Sep 22 2006
Waziristan Deal Nets 10 Afghan Terrorists
I have been predicting the most interesting front on the War on Terror is going on in the Northern Regions of Pakistan and its Waziristan Provence. Recently Pakistan worked out a peace accord with the Taliban and Tribal lords in this region. In return for a peaceful existence the region cannot house terrorists. Well it seems only a couple of days ago this accord was tested when US forces chased terrorists in Afghanistan towards the Pakistan border and into Pakistan’s Waziristan Provence:
Security forces have arrested 10 people from Lawara Mandi area near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the North Waziristan Agency, officials said. The action was taken after six US helicopter gunships intruded into the Pakistan airspace following clashes between the allied forces and Taliban across the border.
The intrusion by the US helicopters prompted the military and political authorities to proceed to the area along with tribal elders, including Fata parliamentarians.
The authorities, sources said, believed that Taliban guerrilla might sneak into Lawara Mandi after clashes with the US-led allied forces in Pipali area of Afghanistan close to the North Waziristan Agency.
After peace accord between the government and militants early this month it was the first action by the security forces in the restive region.
Under the agreement there would be no infiltration into Afghanistan for guerrilla activities from the tribal area.
The sources said that army and paramilitary forces in collaboration with the tribal elders, including MNA Maulvi Nek Zaman, besieged a cluster of houses in Lawara Mandi on Tuesday night and asked local residents to hand over suspects.
They said that tribal elders held negotiations with the people who voluntarily handed over 10 people, mostly Afghans, who were shifted to Miramshah jail for interrogation.
This is truly interesting news. The locals handed over the insurgents who were primarily Afghani and clearly running from the US forces. This kind of cross border coordination could mean a lot of progress in tamping down the unrest in Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as honing in on Bin Laden and Zawahiri.
Well, well, well!
I love reading both of you, but Bill Roggio has a slightly different read on these events.
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In an effort to show the Waziristan Accord is working, Pakistan announced “security forces have arrested 10 people from Lawara Mandi area near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the North Waziristan Agency.†The report goes on to explain the ten were “mostly Afghans†and the arrests were made in conjunction with tribal elders.
The timing of the arrests is suspect, and clearly timed to coincide with Musharraf’s visit with President Bush. He can now claim the Waziristan Accord is working. The claim that the ten were “mostly Afghans†reinforces Musharraf’s statements that the Taliban were largely an Afghan problem. And the Pakistanis can claim they are doing something about the porous border with Afghanistan.
But the fact is the Waziristan Accord has been broken by the Taliban numerous times since its inception on September 5th. The assassination and attacks against pro-government and anti-Taliban tribals are happening on a near daily basis. These are only the incidents reported to the press. An American intelligence source states there are more executions that are not being reported.
(Specific incidents are then detailed.)
The Fourth Rail: The Sham Waziristan Accord
Bin Laden died in Pakistan, French Paper Says
Sat Sep 23, 2006 8:54 AM BST
PARIS (Reuters) – A French regional newspaper quoted a French secret service report on Saturday as saying that Saudi Arabia is convinced that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden died of typhoid in Pakistan last month.
L’Est Republicain printed what it said was a copy of the report dated September 21 and said it was shown to President Jacques Chirac, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin and France’s interior and defence ministers on the same day.
“According to a usually reliable source, the Saudi services are now convinced that Osama bin Laden is dead,” the document said.
“The information gathered by the Saudis indicates that the head of al Qaeda was a victim while he was in Pakistan on August 23, 2006, of a very serious case of typhoid which led to a partial paralysis of his internal organs.”
The report, which was stamped with a “confidential defence” label and the initials of the French secret service, said Saudi Arabia first heard the information on September 4 and that it was waiting for more details before making an official announcement.
Officials contacted by Reuters in Chirac’s and Villepin’s offices had no immediate comment.
A senior official in Pakistan’s interior ministry said: “We have no information about Osama’s death.”
Saudi-born Bin Laden was based in Afghanistan until the Taliban government there was overthrown by U.S.-backed forces in late 2001. Since then, U.S. and Pakistani officials have regularly said they believe he is hiding somewhere on the rugged border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The last videotaped message released by bin Laden was in late 2004, but there have been several low quality audio tapes released this year.
(Additional reporting by Islamabad bureau)
Hey SBD! How are you doing?
Sorry I did not see your comment early. Interesting if true.
AJStrata
The locals handed over the insurgents + “mostly Afghansâ€
Maybe OBL is dead, the tribes of the Waziristan Provence may no longer be honor bound to provide sanctuary to Al Qaeda. With OBL death, the deal is off.
Of the ten who were handed over, who were the non-Afghans?