Pakistan Security Brief - September 30, 2009�

The Pakistani Taliban released a video of its former leader Beitullah Mehsud visually confirming his death; Afghan Taliban commander Hayatullah Khan claimed that Mullah Omar did not reside in Pakistan as indicated by US officials; unconfirmed reports claim that Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader Tahir Yuldashev was killed following a drone strike in August.

  • On Tuesday the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) released a video of Beitullah Mehsud's body taken shortly after he was killed.� The body was shown wrapped in a cloth and bore little signs of trauma except for a few scratches on his face.� Mehsud was killed in early August by a US drone attack in South Waziristan Agency.[1]
  • An Afghan Taliban leader Hayatullah Khan stated that Mullah Omar and the Taliban leadership do not reside in Pakistan but instead find safety in Afghanistan.� This comment comes in response to recent talk by US officials that the Taliban is controlled by a Quetta Shura out of Baluchistan province.[2]
  • There are unconfirmed reports claiming that Tahir Yuldashev, the leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), is dead.� A man claiming to be Yuldeshev's body guard called Radio Liberty in Prague and claimed that he died of wounds sustained in a drone strike shortly after the death of Beitullah Mehsud in early August.� This claim has not been verified.[3]�
[1] "Taliban film shows leader is dead", BBC, September 30, 2009. Available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8282174.stm
[2] Ali, Saeed, "Mullah Omar not in Pakistan, Taliban commander says", Reuters, September 31, 2009. Available at http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE58T1SL20090930
[3] Yusufzai Rahimullah, "Tahir Yuldachev is dead: bodyguard", The News, September 30, 2009. Available at http://thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=200845