Waziristan--Pakistan to attack heart of al Qaeda Taliban sanctuaries

Stephen Brown:

...

“The final battle will be fought in South Waziristan,” said Asad Munir, a former head of militia intelligence for the tribal areas.

Divided into a north and south parts for administrative purposes, Waziristan, a tribal agency on Pakistan’s western border with Afghanistan, is that country’s most pro-Taliban area and the heart of the insurgency threatening its existence. This mountainous, tribal-ruled area, where the government’s writ does not extend, also serves as a base area for the Islamist forces fighting American and NATO troops across the border in Afghanistan.

But Waziristan’s importance in the radical Islamists’ scheme of things extends far beyond the local and regional. This largely inacessible piece of geography, which constitutes 4,500 square miles and has a population of about 800,000, also poses a deadly threat to the West and the rest of the world.

Long known as a center of Islamic terrorism, it is home to al Qaeda, and, reportedly, of bin Laden himself. It is here the terrorist organization hatches and directs its deadly plots, and receives and trains international jihadists from around the world, including some from the United States.

Even more menacing, Waziristan is also the headquarters of al Qaeda’s planned worldwide jihad. From this rugged, isolated area, it eventually intends to launch a military campaign that will see its army and extremist brand of Islam sweep westwards to the Atlantic Ocean and eastwards to Indonesia and the Philipines.

But of most concern to Pakistanis, Waziristan is the heartland of the Pakistani Taliban and the center of the violent efforts to destabilize their country. It is here that Baitullah Mehsud, head of the Pakistani Taliban, orchestrated the murder of Benazir Bhutto and where most suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism and Islamic militancy plaguing Pakistan originate.

To indicate the Pakistani government’s seriousness about defeating the Taliban and its al Qaeda allies, for the first time in Pakistan’s history it has placed more troops on Pakistan’s western border than on its eastern front facing arch-enemy India. This is also the result of a deal brokered by President Obama, in which India pledged not to increase its border troop strength as Pakistan transferred thousands of its soldiers from east to west.

In a preliminary move to the upcoming offensive, according to one military publication, a whole army division is currently taking up positions to occupy the roads in Waziristan. This will deny the Taliban and its al Qaeda allies, who possess many cars and SUVs, the means to mass their fighters. The Islamists will thus be forced to use the back mountain trails, a much more time consuming process.

...

The al Qaeda fighters also appear to be numerous and are receiving foreign reinforcements to help defend their Waziristan stronghold. The Los Angeles Times reported that four disillusioned European al Qaeda recruits, who returned recently from Waziristan, said they had trained with an Arab group numbering 300 to 500.

An Asia Times story also states Afghan and American security officials have noticed a movement of jihadists from the Middle East to South Asia. US Army Major Cory Schultz, based in Afghanistan, is also quoted as saying: “It sounds from the radio chatter like they have more recruits coming in, including Arabs, Uzbeks, Turkmen, and Chechen fighters.”

...

It will be a difficult fight. The terrain favors insurgents and they have had time to build their infrastructure. However the UAV Hellfire attacks from the US have disrupted the enemy command and control structure and their leaders are now reluctant to meet in groups of more than three. With the added pressure of the surge of troops into Afghanistan, the enemy is running out of places to retreat.