Okay, some conflicting reports here on the number of dead Taliban coming out of two separate U.S. predator drone attacks in South Waziristan, Pakistan today - the article here at The Long War Journal is reporting nine Taliban killed but I've other snippets that put the number at up to 15 killed. Both attacks were in the area of known Taliban leader, Mullah Nazir, who has been making the news lately - this guy's got a U.S. bullseye on his ass the size of Kentucky. It doesn't look like we got the mutherfucker but since we did get a bunch of his camel humping boys, this guy won't have a normal bowel movement for weeks. Here's the entire article:
US strikes target Mullah Nazir in South Waziristan
The US conducted two separate airstrikes in Mullah Nazir's territory in the Taliban-controlled tribal agency of South Waziristan. The strikes mark the second and third attacks in South Waziristan since Jun. 14 after a one-month hiatus in the Predator campaign.
Unmanned Predator strike aircraft hit a madrassa in the Shah Alam region of South Waziristan, and a training camp in the Raghzai region. Nine people have been reported killed in the two strikes. No senior al Qaeda or Taliban leaders have been reported killed or wounded at this time.
"Three missiles struck a training camp run by a local militant commander, Malang Wazir, in Raghzai," an intelligence official told Dawn News. Both the camp in Raghzai and the madrassa in the Shah Alam "have been completely destroyed," Geo News reported.
The regions where today's strikes took place are run by Mullah Nazir, one of the two top Taliban commanders in South Waziristan. Nazir is a former rival and now ally of Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud. On Oct. 31, 2008, the US targeted Nazir and Tahir Yuldashev, the leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, in a strike near Wana. Nazir was wounded in that attack. Yuldashev survived that attack, but is reported to have been wounded in a Pakistani Air Force airstrike in Baitullah's home town of Makeen just two days ago.
Today's Predator attacks are the second and third inside Pakistan since June 14. Prior to the June 14 Predator attack against Baitullah in Makeen, there had been a month-long lull since the US had last targeted Taliban or al Qaeda leaders or camps in Pakistan.
The US is set to exceed last year's total of 36 airstrikes in Pakistan. Today’s strikes put this year's total at 22.
South Waziristan is a major focus of the US air campaign against al Qaeda. Of the 22 strikes carried out in Pakistan this year, 14 of them took place in South Waziristan. Eight of this year's attacks took place in Nazir's territories; six took place in Baitullah's tribal areas.
Several senior al Qaeda leaders have been killed in strikes in Nazir's territories. This year, a Jan. 1 airstrike killed Osama al Kini, who is also known as Fahid Mohammed Ally Msalam, along with Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan. Al Kini was al Qaeda's external operations chief and Swedan was al Kini's senior aide. Both men were wanted for their involvement in the 1998 bombings at the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and have been implicated in other plots against the West and in Pakistan.
A July 28, 2008, strike killed Abu Khabab al Masri, a master bomb maker who was al Qaeda's chief for its weapons of mass destruction program, and his senior staff. Among those killed with Abu Khabab were: Abu Mohammad Ibrahim bin Abi al Faraj al Masri, a religious leader; Abdul Wahhab al Masri; and Abu Islam al Masri.
No senior al Qaeda or Taliban leaders have been reported killed since the Jan.1 strike that killed al Kini and Swedan.
Nazir is one of three senior Taliban leaders in new alliance against the West
Nazir is often portrayed as a "pro-government Taliban leader" as he does not advocate attacking the Pakistani military or government and has battled Uzbek terrorists in his tribal areas. But his recent actions and his support for al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban indicate that he indeed supports anti-state activities. And his battle with the Uzbeks was related to a tribal dispute and not due to opposition to the al Qaeda-linked group's activities.
In February of this year, Nazir joined forces with senior Taliban leaders Hafiz Gul Bahadar and Baitullah Mehsud to form the Council of United Mujahideen. The three leaders said they "united according to the wishes of Mujahideen leaders like Mullah Muhammad Omar and Sheikh Osama bin Laden."
The Council of United Mujahideen had pamphlets distributed throughout North and South Waziristan to announce its formation. The council threatened to strike at the US and other countries. The pamphlets also said the Taliban alliance “supported Mullah Muhammad Omar and Osama bin Laden’s struggle” against the administrations of US President Barack Obama, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
The new alliance further stated it was waging war “in an organized manner’” to “stop the infidels from carrying out acts of barbarism against innocent people” just as Omar and bin Laden were waging war against Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the US.
Nazir has close ties to al Qaeda and maintains safe houses and training camps for the terror group. He recently granted an interview to As Sahab, al Qaeda's propaganda arm, in which he blamed Pakistan for the Predator strikes and threatened to overrun the capital of Islamabad.
"All these attacks that have happened and are still happening are the work of Pakistan," Nazir said. "The day is not far when Islamabad will be in the hands of the mujahedeen." Nazir made it clear his forces were fighting alongside al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban. Last December, Nazir began threatening to attack Pakistani security forces if the strikes did not stop.
Strike occurs as South Waziristan operation is in the opening stages
Today's attack occurred as the Pakistani military is preparing to launch a new assault into South Waziristan. The military has been prepping the battlefield with air and artillery strikes, and has also closed off roads leading into Baitullah's tribal areas.
Baitullah is the primary target of the South Waziristan operation. The military has singled out Baitullah and has not mentioned Nazir, Bahadar, or the powerful Haqqani family in its briefings. The government is negotiating with Nazir and Bahadar in an attempt to keep them on the sidelines and honor peace agreements that were made within the past two years.
It is still unclear if Bahadar and Nazir will sit out the fight. Bahadar sent hundreds of fighters to battle the Army as it moved into the Jani Khel and Baka Khel tribal areas in the Bannu district, which borders North Waziristan. Bahadar is said to have claimed the Army violated the terms of the peace agreement.
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