Pakistan

Pakistan needs $100 billion, better schools to beat extremism, says President

A suicide bomber killed 33 civilians in an attack at a bazaar in Kohat. A political leader was killed in a bombing at a mosque in Hangu. The military killed 13 Taliban fighters in Arakzai and Khyber. Civilians are fleeing Khyber after Mangal Bagh threatened to retaliate against the military.

Pakistan and COIN

Over at the New America Foundation, Sameer Lalwani has produced what I think is the best assessment out there on the problems in Pakistan’s northwest and the Pakistani military’s ability to counter the threat. Lalwani’s paper is titled “Pakistani Capabilities for a Counterinsurgency Campaign: A Net Assessment” [PDF format]. A read of the summary findings […]

Pakistan

US taking Musharraf’s revelations on aid diversion seriously

Suicide bomber kills 33 in Pakistan’s northwest

Thirty-three Pakistanis were killed and more than 50 have been wounded after a suicide bomber attacked a bazaar packed with civilians shopping for the end of Ramadan celebrations.

Pakistan

Security forces killed 10 Taliban fighters and detained 39 more in Swat, and killed two Taliban fighters in Bajaur. A NATO supply truck was torched in Khuzdar. Police registered charges against Hafiz Saeed for preaching jihad and soliciting money for terrorist actions.

Pakistan

Al Qaeda leaders Ilyas Kashmiri and Najmuddin Jalolov are thought to have been been killed during recent US airstrikes. The Pakistani Army captured a senior Swat Taliban commander and killed 11 fighters; eight more fighters were killed in Dera Ismail Khan, and six Taliban camps were destroyed in Hangu.

Pakistani Army captures wanted Swat Taliban military commander

Sher Mohammad Qasab is on the Pakistani government’s list of the 21 most-wanted in Swat; he commanded Taliban forces in the stronghold of Charbagh. Five of the top 21 are now in custody or are dead.

Pakistan

Pakistani Army to start operation in Waziristan: ISPR

Pakistan

The Pakistani Air Force killed five Taliban fighters in strikes in the Salarzai area of Bajaur. Security forces killed three Taliban fighters and captured 12 more in Swat. Police in Karachi stopped an attack on an oil storage facility near the main port in Kaemari; one security guard was killed. The Taliban destroyed a medical […]

Pakistan

Pakistan: Fighter jets pound militants in tribal area

Behind the Pakistan Predator strikes

Graphic from the Chicago Tribune on the Predator/Reaper strike program. Click image to enlarge. The Chicago Tribune has a good graphic on the US unmanned air campaign targeting the Taliban and al Qaeda in Pakistan.* From the intro: Monday’s deadly airstrike in northwest Pakistan marks the latest example of US forces’ increasing reliance on unmanned […]

Pakistan

Security forces killed 27 Taliban fighters in Swat and Malakand and 152 more surrendered. Eight Lashkar-e-Islam fighters and one soldier were killed in Khyber; one Taliban fighter was killed in Bajaur. Fourteen policemen were wounded in a bombing in Mansehra. A total of 715 tribal police were fired for failing to report for duty in […]

Pakistan

Q A: Has the back of the Pakistani Taliban been broken?

Pakistan

Pakistan outsources part of terror war to militia

Pakistan

Security forces killed 10 Taliban fighters in South Waziristan and two Lashkar-e-Islam fighters in Khyber, and detained seven Maldivians. Two Frontier Corps troops were killed in Khyber and three Pakistani civilians and a policeman were wounded in a suicide attack in Malakand. A provincial minister said that 5,000 Uzbeks are in Waziristan and that the […]

Pakistan

Al-Qaeda allies build huge Pakistan base

Pakistan

Pakistan – Waziristan power politics

Pakistan

US funds were diverted to strengthen defence against India: Musharraf

Pakistan

Pakistan police chief in call for help

Pakistan

Pak has a blacklist of critical US scribes, NGOs

Pakistan

Pakistan – US presses for ‘hard steps™ to reform power sector

Pakistan

Security forces killed 22 Lashkar-e-Islam fighters in Khyber and killed five Taliban fighters in Swat. Two policemen were wounded in a suicide attack in Hangu. More than 350 tribal police in Khyber were fired for failing to show up for duty after threats from extremists.

Pakistan

Pakistan: Taliban leader builds new links with Al-Qaeda

Pakistan

Shifts in opinion & threat perception

Pakistan

Five senior Swat Taliban leaders including Muslim Khan were detained during negotiations with the military. The military’s top spokesman said the time for negotiations with the Taliban is over. Five hundred tribal policemen in Khyber deserted due to Taliban threats. A Haqqani Network commander was killed in the Sept. 8 airstrike in North Waziristan.

‘Guantanamo Swede’ reportedly arrested in Pakistan

A former Guantanamo detainee named Mehdi Mohammad Ghezali has reportedly been arrested in Pakistan on terrorism charges. According to the Associated Press: Mehdi-Muhammed Ghezali was arrested with two other Swedes and nine other foreigners close to the country’s northwestern tribal regions… The 12 foreigners were arrested Aug. 28 in the town of Dera Ghazi Khan. […]

Pakistan arrests top Swat Taliban spokesman, a military commander, and shura members

Haji Muslim Khan, Mahmood Khan, and Mufti Bashir Ahmad were among five detained in an operation in Swat. Haji Muslim Khan is one of the top four most-wanted Taliban leaders in Swat.

Pakistan

President Zardari rejected the US “AfPak” strategy. Fifteen Taliban fighters and six Uzbek fighters were killed in Swat, and 33 Taliban fighters were detained in Mohmand and 12 more in Dir. Two Pakistanis were killed in a rocket attack on the Jandola Scouts Fort in South Waziristan.

Pakistan

US eyes military equipment transfer to Pakistan from Iraq