Marwat Khan Lodhi
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- Jun 23, 2010
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"It's a serious blow to the already shaky Taliban command and control, which is seriously faced with leadership crises," Rustam Shah Mohmand, former Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan and an expert on the tribal areas, told Central Asia Online.
"The TTP has problems not only in its central command, as it's running out of leaders, but also has rifts in Khyber, Bajaur, Mohmand and Orakzai agencies," he said.
"The death will have a brief effect on the TTP, but the state must come into action if they really want to affect their people," Dr. A.Z. Hilali, University of Peshawar political science department chairman, said. "Instead of waiting, one must go with the realistic approach to strike in the absence of any leader as in right now so they won't be able to get the gap filled with someone else."
"These al-Qaeda-linked militants have a structure and a strategy, personalities to affect their operations, but leaving them alone won't do any good. Celebrating their deaths is good, but timely action would do a lot in eliminating them once and for all," Hilali said.
The TTP is already having trouble with fund-raising and recruiting, and the loss of Rehman a calm and cool player when compared to TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud, who makes rash, violent decisions will make things worse, Shah said.
"Walis death will also affect the TTP central command as he was highly respected among the Mehsud fighters commanded by him," Shah added.
Change in TTP leadership
Rehman, a cousin of the slain TTP founder Baitullah Mehsud, was made the chief of Mehsud Taliban in 2009 after a power struggle with Hakimullah over who would succeed Baituallah.
Rehman, believed to be in late 40s, was a member of the Malikhel clan of the Mehsud tribe. He was believed to be an introvert and was media shy compared to Hakimullah, who loves to show off in front of cameras.
The TTP, meanwhile, reportedly chose Khan Said to replace Rehman. Said was Rehman's deputy and is thought to have been involved in the 2011 attack at Pakistan Naval Station Mehran and a Bannu jailbreak in 2012. Rehman is believed to have been involved in attacks on the Bannu jail, Peshawar Airport and other high-value targets because of his close affiliation to al-Qaeda and the Haqqani Network.
Rehman, as the al-Qaeda point man, commanded more than 25,000 Mehsud fighters and oversaw billions of rupees worth of Taliban resources.
He was believed to have been in close contact with the Haqqani Network founded by Jalaluddin Haqqani and with Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) fighters led by Uzbek Commander Tahir Yuldoshev, intelligence sources told Dawn.
Rehman's association with al-Qeada and the Haqqani Network have been a key factor in Mehsud faction attacks in Afghanistan, the sources said.
Pakistanis react to news
Pakistanis interviewed by Central Asia Online expressed hope that Rehman's death would be a severe blow to the militancy.
"We had not seen anything good from these militants only their atrocities, which we had seen through their media propaganda so it's good for Pakistan that the killers are no longer alive to haunt us," University of Peshawar student Ishfaq Khan said.
"I heard it through media that the TTP commander is dead," Razi Khan, another college student told Central Asia Online. "If it's so, it's a good sign for peace in the region, as we had also heard Wali-ur-Rehman was the key al-Qaeda link."
"It's a great achievement that he was killed," he added.
Wali-ur-Rehman's death weakens terror group links - Central Asia Online
"The TTP has problems not only in its central command, as it's running out of leaders, but also has rifts in Khyber, Bajaur, Mohmand and Orakzai agencies," he said.
"The death will have a brief effect on the TTP, but the state must come into action if they really want to affect their people," Dr. A.Z. Hilali, University of Peshawar political science department chairman, said. "Instead of waiting, one must go with the realistic approach to strike in the absence of any leader as in right now so they won't be able to get the gap filled with someone else."
"These al-Qaeda-linked militants have a structure and a strategy, personalities to affect their operations, but leaving them alone won't do any good. Celebrating their deaths is good, but timely action would do a lot in eliminating them once and for all," Hilali said.
The TTP is already having trouble with fund-raising and recruiting, and the loss of Rehman a calm and cool player when compared to TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud, who makes rash, violent decisions will make things worse, Shah said.
"Walis death will also affect the TTP central command as he was highly respected among the Mehsud fighters commanded by him," Shah added.
Change in TTP leadership
Rehman, a cousin of the slain TTP founder Baitullah Mehsud, was made the chief of Mehsud Taliban in 2009 after a power struggle with Hakimullah over who would succeed Baituallah.
Rehman, believed to be in late 40s, was a member of the Malikhel clan of the Mehsud tribe. He was believed to be an introvert and was media shy compared to Hakimullah, who loves to show off in front of cameras.
The TTP, meanwhile, reportedly chose Khan Said to replace Rehman. Said was Rehman's deputy and is thought to have been involved in the 2011 attack at Pakistan Naval Station Mehran and a Bannu jailbreak in 2012. Rehman is believed to have been involved in attacks on the Bannu jail, Peshawar Airport and other high-value targets because of his close affiliation to al-Qaeda and the Haqqani Network.
Rehman, as the al-Qaeda point man, commanded more than 25,000 Mehsud fighters and oversaw billions of rupees worth of Taliban resources.
He was believed to have been in close contact with the Haqqani Network founded by Jalaluddin Haqqani and with Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) fighters led by Uzbek Commander Tahir Yuldoshev, intelligence sources told Dawn.
Rehman's association with al-Qeada and the Haqqani Network have been a key factor in Mehsud faction attacks in Afghanistan, the sources said.
Pakistanis react to news
Pakistanis interviewed by Central Asia Online expressed hope that Rehman's death would be a severe blow to the militancy.
"We had not seen anything good from these militants only their atrocities, which we had seen through their media propaganda so it's good for Pakistan that the killers are no longer alive to haunt us," University of Peshawar student Ishfaq Khan said.
"I heard it through media that the TTP commander is dead," Razi Khan, another college student told Central Asia Online. "If it's so, it's a good sign for peace in the region, as we had also heard Wali-ur-Rehman was the key al-Qaeda link."
"It's a great achievement that he was killed," he added.
Wali-ur-Rehman's death weakens terror group links - Central Asia Online
