Pakistan Security Brief - February 23, 2010

By Brian Wolfe February 23, 2010

Pakistan Security Brief – February 23, 2010

Pakistan captured Mullah Kabir without US assistance; Pakistan is committed to the upcoming dialogue with India; Afghanistan’s Northern Alliance offers Taliban finances to strike inside Pakistan; Bajaur officials want the Mandal tribe to turn over militants; four militants killed in Kurram; peace committee members were targeted near Peshawar.

More details emerged regarding the capture of Mullah Abdul Kabir, a member of the Quetta Shura and a Taliban military commander in eastern Afghanistan. It is believed that Pakistani officials captured Kabir independent of American assistance and are not allowing American officials access to Kabir.[1]
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, said on Tuesday that Pakistan is serious about improving relations with neighboring India. Both India and Pakistan are set to meet on Thursday, the first such dialogue between the two countries since the attacks in Mumbai during November of 2008.[2]
Taliban commander Qari Ziaur Rehman, who is fighting security forces in Bajaur Agency, stated that Afghanistan’s Northern Alliance offered him financial support to detonate bombs throughout Pakistan and fight the Pakistani military. Rehman claims he refused the offers. Regarding Taliban leader Faqir Mohammed, Rehman said that militants in Bajaur removed Mohammed from the area for his alleged connections to the Pakistani government.[3]
The political administration in Bajaur Agency arrested 16 members of the Mandal tribe, sending them to prisons in Khar. The officials also set a deadline of three days for Mandal tribal elders to turn in militants hiding in their tribal area.[4]
Four militants were killed and another five were injured in the Dar area of Kurram Agency. The militants were attempting to destroy a house with a bomb, but the bomb exploded before the group could leave.[5]
An improvised explosive device targeted a ‘Peace Committee’ vehicle in Adezai village, near Peshawar, on Tuesday. There were no reported casualties.[6]

[1] Pir Zubair Shah and Dexter Filkins, “Pakistani Reports Capture of Taliban Leader,” New York Times, February 22, 2010. Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/world/asia/23islamabad.html?ref=asia. Karin Brulliard and Joshua Partlow, “Afghan Taliban commander captured in Pakistan,” Washington Post, February 23, 2010. Available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/23/AR2010022300044.html.

[2] “'Pakistan serious on improving India ties',” AP, February 23, 2010. Available at http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100223/wl_sthasia_afp/pakistanindiadiplomacychina. “Pakistan serious on improving India ties: FM Qureshi,” Dawn, February 23, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/04-pak-serious-ties-india-qureshi-qs-08.

[3] Mushtaq Yusufzai, “Militant leader claims he rejected offers to explode bombs in Pakistan,” The News, February 23, 2010. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=27446.

[4] “Elders asked to hand over militants to Bajaur admin,” The News, February 23, 2010. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=27458.

[5] “Four militants killed in Kurram Agency blast,” Dawn, February 23, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/provinces/14-four-killed-in-kurram-agency-blast-zj-01.

[6] “Bomb blast on Peshawar’s outskirts,” Dawn, February 23, 2010. Available at http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/04-blast-peshawar-outskirts-qs-02.

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