Wikipedia

Baitullah Mehsud

Baitullah Mehsud(Pashto/Urdu:بیت اللہ محسود;c. 1970– 5 August 2009)[1][2][3]was a Pakistani militant. He was one of the founders and a leader of thePakistani Taliban(TTP) inWaziristan.He formed the TTP from an alliance of about five militant groups in December 2007.[4][5][6]He is thought by U.S. military analysts to have commanded up to 5,000 fighters[4]and to have been behind numerous attacks in Pakistan[5]including theassassination of Benazir Bhuttowhich he and others have denied.

Baitullah Mehsud
بیت اللہ محسود
Shoulder height portrait of a man with a long black beard and black hair and head dress
Founder and 1st Emir of
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
In office
December 2007 – 5 August 2009
Preceded byPosition created
Succeeded byHakimullah Mehsud
Personal details
Bornc. 1970
Bannu District,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,Pakistan
Died5 August 2009(2009-08-05)(aged 38–39)
South Waziristan,Khyber Paktunkhwa,Pakistan
Cause of deathU.S. drone strike
Military service
AllegianceTehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
Years of service2000s–2009
RankEmirofTehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan
Battles/wars

Disagreement exists over the exact date of the militant's death. Pakistani security officials initially announced that Baitullah Mehsud and his wife were killed on 5 August 2009 in a U.S.Central Intelligence Agencydrone attackin the Zangar area of South Waziristan. Interior MinisterRehman Malikdelayed giving official confirmation and asked for patience and an announcement byInter Services Public Relations(ISPR) or other agencies. Kafayat Ullah, a TTP source, also announced the death of the militant in the strike,[7]as did his deputyFaqir Mohammed.[8]Later Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan commanderHakimullah Mehsuddenied previous TTP announcements and said Mehsud was in good health.[9]Major GeneralAthar Abbas,ISPR spokesman, andRobert Gibbsof theWhite Housesaid his death could not be confirmed,[10][11]U.S. National Security AdviserJames L. Jonesalso claimed that there was "pretty conclusive" evidence that proved Baitullah Mehsud had been killed and that he was 90% sure of it.[12]On 23 August 2009, Hakimullah Mehsud andWali-ur-Rehmantelephoned the BBC to say that Baitullah Mehsud had died on 23 August 2009 due to injuries sustained during the 5 August attack.[1]On 30 September 2009, the BBC received a video that showed the body of Mehsud.[13]

Syed Saleem Shahzad,writing in theAsia Times,described Baitullah Mehsud as a physically small man, withdiabetes.[14]

Background

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Early life

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Baitullah Mehsud was born in 1970 in the Landi Dhok village in theBannu DistrictofKhyber Pakhtunkhwaprovince of Pakistan, which lies some distance from theMehsudtribe's base in theSouth WaziristanAgency, his native village there being Dwatoi in theLadha Subdivision,his father having moved to Bannu for work. An ethnicPashtun,he hailed from the Broomi Khel side of the Shabi Khel sub-clan of the Mehsud tribe, and was one of five brothers.[15][16]

He avoided media attention and refused to be photographed in adherence with his religious beliefs. Even if it's generally said that he did not attend schooling or religiousmadrassa,[6]other sources say he did get early education in Bannu and also got further education inPunjab,while during his student days he was affiliated with the Jamiat Tulaba-e-Islam (JTI), the student wing ofMaulanaFazlur Rahman’s religious partyJamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F)(JUI-F).[17]

He emerged as a major tribal leader soon after the 2004 death ofNek Mohammad.[16]In a ceremony attended by five leading Taliban commanders, includingMullah Dadullah,Baitullah was appointedMullah Omar's governor of the Mehsud area.[18]

Leadership dispute

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After Nek Muhammad's death, Abdullah Mehsud and Baitullah Mehsud both vied for dominance of the Pakistani Taliban. When Abdullah died in a raid by Pakistani security forces and later his successor perished in a bomb explosion,Qari Zainand other members of Abdullah's faction suspected that Baitullah played a role in the attacks. The rivalry continued after Zainuddin obtained leadership of Abdullah's group.[19]

Relationship with Abdullah Mehsud

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Abdullah Mehsud,a Taliban leader who was among the first captives set free fromGuantanamo,has been described as Baitullah's brother.[20] Other sources have asserted that they were clansmen or merely associates.[21][22][23] Islam Onlinereports that Baitullah suspected that Abdullah was a double agent.[24]

2005 ceasefire agreement

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Mehsud entered into a ceasefire with Pakistani authorities on 8 February 2005.[25][26][27] During the meeting at Sara rogha, the Pakistani military agreed to withdraw its troops from areas under Baitullah's control. The removal did not include the paramilitaryFrontier Corps,consisting mostly of fellow Pashtuns. In exchange, Baitullah's followers would not attack government officials, impede development projects or allow foreign militants to operate within their territory.[15]Mehsud was offered US$20 million for his cooperation in the ceasefire. He declined the money and told Pakistani authorities that they should use the pay-out to "compensate families who had suffered during the military operation".[28]The ceasefire agreement ended in July 2005 when after accusing the government of reneging on the deal, Baitullah resumed attacks on security forces.[29]

