Mehsud, he has allied with them in the past and is currently sheltering their leaders and fighters as the Pakistani military is operating in the Mehsud tribal regions.

Today's attack is the fourth this month and the fifteenth this year. All 15 of the strikes have taken place in North Waziristan.

Read more: Latest US airstrike kills 3 in North Waziristan - The Long War Journal

 

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US airstrikes target Haqqani Network in North Waziristan

By Bill Roggio, LWJ, February 18, 2010 8:48 AM

The US carried out the fourth airstrike in five days against the Taliban and al Qaeda in Pakistan's lawless tribal agency of North Waziristan.

Unmanned US strike aircraft, the Predators or Reapers, struck a compound and a vehicle in the village of Danda Darpa Khel just outside of Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan. Three members of the dangerous Haqqani Network were among the four terrorists killed.

"The US drone fired two missiles; one hit a compound and another, a vehicle," a Pakistani intelligence official told AFP. "

"Three of the militants were Afghan militants attached with the Haqqani Network," another security official told AFP.

The target of the strike has not been identified and there is no word if any senior Taliban or al Qaeda operatives or leaders have been killed.

The region is under the control of the Haqqani Network, a Taliban group led by mujahedeen commander Jalaluddin Haqqani and his son Siraj. The Haqqanis are closely allied to al Qaeda and the Taliban, led by Mullah Omar. The Haqqanis are based on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistani border.

The Haqqani family runs the Manba Ulom madrassa in Danda Darpa Khel, a hub of activity for the terror group. The US has struck at targets in Danda Darpa Khel five times since Aug. 20, 2009, and seven times since September 2008.

Today's attack is the fifth this month and the sixteenth this year. All 16 of the strikes have taken place in North Waziristan.

Read more: US airstrikes target Haqqani Network in North Waziristan - The Long War Journal

 

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Missile Kills Militant Commander’s Brother in Pakistan

By PIR ZUBAIR SHAH
Published: February 19, 2010

Islamabad, Pakistan — A missile believed to have been fired Thursday from an American drone killed the younger brother of a top militant commander in the North Waziristan tribal area, according to several Pakistani security and intelligence officials, residents in Waziristan and a friend of the commander’s family.

The brother, Mohammad Haqqani, was killed along with three others when their white station wagon was hit by a missile in Dande Darpakhel village of North Waziristan bordering Afghanistan. Americans believe that the commander, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is closely affiliated with Al Qaeda and that his force is the most potent one working against international forces in eastern and central Afghanistan.

Dande Darpakhel, is about a mile north of Miranshah, the capital of North Waziristan, and is considered the main base of the Haqqani network since the war against the Soviet Union in the 1980s. It has been a repeated target in missile strikes, one of which was believed to have killed several members of the Haqqani clan last year.

According to a family friend of the Haqqanis, Mohammad, who was about 20, was on his way to see his brother, the commander, when the missile struck. The family friend in the village said Mohammad Haqqani was not an active member of the militant network and that his brother had wanted him to pursue religious studies away from the area so that he could lead a more normal life. Mohammad and Sirajuddin, the sons of a militant leader named Jalaluddin Haqqani, share an Afghan mother and have an Arab stepmother. Funeral prayers for Mohammad Haqqani were held in Miranshah Friday afternoon, said a resident of the city who was reached by phone.

Missile Strike Kills Militant Haqqani’s Brother - NYTimes.com

 

[TruthSeeker]

Senior al Qaeda military commander killed in Predator strike

By Bill Roggio, LWJ, February 20, 2010 12:13 PM

The US killed a key al Qaeda military leader based in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan during an airstrike on Feb. 17.

Sheikh Mansoor was killed in a Predator attack that targeted a Taliban compound in the village of Tapi near Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan. Two other "militants" were initially reported killed in the airstrike; it is not currently known if there were any other senior al Qaeda or Taliban operatives killed. Dawn News reported that the airstrike "left number of other important militants killed."

Both Geo News and Dawn reported that a funeral was held for Mansoor, and that Mohammed Haqqani, a mid-level Haqqani Network military commander and brother of the group's top military commander Siraj Haqqani, was killed by another drone strike while preparing to attend Mansoor's burial on Feb. 18.

US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal said they believe Sheikh Mansoor was killed in the attack on Feb. 17.

"We're pretty sure that Mohammed Haqqani was killed while going to Sheikh Mansoor's burial," an intelligence official said. "We were gunning for Siraj but got his little brother instead. It is still a good kill; the Haqqanis are dangerous and Mohammed was involved in the family business."

Sheikh Mansoor was a commander in al Qaeda's Lashkar al Zil, or the Shadow Army, US officials said. He was based in North Waziristan but carried out attacks against US and Afghan forces across the border in Afghanistan.

Mansoor's family has a pedigree in jihad. His father was Ahmed Said Al Khadr, an al Qaeda operative who was killed in October 2003. Khadr, who is also known as Abdul Rehman Khadr al Kanadi, was born in Cairo, Egypt, but was a Canadian national.

Mansoor's two other brothers, Omar and Abdurahman, have both spent time at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba after being detained while fighting US forces in Afghanistan in 2001. Omar, the youngest detainee (he is thought to have been 15 when he was captured), is still in custody. Abdurahman was released in 2003.

Read more: Senior al Qaeda military commander killed in Predator strike - The Long War Journal