Pakistan: Blows against terrorists

EDITORIAL

In a series of blows against terrorists, Afghan and Pakistani, on Saturday, a sudden flurry of successes triggers thoughts on what this means for the struggle against terrorism on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. First came the news that a drone strike in North Waziristan had killed Badruddin Haqqani, the financier of the dreaded Haqqani network, considered responsible for some of the most high profile attacks on western and Afghan forces inside Afghanistan. The source of the news was Pakistani intelligence officials and terrorist sources. The US, which could have been expected to quickly claim the success as a significant blow to the operational functioning of the Haqqani network, retained discreet ambiguity by neither confirming nor denying the information. This unexpected circumspection could be because past claims of success were later refuted or proved false, or even a tactical low key approach, given the current sensitivity surrounding drone strikes on Pakistani soil, an issue resonating between Islamabad and Washington these days. Badruddin Haqqani was reportedly a younger son of the leader of the network, veteran Mujahideen fighter Jalaluddin Haqqani. He was widely believed to be the finance and smuggling in-charge of the network, reportedly often travelling abroad to raise funds from friendly states and non-state supporters. If the news of his killing proves accurate, it would represent a significant blow against the network, against whom the US has been pressing Pakistan for a military operation, so far resisted by the Pakistani military. The second bit of news was even more intriguing than the one about Badruddin Haqqani. It said Mullah Dadullah, a commander of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had been killed along with 12 bodyguards in the eastern Afghan province of Kunar by a NATO air strike. Eastern Afghanistan generally, and Kunar province in particular, are believed to be the safe havens and operational bases of the TTP after it was driven over the border by the Pakistani military’s offensives in Swat and South Waziristan initially, and follow up operations in other Agencies of FATA subsequently. Since the withdrawal of US and ISAF forces from these eastern provinces of Afghanistan, the area is believed to be in the control of the Haqqani network, which therefore now stands accused of working against its erstwhile mentors in the Pakistani military establishment by supporting the TTP that has declared war on the Pakistani state. Now, therefore, if he has been killed by a NATO air strike inside Afghanistan, does this signal a new level of cooperation between the US/NATO and Pakistani forces? Inevitably, there is a discreet silence on all sides on this aspect, so as to maintain plausible deniability by the Pakistani military of any notion of ‘joint operations’ in the border area. NATO did reveal through a statement that Mullah Dadullah was responsible for the movement of fighters and weapons, as well as attacks against the Afghan and coalition forces. Here then, is an example of congruence of interests as far as the target was concerned, and quite possible effective sharing of intelligence. The result is a body blow to the TTP and its friends amongst the Afghan Taliban. The third item worth considering is the attack on a military check post in the Mohmand Agency, which was beaten back without any casualties. Some media sources have reported the attack as emanating from ‘Afghan terrorists’, presumably misled by the place across the border from where the attack originated. However, this is far from clear, given that the area s across the border house TTP elements who arguably would have more interest in attacking the check post, in line with previous such forays, rather than some real or imagined ‘Afghan terrorists’. Further news reports stated that TTP commander Wajeehuddin Mehsud and his collaborator Maulvi Abdul Qadir, a prayer leader at a local mosque, were arrested from a house in Nowshera. Last but not least, 28 terrorists of the Pakistani Taliban were killed in Bajaur by Pakistani troops backed by a local pro-government Aman Lashkar (peace militia) after a rocket attack. This series of successes on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghan border may be signs of closer cooperation between the two ostensible allies fighting terrorists in their own theatres. However, judgement should perhaps be suspended for fear that this may the proverbial single sparrow that does not a spring make. If the pattern is repeated and/or continues, one could perhaps argue with greater confidence that the logic of cooperation between Pakistan and the US/NATO forces is finally starting to take hold after a particularly fraught year and a bit. If so, this can only be welcomed, since the forbidding terrain of the border area suggests only such cooperation can yield success.