Baitullah Mehsud

[Merlin]

This is the man to watch.

Terror plot: Baitullah Mehsud profile

Apr 10, 2009 [Telegraph] Baitullah Mehsud, leader of the Pakistan Taliban, is a "terrible man" according to President Obama's special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke.

Which is why the US state department last month offered a $5 million dollar reward for information leading to his capture.

The reward was a rite of passage for Mehsud, reflecting his rise from a small tribal leader in North Waziristan, close to the Afghan border, to the leader of all Taliban forces in Pakistan, and now allegedly the greatest individual threat to Pakistan's survival.

He emerged as a leader in 2004 when he launched a series of attacks against the Pakistan Army and gangsters who had been terrorising local tribesmen.

He was formally appointed 'Emir' of Waziristan by Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar, to whom he has pledged allegiance, and in 2005 pulled off a spectacular coup by forcing the Pakistan government to sign a peace deal. ...

The deal quickly collapsed, but it allowed al Qaeda's leadership to rebuild its global headquarters in tribal areas under Mehsud's control, and gave him space to extend his reign of terror.

He now has more than 20,000 fighters, and Osama bin Laden's son has trained as a commander under his wing. In December 2007, he was accused of assassinating Benazir Bhutto, which he has denied.

Since President Obama came to power, a number of his senior commanders have been killed in US drone attacks. He has threatened tto launch two suicide bomb attacks every week and strike inside the United States if they do not stop.

[Dreadnought]

This is the man to watch.

Terror plot: Baitullah Mehsud profile

He better get used to it becuase its not going to stop. And in his case I would be looking over my shoulder all the time.;)

[Mercenary]

He better get used to it becuase its not going to stop. And in his case I would be looking over my shoulder all the time.;)

you mean looking at the skies ?

The man is surrounded by a virtual fortress in Waziristan... If the more terrain-familiar Pak army surrendered to his forces..I don't see how NATO forces are going to make any difference..maybe a lucky shot by a drone-but I bet the man has taken the precautions

[n21]

you mean looking at the skies ?

The man is surrounded by a virtual fortress in Waziristan... If the more terrain-familiar Pak army surrendered to his forces..I don't see how NATO forces are going to make any difference..maybe a lucky shot by a drone-but I bet the man has taken the precautions

You are being unfair to PA.
They did not surrender!

They never fought in the first place to surrender. All they were doing was atillery and air strikes on empty houses. This was necessary as PA had to prove that "modern airpower and artillery" was required to defeat the "dangerous and all powerful" Ak-47 totting talibans

[Mercenary]

You are being unfair to PA.
They did not surrender!

They never fought in the first place to surrender. All they were doing was atillery and air strikes on empty houses. This was necessary as PA had to prove that "modern airpower and artillery" was required to defeat the "dangerous and all powerful" Ak-47 totting talibans

Weren't ground units involved ? - I remember reading about it. They kindof hit a stalemate as the taliban combatants were well dug-in and taking them out at leisure. The current Pak cantonemets adjacent to Balochistan and SWAT are marking just a physical presence as the soldiers do not venture out of the barracks for patrols.

[Dreadnought]

you mean looking at the skies ?

The man is surrounded by a virtual fortress in Waziristan... If the more terrain-familiar Pak army surrendered to his forces..I don't see how NATO forces are going to make any difference..maybe a lucky shot by a drone-but I bet the man has taken the precautions

Yep, but like anyone else sooner or later you forget. And when that happens it will be waiting. Predators dont eat or sleep they just lie in wait for that one chance and they are very quick to capitalize on the smallest mistake. IMO, his days are numbered, better start writing his epitaph.;)

[Kommunist]

Yep, but like anyone else sooner or later you forget. And when that happens it will be waiting. Predators dont eat or sleep they just lie in wait for that one chance and they are very quick to capitalize on the smallest mistake. IMO, his days are numbered, better start writing his epitaph.;)

Just like Osama, 8 yrs and counting

[antimony]

Yep, but like anyone else sooner or later you forget. And when that happens it will be waiting. Predators dont eat or sleep they just lie in wait for that one chance and they are very quick to capitalize on the smallest mistake. IMO, his days are numbered, better start writing his epitaph.;)

DN,

Maybe you are right and the drones will get him, maybe you are wrong and they won't, but I do not think that would really solve the problem. Given that their standard training consists of philosophy that says that you ascend to beheshth (paradise) if you take a dozen kafirs (infidels) with you, a dozen more might kump up and replaxce him.

