ajpirzada
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By Aamir Latif, IOL Correspondent
ISLAMABAD Expecting to wrap up its military offensive in Swat within days, the government is already preparing for a second front in Waziristan by building an alliance with two of its powerful commanders against top Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.
"Talks are underway with Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Mullah Nazir to single out Baitullah Mehsud," a senior intelligence official told IslamOnline.net on condition of anonymity.
"I wont say that talks have turned out to be successful, but I can say with full conviction that there is a considerable progress in this connection."
Defense Secretary Syed Athar Ali told a security forum in Singapore Sunday, May 31, that a month-long offensive in Swat could end within days after troops secured the valley's main town of Mingora.
"Operations in Swat, Buner and adjoining areas have almost met complete success," he said.
"Only five to ten percent of the job is remaining and hopefully within the next two to three days these pockets of resistance will be cleared."
The army is almost certain to move its battle against local Taliban to the Waziristan region on near the Afghan border.
The military said it killed 15 militants and lost three soldiers in an attack on a security checkpoint in South Waziristan late Saturday, May 30.
Ten militants and four troops were killed in another attack on a military convoy in the semi-autonomous tribal area, which the US describes as a haven for Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants.
"He (Mehsud) is in war with us now," says the intelligence official.
Mehsud group has already claimed responsibility for two deadly attacks on a local headquarters of countrys powerful Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in Lahore and on a market in Peshawar last week.
Powerful Allies
As the army strengthens its positions around restive Waziristan, Islamabad is trying to court the two influential militant commanders who have lately been at odds with Mehsud.
The aim is to form an alliance against Mehsud and his Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella of various Taliban groups in the northern tribal belt.
"The support of the two commanders will be crucial vis-à-vis success of the imminent military action in South Waziristan," says the intelligence official.
"If Bahadur agrees to help us, that would be great, but even if he stays neutral there will be no front in North Waziristan. And we would be able to pay attention to South Waziristan."
Bahadur is a powerful commander of North Waziristan. He snatched the control of a large number of militants based in the region after differences with Baitullah Mehsud.
Nazir commands a force of 2000 well-trained militants of the Ahmedzai Wazir tribe, which has had old rivalries with the Mehsud tribe.
Nazir is known as the leader of Punjabi Taliban and is based in Wana, the capital of South Waziristan.
Both Bahadur and Nazir are the most influential TTP commanders after Mehsud.
The three had joined the Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahiddin coalition few months ago.
"The prime agenda of the alliance was to accelerate attacks on NATO troops," says the intelligence official, adding that it did not succeed because Mehsud remained determined to mount attacks inside Pakistan.
"There are no more good ties between Mehsud and the two commanders."
Islamabad has already hatched a strategy to press Mehsud within South Waziristan from two sides with the help of Nazir and Bahadur.
Intelligence agencies have reportedly wooed a small group led by Zaiunddin Mehsud, one of the lieutenants of Baitullah Mehsud who commands a group of 600 militants and who has also had differences with Mehsud lately.
Mehsud is Pakistan's most wanted man and is blamed for the 2007 assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto.
Once described by Newsweek as more dangerous than Osama Bin Laden, Mehsud was listed by Time magazine in 2008 as one of the world's 100 most influential people.
Pakistan's Divide-and-Rule Waziristan Plan - IslamOnline.net - News
ISLAMABAD Expecting to wrap up its military offensive in Swat within days, the government is already preparing for a second front in Waziristan by building an alliance with two of its powerful commanders against top Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud.
"Talks are underway with Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Mullah Nazir to single out Baitullah Mehsud," a senior intelligence official told IslamOnline.net on condition of anonymity.
"I wont say that talks have turned out to be successful, but I can say with full conviction that there is a considerable progress in this connection."
Defense Secretary Syed Athar Ali told a security forum in Singapore Sunday, May 31, that a month-long offensive in Swat could end within days after troops secured the valley's main town of Mingora.
"Operations in Swat, Buner and adjoining areas have almost met complete success," he said.
"Only five to ten percent of the job is remaining and hopefully within the next two to three days these pockets of resistance will be cleared."
The army is almost certain to move its battle against local Taliban to the Waziristan region on near the Afghan border.
The military said it killed 15 militants and lost three soldiers in an attack on a security checkpoint in South Waziristan late Saturday, May 30.
Ten militants and four troops were killed in another attack on a military convoy in the semi-autonomous tribal area, which the US describes as a haven for Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants.
"He (Mehsud) is in war with us now," says the intelligence official.
Mehsud group has already claimed responsibility for two deadly attacks on a local headquarters of countrys powerful Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in Lahore and on a market in Peshawar last week.
Powerful Allies
As the army strengthens its positions around restive Waziristan, Islamabad is trying to court the two influential militant commanders who have lately been at odds with Mehsud.
The aim is to form an alliance against Mehsud and his Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella of various Taliban groups in the northern tribal belt.
"The support of the two commanders will be crucial vis-à-vis success of the imminent military action in South Waziristan," says the intelligence official.
"If Bahadur agrees to help us, that would be great, but even if he stays neutral there will be no front in North Waziristan. And we would be able to pay attention to South Waziristan."
Bahadur is a powerful commander of North Waziristan. He snatched the control of a large number of militants based in the region after differences with Baitullah Mehsud.
Nazir commands a force of 2000 well-trained militants of the Ahmedzai Wazir tribe, which has had old rivalries with the Mehsud tribe.
Nazir is known as the leader of Punjabi Taliban and is based in Wana, the capital of South Waziristan.
Both Bahadur and Nazir are the most influential TTP commanders after Mehsud.
The three had joined the Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahiddin coalition few months ago.
"The prime agenda of the alliance was to accelerate attacks on NATO troops," says the intelligence official, adding that it did not succeed because Mehsud remained determined to mount attacks inside Pakistan.
"There are no more good ties between Mehsud and the two commanders."
Islamabad has already hatched a strategy to press Mehsud within South Waziristan from two sides with the help of Nazir and Bahadur.
Intelligence agencies have reportedly wooed a small group led by Zaiunddin Mehsud, one of the lieutenants of Baitullah Mehsud who commands a group of 600 militants and who has also had differences with Mehsud lately.
Mehsud is Pakistan's most wanted man and is blamed for the 2007 assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto.
Once described by Newsweek as more dangerous than Osama Bin Laden, Mehsud was listed by Time magazine in 2008 as one of the world's 100 most influential people.
Pakistan's Divide-and-Rule Waziristan Plan - IslamOnline.net - News