2006–2007

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By 2006, Baitullah Mehsud's growing influence in South Waziristan led terrorism analysts to label him as "South Waziristan's UnofficialAmir".[16]

An official in Frontier Constabulary described his army:

Baitullah's lashkar (army) is very organised. He has divided it into various units and assigned particular tasks to each unit. One of the units been tasked to kill people who are pro-government and pro-US or who support the US occupation of Afghanistan. The last person to be killed was Malik Arsallah Khan, chief of the Khuniakhel Wazir tribe, who was killed on 22 February in Wana (in South Waziristan).[18]

In June 2006 Taliban-aligned Waziri tribes began negotiating another ceasefire with Pakistani forces.[30]

In a January 2007 interview with the BBC Urdu Service, Baitullah extolled the virtues of jihad against foreigners and advocated taking the fight to the U.S. and to Britain.[31]

After thesiege of Lal Masjidin July Baitullah turned his forces against the Pakistani state.[32]

In December 2007, Mehsud was declared the first leader of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.

2008 ceasefire

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In February 2008, Mehsud announced that he had agreed to another ceasefire with the government of Pakistan although the Pakistani military claimed that operations against Mehsud's forces continued.The New York Times,however, reported that anonymous high-level officials in the Pakistani government confirmed the deal.[29]In April Baitullah circulated a pamphlet that ordered his followers not to undertake any attacks inside Pakistan due to ongoing peace talks.[33]

In July 2008, Baitullah issued a statement that threatened to take action against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government if it did not step down within five days.[34]The NWFP parliamentary leaders promptly refused.[35]

Rumors of death in September 2008

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Various news media sources reported the death of Baitullah Mehsud on 30 September 2008 at the age of 34 due to kidney failure.[36][37]Many of his close associates, including his aide, his doctor and a Taliban spokesman, vehemently denied the rumors. According to the spokesman, Mehsud was "fit and well." Mehsud's doctor also said he had spoken with him after the rumors of his death.[38]The rumors proved to be false.

Second marriage

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Mehsud entered a second marriage in November 2008.[39][40] Mehsud's first wife bore his four daughters and he may have hoped his second wife, "the daughter of an influential cleric," Ikramuddin Mehsud, would bear him a son.[41][42]

Leadership dispute continues

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In February 2009, senior Taliban leaders Baitullah Mehsud,Hafiz Gul BahadurandMaulvi Nazirput aside their differences in an effort to refocus against a common enemy. Nazir had previously feuded with Baitullah for his sheltering ofUzbek militantswhom Nazir had fought to evict from South Waziristan.[19]As a result of the February agreement, Maulvi Nazir ended support forQari Zainuddin Mehsud,who theDaily Timesdescribed as the "self-appointed successor of... Abdullah Mehsud." Zainuddin's group then allied with a group led by another militant,Turkestan Bhittani,they in turn made an alliance with theMIof Pakistan Army, which provide them safe heavens in Tank, Dera Ismail Khan and Abbottabad regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This alliance proved to be a major blow to BaitUllah Mehsud and his allies, limiting their influence in the bordering regions of his strong base South Waziristan, that is, Tank and Dera Ismail Khan.Qari Zainuddin MehsudandTurkestan Bhittanigroups were involved in many illegal activities in those regions, such as kidnappings, extortion and killings.[19][43]

On 27 March 2009, Pakistan'sDaily Timesreported that Baitullah Mehsud's group was engaged in a dispute with Qari Zainuddin's group for control of South Waziristan.[43]Both groups had distributed pamphlets leveling accusations against the other groups' leader. Qari Zainuddin stated that Baitullah's group was not practicing jihad because Islam forbids suicide attacks. Baitullah's pamphlet claimed that the slain Abdullah had been a government puppet and Qari Zainuddin was a traitor to Islam and to the Mehsud tribe.[43]

The rivalry culminated on 23 June 2009, when a gunman shot and killed Zainuddin in Dera Ismail Khan. The gunman had served as one of his bodyguards and after the incident was suspected to be Baitullah's agent.[44][45]

Bounties

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On 28 June 2009 the Pakistani government announced a reward ofRs.50,000,000 for information that leads to the capture, dead or alive, of Baitullah. The bounty coincided with a previous offer from the United States, which offered $5,000,000.[46]

Death in August 2009

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On the night of 5 August 2009, while he was staying with his second wife at his father-in-law's house in Zangara, a U.S. drone attacked the premises. According to former CIA directorLeon Panetta,he was observed on the roof of the house and identified by the distinctive hat he wore.[47]According toThe Times,it may have been his desire to father a son that ultimately led to his demise.[42]

