Taliban Pakistan in Hot Waters

by IOL (reposted)

Thu, Oct 2, 2008 8:23AM

ISLAMABAD — Security and defense analysts believe that the reported death of Baitullah Mehsud will affect the militancy in Pakistan's restive tribal areas on the short term and could cause a split within the local Taliban ranks.

"If his death is confirmed it will certainly effect the Taliban movement in the tribal areas initially," Rahimullah Yousafzai, a Peshawar based security analyst, told IslamOnline.net.

Baitullah Mehsud, the Amir of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), reportedly died on Tuesday of renal failure.

"Taliban will need sometime to find out such a high-profile commander like Baitullah Mehsud because he was the founder of TTP and definitely fighters have some kind of attachment to the founder."

A letter received Thursday by a Peshawar-based journalist claimed 34-year-old Mehsud was in good health.

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For more information: http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satelli...

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