A better long term solution is to discredit the whole philosophy of this movement, using islamic assets and weapons (for e.g., mullahs/ religious leaders decrying taliban philosophy) and material development of the region.

That does not mean we should let up targetting him, indeed it is more of an imperative if we want the long term plan to succeed, since he will poison efforts for development of the region. But I sure would like to see some long term plans laid out by the GOP, if it really is serious about resolving the issue.

[Dreadnought]

Just like Osama, 8 yrs and counting

Might I point you to a growing list of EX-terrorists that no longer inhabit the planet since he has taken office? There has been quite a few.;)

[Dreadnought]

DN,

Maybe you are right and the drones will get him, maybe you are wrong and they won't, but I do not think that would really solve the problem. Given that their standard training consists of philosophy that says that you ascend to beheshth (paradise) if you take a dozen kafirs (infidels) with you, a dozen more might kump up and replaxce him.

A better long term solution is to discredit the whole philosophy of this movement, using islamic assets and weapons (for e.g., mullahs/ religious leaders decrying taliban philosophy) and material development of the region.

That does not mean we should let up targetting him, indeed it is more of an imperative if we want the long term plan to succeed, since he will poison efforts for development of the region. But I sure would like to see some long term plans laid out by the GOP, if it really is serious about resolving the issue.

Yep, your right but we all look forward to a day where that fundamentalism is worked out by the true keepers of the faith. The muslim and other faiths. Until then they keep lining up and well keep knocking them down.

[Ironduke]

He was formally appointed 'Emir' of Waziristan by Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar, to whom he has pledged allegiance, and in 2005 pulled off a spectacular coup by forcing the Pakistan government to sign a peace deal. ...

Well, they concluded a peace deal with a rebel leader and ceded territorial control of this region to him, not once but twice, and tried to do so on yet another occasion. They even offered to pay him some $20 million along with their cession of sovereignty. I repeat my assertion that any military actions undertaken by the US in this region is not a violation of Pakistani sovereignty, simply because the territory in question is, de facto, no longer part of Pakistan.

[Bluesman]

This is the man to watch.

Well, I'm a-watchin'.

[Bluesman]

He better get used to it becuase its not going to stop. And in his case I would be looking over my shoulder all the time.;)

I'm trying as hard as I can to make certain he doesn't die of old age.

[Bluesman]

you mean looking at the skies ?

The man is surrounded by a virtual fortress in Waziristan... If the more terrain-familiar Pak army surrendered to his forces..I don't see how NATO forces are going to make any difference..maybe a lucky shot by a drone-but I bet the man has taken the precautions

Oh, he's taken precautions, alright. He's cagey...but we've gotten guys that thought they were even more clever.

I intend to give him his fondest wish to die a martyr before I leave my current post.

[Bluesman]

Yep, but like anyone else sooner or later you forget. And when that happens it will be waiting. Predators dont eat or sleep they just lie in wait for that one chance and they are very quick to capitalize on the smallest mistake. IMO, his days are numbered, better start writing his epitaph.;)

Everything you just wrote is correct, but it's not all about passively waiting for the opportunity to take a shot. There are active measures and aggressive courses of action, as well as guys like me that are working hard to MAKE an opportunity to kill this trash.

There are some on this Board that secretly (and some openly) that cheer this mad dog on. Well, know this: just because he's not dead YET does NOT mean progress has not been made towards making him so.

And that's all I've got to say 'bout DAT.