Word: mehsud
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Qari Zainuddin was asleep when his assassin struck, although the 26-year-old militant leader had been preparing for battle. Zainuddin was poised to join the Pakistan army's fight against the Taliban by leading his own militia to take down Baitullah Mehsud, Pakistan's most feared and murderous Taliban commander. Zainuddin had denounced Mehsud's brutality but he also had deep personal motives for joining the fight - Mehsud had killed his father and other relatives, Zainuddin said, obliging him to take revenge...
...early on Tuesday, in the dusty and wild northwest town of Dera Ismail Khan, Mehsud appears to have struck first. After rising for dawn prayers, Zainuddin returned to sleep, and was shot dead by one of his own bodyguards who fled the scene in a waiting car. Zainuddin's men believe that the assassin had infiltrated the group and killed their leader on Mehsud's orders - an action widely interpreted in Pakistan to as a message to others to avoid following Zainuddin's path. (See pictures of life beneath the surface in Pakistan...
...advantage during this fight may come, however, from abroad. In contrast to the previous offensives in South Waziristan, there are signs of closer cooperation between Islamabad and Washington. Just hours before Ghani's Sunday announcement, a CIA-operated drone fired missiles near Makeen, Mehsud's hometown. Five suspected militants were killed. It was the 20th such strike this year. Since February, the U.S. has stepped up attacks on Mehsud and his allies, broadening its range of drone targets across the tribal belt. The day before the drone strike, Pakistani air-force jets were pounding the same area in retaliation...
...Pakistan military may also call on rival warlords to harry Mehsud from within his territory. In recent days, Qari Zainuddin, a member of the Mehsud tribe, has spoken out strongly against his fellow clansman, denouncing Mehsud's brutality and vowing revenge for the murder of his relatives. Zainuddin and another group, led by Turkistan Bhittani, enjoy the covert backing of Pakistan's security services. "In the past, these guys were afraid to confront Baitullah Mehsud, because there was no one there to protect them," says Askari-Rizvi. The army could now provide that support as the government uses political means...
...Faced with an all-out assault, Mehsud is likely to take the fight beyond the tribal areas and mount perhaps even deadlier bomb attacks in Pakistan's heartlands. "They will try to paralyze the country by striking at the major cities and business hubs," says Khadim Hussain of the Aryana Institute, a research organization that focuses on the problem of militancy in the northwest. "The political government has to be aware of the potential fallout and be prepared for it." Hussain also says the fighting could lead to a further 1.5 million people being displaced, in addition to the nearly...