Militant splits span AfPak border – by Syed Saleem Shahzad: ISLAMABAD – The year 2009 was a second watershed in the Taliban-led struggle against foreign forces in Afghanistan as the resistance took the war, previously limited mainly to the south and western parts of the country, to north and

North Waziristan: the new terrorist epicentre?: The investigations into Faisal Shahzad’s attempted car bombing in New York have shifted focus to his links in Pakistan. While little evidence has so far emerged of his link to one or the other terrorist group, his own admission

Kamal Mehsud, the most famous singer of Waziristan: did the ISPR cheat him? — by Farhat Taj: Kamal Mehsud’s story is just one of the hundreds of stories of horror in Waziristan. The other stories are much more brutal and sinister in terms of the intelligence agencies’ collusion with the Taliban Kamal Mehsud was the most

Pakistan Army facing ‘friendly fire’ by the Taliban – by Farhat Taj: Dangerous abyss of perception The Pakistan Army is engaged in ‘friendly fire’ with the jihadi gangs in which the civilians, poor soldiers of the security forces, especially FC soldiers, policemen and foot soldiers of the Taliban are killed. This,

Khuda zameen se gaya nahin – A must watch: I know I am very late. Wanted to write this post for quite some time but was distracted by other urgent and non-urgent businesses. Yet, it is never too late. Here is my recommendation for a must watch TV

Waziristan operation: "Name the names"; and the "mullah military alliance": Two great articles on the situation in Waziristan. The first article by Farhat Taj requests the educated people of Waziristan to give a strong rebuttal to disinformed writers in the west and in Pakistan. The second article (in Urdu)

7 Months, 10 Days in Taliban’s Captivity: Story of David Rohde: Here is a five-part series “Held by the Taliban” offering a first-person account by David Rohde of his seven months as a captive of the Taliban in Pakistan. Mr. Rohde, a New York Times reporter, was kidnapped with two

General Kayani, Start military operation against militants in Waziristan and Southern Punjab. The nation is with you.: Aye watan kay sajeelay jawano…

Tahir Yuldashev: end of a regional terrorist: Yuldashev: end of a regional terrorist The death in South Waziristan of Qari Tahir Yuldashev by an American drone closes the career of a

Post-Baitullah Mehsud Pakistani Taliban – Analysis by Saleem Safi: Post-Baitullah TTP Wednesday, September 09, 2009 (The News)Saleem Safi It would be too optimistic to believe that the killing of Baitullah Mehsud has smashed the TTP network. It is a fact that the TTP has been weakened in the

Compared to what awaits the Pakistan Army in Waziristan, the Swat operation was a skirmish.: What lies in Waziristan Monday, August 31, 2009Zafar Hilaly Compared to what awaits the Pakistan Army in Waziristan, the Swat operation was a skirmish. There 30,000 Taliban wait to give battle. As fighters, they are matchless and have few

Two opposite perspectives on drone attacks and Baitullah Mehsud: Irfan Siddiqui (a pro-Taliban journalist) and Latif Chaudhry (a pro-democracy journalist) offer two opposite perspecitves on the US drone attacks on the Taliban/Al Qaeda hideouts. These two articles are followed by an analysis by Saleem Safi

Baitullah Mehsud killed. Our condolences to Imran Khan, Ijaz-ul-Haq and Mullah Munawar Hasan: Is the despised leader of the Deobandi-Wahhabi alliance in Pakistan, namely Taliban (or Sipah-e-Sahaba or Al-Qaeda), finally killed? Is the spiritual son of General Zia-ul-Haq killed? Our condolences to the supporters of Taliban, namely Ijaz-ul-Haq, Imran Khan, Qazi Hussain

A tribute to Shaheed Colonel Tahir Iqbal killed by Takfiri Deobandi terrorists in Waziristan – by Tanveer Qaiser Shahid: Sunday, 28 June 2009: In North Waziristan agency, three army officers among 16 soldiers were killed in an attack by the Taliban terrorists on the Wucha Bibi-bound convoy of security forces at Inzar Kas area. Officers who embraced shahadat

Wana: Taliban militants blow up radio station in Waziristan. A sign of increasing nervousness?: It seems that our friends in Waziristan, the ISI and their agent Baitullah Mehsud, are showing signs of nervousness because of the increasing USA/NATO pressure on the Taliban hideouts in Pakistan. Pakistan militants blow up radio station in NW

Can Mehsud be captured now? Rahimullah Yusufzai: By Rahimullah Yusufzai Baitullah Mehsud, a larger-than-life figure from the tribal region of South Waziristan, continues to draw attention on the world stage. Recently, Time magazine named him in its annual list of the 100 most influential persons in

A group photo of would-be suicide bombers: A group of supporters of Taliban’s commander Baitullah Mehsud – Reuters/File photo. One of the above will attack a police station in Lahore, killing 20 cops and 10 ordinary citizens. Another will attack the house

South Waziristan: US drones kill 26; most of them Uzbek Taliban / Al-Qaeda operatives..: S Waziristan: US drones attack toll reaches to 16 Updated at: 1140 PST, Saturday, February 14, 2009 WANA: The death toll of US missile attack in Ladha area of South Waizirstan has reached to 16. According to sources, US

‘Intense, focused and targeted’: The third phase of the military operations in Swat: ‘Intense, focused and targeted’Saturday, February 07, 2009by Rahimullah Yusufzai Unlike the earlier two phases of the military operations in Swat in 2007 and 2008, the latest one initiated in late January is being praised by the ANP-PPP government in

On the trail of Pakistan’s Taliban – The vast majority [of suicide bombers] came from just one tribe, the Mehsuds of central Waziristan, aged 16-20…: The authorities in Pakistan have often seemed in cahoots with home-grown terrorists. Not any more. Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark report from Islamabad and the border badlands as a new intelligence unit gets serious about tackling the bombers.

Robocop meets Baitullah Mehsud. success will be achieved in Afghanistan if that country is managed as a tribal & traditional state – By Khalid Aziz.: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 During the past week or so, militants have carried out serious attacks in Peshawar and nearby Jamrud in Khyber agency. It included the unfortunate murder of development worker Stephen Vance, the kidnapping of an Iranian