U.S. Killed Terrorist on Wanted List, Pakistani Officials Say

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

U.S. Killed Terrorist on Wanted List, Pakistani Officials Say

By ZAHID HUSSAIN

A CIA-operated drone strike on a suspected militant hideout last weekend killed one of FBI's most-wanted terrorists who had been involved in 1986 hijacking of an U.S. airline, a senior Pakistani offical said.

Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, a Jordanian of Palestinian origin who had a bounty of $5 million on his head, was killed in the strike in North Waziristan on Sunday, along with another Jordanian who was identified as Mahmoud Zaydan, the official said.

Mr. Rahim was released from a Pakistani prison a few years ago after a conviction for his role in the Sept. 5, 1986, hijacking of Pan American World Airways Flight 73, in which the hijackers demanded 1,500 prisoners in Cyprus and Israel be released. Twenty people, including two Americans, were killed during the hijacking.

On Friday, at least 11 people were killed in two drone strikes in a border village in North Waziristan. The missiles slammed compounds believed to be militant sanctuaries.

The latest raid occurred near an area targeted by drones on Thursday that killed 12 people. Hakimullah Mehsud, the top leader of Pakistani Taliban Movement escaped in one of those attacks. A purported audiotape of Mr. Mehsud denying his death emerged Friday but contained no specific reference to the missile strike. Pakistani intelligence sources said Mr. Mehsud was spotted in the area, but might have fled just before the raid. The 29-year-old commander replaced Baitullah Mehsud, the supreme leader of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan who was killed in a U.S. missile strike at his house in South Waziristan last year.

The U.S. campaign escalated after the December 30 suicide attack by a Jordanian double agent on a U.S. military base in eastern Afghanistan. The attack, apparently organized by al Qaeda and facilitated by Pakistani Taliban, killed seven CIA operatives.

Pakistani leaders have publicly criticized the U.S. drone strikes as breach of their country's sovereignty, but security officials privately admit the attacks have been very effective in eliminating key al Qaeda and Taliban operatives.

North Waziristan is considered a stronghold of al Qaeda and various militant factions focused on battling the U.S. in Afghanistan. Pakistan has been resisting mounting U.S. pressure to wage an army offensive in the region. Mr. Mehsud and some top Taliban commanders are also believed to have taken sanctuary in the region after the military offensive in South Waziristan.

U.S. Killed Terrorist on Wanted List

 

[FreekiN]

Do the guys who operate the drones get paid the prize money? xD

 

[S-2]

"Do the guys who operate the drones get paid the prize money?"

That money needs to go to the dudes with the ballz to go into FATAville and positively I.D. the target and confirm the demise of said target.

That's the really hard work unless all done by ELINT. Some Pakistani official said a team of civilian informants would be heading into Sararogha district to see what could be rousted up on H. Mehsud.

Now my understanding is that there just aren't a whole lot of ocean for those types of fish to swim in and that, likely, they'd therefore stand out like sore thumbs to the talibunnies. If so, and they're able to pull off a solid confirmation of H. Mehsud's death, give them the cash if they can make it back to collect.

They'd have earned it.

Thanks.

 

[The Patriot]