Two of his followers, Maulana Meraj and Hakimullah Mehsud, denied the report the following day, dismissing it as "rumors" intended to negatively impact the Taliban's spread of jihad. They suggested that Baitullah had gone into hiding and isolation as a part of a strategy. Hakimullah added that meetings of Taliban officials in Dir and surroundings are proceeding as usual "to make worth of their abilities and to discuss other plans which he called 'war game plans'." These reports were followed by several telephone conversations betweenAPreporters withQari Hussain,Maulvi Omarand Hakimullah Mehsud to deny Baitullah's death[12][48]and to claim he had been ill, perhaps gravely, for several months or had been "busy on the battlefield."[49]Hakimullah indicated that soon a videotape would be released as a proof of his statements.[50][51]

After his capture on 18 August, Maulvi Omar retracted his previous statements and confirmed that Baitullah had indeed perished in the missile strike.[52]On 20 August, U.S. PresidentBarack Obamastated "We took out [Baitullah] Mehsud" in a radio address.[53]On 25 August, both Hakimullah Mehsud and Wali-ur-Rehman confirmed to BBC and AP correspondents that Baitullah had perished on 23 August from injuries sustained in the missile strike.[1][54]

The attack is part of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) campaign using unmanned aerial vehicles in the region by the agency'sSpecial Activities Division.[55][56]U.S. missile strikes targeting Mehsud territory in South Waziristan became more common after June 2009 when Pakistan, while having been publicly critical of the missile strikes, declared a military offensive against Mehsud.[41][57]

Notable incidents attributed to Baitullah Mehsud

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A September 2007 report from theUnited Nationsattributed almost 80% of suicide bombings in Afghanistan to Baitullah.[58]Pakistani officials traced an estimated 90% of suicide and militant attacks within Pakistan throughout the 2007–2009 period to his South Waziristan stronghold.[32]

September 2007 Rawalpindi bombings

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Preliminary investigations concerning theSeptember 2007 bombings in Rawalpindinote that Mehsud is the primary suspect behind the attacks.[59] An 18 December 2005 report stated that Baitullah Mehsud, Abdullah Mehsud andYaldeshevwere the subject of a man-hunt.[60] Authorities said they believed that the militants were short of ammunition and would be captured soon.

Benazir Bhutto assassination

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Main article:Assassination of Benazir Bhutto

On 28 December 2007 the Pakistan government claimed that it had strong evidence regarding Baitullah Mehsud as the man behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on 27 December 2007.[61] The Pakistani government released a transcript it asserted was from a conversation between Baitullah Mehsud andMaulvi Sahib(literally "Mr. Cleric" ).[62][63][64] According to the transcript Maulvi Sahib claimed credit for the attack, Baitullah Mehsud asked who carried it out, and was told, "There were Saeed, the second wasBadarwala BilalandIkramullahwas also there. "

The translation released fromAgence France Pressediffered slightly from the translation from the Associated Press.[62][63][64] According to the transcripts Baitullah Mehsud says he is at, "Anwar Shah's house ", inMakeenor Makin. The Agence France Presse transcript identifies Makeen as a town in South Waziristan.

Subsequently, both Agence France Presse andNDTVreleased an official denial by Mehsud's spokesman in which he said that Mehsud had no involvement in the attack, that the transcript was "a drama", that it would have been "impossible" for militants to penetrate the security cordon around Bhutto, and that her death was a "tragedy" which had left Mehsud "shocked".[65]Mehsud's spokesman was quoted as saying: "I strongly deny it. Tribal people have their own customs. We don't strike women."[66]

In an address to the nation on 2 January 2008, Pakistani PresidentPervez Musharrafsaid that he believedMaulana Fazlullahand Baitullah Mehsud were prime suspects in the assassination of Bhutto.

On 18 January 2008,The Washington Postreported that the CIA has concluded that Mehsud was behind the Bhutto assassination. "Offering the most definitive public assessment by a U.S. intelligence official,Michael V. Haydensaid Bhutto was killed by fighters allied with Mehsud, a tribal leader in northwestern Pakistan, with support from al-Qaeda's terrorist network. "[67]U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bushthen placed Mr. Mehsud on "a classified list of militant leaders whom the C.I.A. and American commandos were authorized to capture or kill."[68]

March 2009 Lahore police academy attack

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In telephone interviews with news media Mehsud claimed responsibility for 30 March 2009attack on the police training academyinLahore.[69][70]He told theBBCthat the attack was in retaliation for continuedmissile strikesfrom Americandronesfor which the Pakistani government shared responsibility. In the same interview Mehsud claimed two other attacks: a 25 March attack on anIslamabadpolice station and a 30 March suicide attack on a military convoy nearBannu.[69]

April 2009 Binghamton shooting claim

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Although the FBI later completely refuted that he had any involvement in the incident, Mehsud claimed responsibility for theshooting in Binghamton,New York, on Friday 13 April 2009. 13 people were killed in the shooting, after which the attacker committed suicide. In a telephone interview, Mehsud reportedly said: "I accept responsibility. They were my men. I gave them orders in reaction to US drone attacks." Mehsud made this claim despite the fact that the gunman in the shooting was alone and ofVietnamesenationality and had stated other motives in hislast letter.[71][72]

References

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Military offices
Preceded by Leader of Pakistani Taliban
2004–2009 		Succeeded by
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