Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
San Diego Union-Tribune
September 2, 2008
'No mercy' vowed for extremists in tribal territories
By Saeed Shah, McClatchy Newspapers
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistan's top security official yesterday admitted that al-Qaeda's leadership moved freely in and out of the country and vowed that “no mercy” would be shown to extremists based in its tribal territory that borders Afghanistan.
Pakistan has been heavily criticized for rejecting evidence that al-Qaeda was largely based in the country and for denying that the tribal territory was used as a safe haven for Afghan insurgents.
Rehman Malik, the Interior Ministry chief, said al-Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri and his wife had been in Mohmand, part of the tribal area. Malik said al-Zawahri spent most of his time in Afghanistan's Kunar and Paktia provinces.
“We certainly had traced (al-Zawahri) at one place, but we missed the chance. So he's moving in Mohmand and, of course, sometimes in Kunar, mostly in Kunar and Paktia,” Malik said.
Malik, who was put in charge of the Interior Ministry after his Pakistan People's Party emerged as the largest group in a coalition government that formed after elections in February, gave no further details on al-Zawahri's movements. In the past, Islamabad has rebutted suggestions that al-Zawahri and al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden were hiding in Pakistan.
Pakistani authorities previously sought to draw a sharp distinction between homegrown militants and al-Qaeda, which is led by Arabs.
But Malik said al-Qaeda had morphed into Pakistan's Taliban movement, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban, which is a copy of the Afghanistan's Taliban guerrillas.
“There's no doubt in my mind that the Tehrik-e-Taliban and al-Qaeda are the same thing,” Malik said. “They have not only connections, I would say Tehrik-e-Taliban is an extension of al-Qaeda. The mouthpiece is now Tehrik-e-Taliban.”
Extremist groups in Pakistan launched a vicious campaign of suicide bombings last year aimed at both military and civilian targets. The attacks are thought to be directed by al-Qaeda.
Pakistan recently launched military offensives in two parts of the tribal territory, Khyber and Bajur, and in the neighboring area of Swat. Over the weekend, Malik announced a cease-fire in Bajur to mark Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims.
Yesterday, responding to criticism that this would give the extremists breathing space, Malik said the truce would last only a month and that security forces would crack down on any militant activity during that period. Officials said yesterday that Pakistani forces had killed about 560 Pakistani and foreign militants in the tribal area. About 20 members of Pakistani security forces died and 30 were missing, officials said.
September 2, 2008
'No mercy' vowed for extremists in tribal territories
By Saeed Shah, McClatchy Newspapers
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistan's top security official yesterday admitted that al-Qaeda's leadership moved freely in and out of the country and vowed that “no mercy” would be shown to extremists based in its tribal territory that borders Afghanistan.
Pakistan has been heavily criticized for rejecting evidence that al-Qaeda was largely based in the country and for denying that the tribal territory was used as a safe haven for Afghan insurgents.
Rehman Malik, the Interior Ministry chief, said al-Qaeda deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri and his wife had been in Mohmand, part of the tribal area. Malik said al-Zawahri spent most of his time in Afghanistan's Kunar and Paktia provinces.
“We certainly had traced (al-Zawahri) at one place, but we missed the chance. So he's moving in Mohmand and, of course, sometimes in Kunar, mostly in Kunar and Paktia,” Malik said.
Malik, who was put in charge of the Interior Ministry after his Pakistan People's Party emerged as the largest group in a coalition government that formed after elections in February, gave no further details on al-Zawahri's movements. In the past, Islamabad has rebutted suggestions that al-Zawahri and al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden were hiding in Pakistan.
Pakistani authorities previously sought to draw a sharp distinction between homegrown militants and al-Qaeda, which is led by Arabs.
But Malik said al-Qaeda had morphed into Pakistan's Taliban movement, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban, which is a copy of the Afghanistan's Taliban guerrillas.
“There's no doubt in my mind that the Tehrik-e-Taliban and al-Qaeda are the same thing,” Malik said. “They have not only connections, I would say Tehrik-e-Taliban is an extension of al-Qaeda. The mouthpiece is now Tehrik-e-Taliban.”
Extremist groups in Pakistan launched a vicious campaign of suicide bombings last year aimed at both military and civilian targets. The attacks are thought to be directed by al-Qaeda.
Pakistan recently launched military offensives in two parts of the tribal territory, Khyber and Bajur, and in the neighboring area of Swat. Over the weekend, Malik announced a cease-fire in Bajur to mark Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims.
Yesterday, responding to criticism that this would give the extremists breathing space, Malik said the truce would last only a month and that security forces would crack down on any militant activity during that period. Officials said yesterday that Pakistani forces had killed about 560 Pakistani and foreign militants in the tribal area. About 20 members of Pakistani security forces died and 30 were missing, officials said.