Some or most of my Pakistani brothers would disagree with me on my views on these drones attacks in Pakistan's territory. I despised drone attacks at the beginning but now i fully support them. I didnt know how effective they could be. legality aside, nobody can deny the fact that drones have become a nightmare for Taliban and AQ and has taken out Pakistan's most wanted men, BM, Tahir Yaldeshov and many other dangerous AQ leaders. They are also very precise. Rarely innocents are killed. It takes out only terrorists, and if some women are children are killed sometime it is because of those terrorists who hide under the burqas of their women in homes.
IT also signifies that it has achieved what our own troops could not do ever since they put boots on FATA soil. Our security forces never captured or killed any top TTP or Al Qaeda leader there. In fact they have left the poor people of FATA at the mercy of the most barbaric, brutal, bloodthirsty scumbags the world has ever seen. Until now, the people of the area were under the oppressive and tyrannical rule of Taliban and still the situation is much the same in North Waziristan and some other small pockets in other agencies. How could our forces leave our people at the mercy of such brutal scoundrels is beyond my comprehension. I am not ready to believe that one million army and paramilitary could not deal with Taliban.
The people of Waziristan are ok with drones because its their only way of deliverance from the brutalities of Taliban and AQ. They also know that collateral damage is very low. On the other hand, they despise our jets' bombing and artillery fire which kills a lot of innocent people.
We should thank CIA for helping us in this war where our own forces are not 'able' to take on all the terrorists at one time.
One thing more, it seems that CIA has better ground intelligence than Pakistan in FATA. As Gen Kayani had said that SW was intelligence black hole, but CIA took out BM.
Keep up the good work.

 

[PAFAce]

A CIA-operated drone strike on a suspected militant hideout last weekend killed one of FBI's most-wanted terrorists who had been involved in 1986 hijacking of an U.S. airline, a senior Pakistani offical said.

Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, a Jordanian of Palestinian origin who had a bounty of $5 million on his head, was killed in the strike in North Waziristan on Sunday, along with another Jordanian who was identified as Mahmoud Zaydan, the official said.

Mr. Rahim was released from a Pakistani prison a few years ago after a conviction for his role in the Sept. 5, 1986, hijacking of Pan American World Airways Flight 73, in which the hijackers demanded 1,500 prisoners in Cyprus and Israel be released. Twenty people, including two Americans, were killed during the hijacking.

If he was convicted and served time, why wasn't he off the "Most Wanted" list? Legally speaking, he should have been a free citizen. I'm afraid it looks like this man was killed despite having served his time.

Also, one must ask the question, what happened to the 1,500 prisoners in Cyprus and Israel?

We should not confuse those who fight for their rights and the rights of others with terrorists. Killing twenty passengers is wrong, definitely, but there is nothing wrong with asking for the release of wrongfully arrested masses. "Terrorists" has become quite convenient term for most governments; it seems there are no more dissidents or freedom fighters remaining in the world, they are all labeled "terrorist". Once the term sticks, then bomb the hell out of them and nobody would raise a voice.

Now my understanding is that there just aren't a whole lot of ocean for those types of fish to swim in

Wouldn't you think that with all the history between the ISI and the Taliban, and because there are many Pashtun that are currently anti-Talib, that it would in fact be relatively easier for the fish to swim in the waters?

Maybe I misunderstood. Please explain.

 

[S-2]

"Maybe I misunderstood. Please explain."

Perhaps. Maybe I didn't do an adequate job expressing my thoughts.

I was referring to a comment I read from a Pakistani official who mentioned that they'd be sending in a team of civilian informants to clarify H. Mehsud's status.

My first thought reading that was that the comment made little sense as it provided fair warning for the taliban to be wary of newly arrived strangers in the Sararogha area.

"...a whole lot of ocean..."

I'm probably guilty of literalism here but I'd understood that SWA had been largely de-populated. If so, my impression was that the only civilians in SWA were the wives and children of the militants. All others had been moved to IDP shelters outside the area. If so, informants would have a doubly hard time blending into the local backdrop.

There'd be none of note.

As Sararogha is very close to NWA, perhaps there are a number of civilians in that area yet who weren't moved out by the military last summer-September or so and, instead, they've remained throughout the winter there.

Hope that makes sense...?

Thanks.

 

[SandsofTime]

If he was convicted and served time, why wasn't he off the "Most Wanted" list? Legally speaking, he should have been a free citizen. I'm afraid it looks like this man was killed despite having served his time.

He wasn't killed because of his hijacking role but because of his shady presence in this region, and for his culpable part in terrorist activities. Most likely he belongs to AQ as TTP is primarily Pashtun, making him far more dangerous.