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al-Quaeda Men In Pakistan:ANTI-US SENTIMENTS IN WAZIRISTAN,by Priyadarshini Panda,10 April 2007 Print E-mail

Round The World

New Delhi, 10 April 2007

al-Quaeda Men In Pakistan

ANTI-US SENTIMENTS IN WAZIRISTAN

By Priyadarshini Panda

School of International Studies, JNU

The recent clash in South Waziristan on April 4 which killed many people, was an attack on the Tahir Yaldashev-led Uzbeks by Waziri tribal leaders, led by Mullah Nazir following a call for jihad. It is in continuity with the fighting of last month between the tribal locals and the Uzbek fighters.

Since the news got currency (supported by intelligent reports) about the presence of major al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders in this particular region of the tribal belt of Pakistan, minor hostilities in this area involving the local tribal people and some of the foreign militants is not uncommon. The US-led War on Terror has reaped anti-Government and anti-US sentiments in Waziristan rather than flushing out the al-Qaeda militants.

As rightly said while the United States is carrying out its War on Terror, the area has been gripped by terror. The dead body of journalist Hayatullah Khan in June 2006 after being abducted and detained for six months may not be very sensational (news) for people in this part of the region. It was believed that he was detained for his reporting on the US military action in tribal agencies. But this area may become a major flash point if these kinds of clashes are continued to be ignored.

Military operation in Waziristan began in 2004. Since then, there have been two deals; one in 2004 which is an unwritten one (in Shakai, South Waziristan) and another in 2005 which has been signed on paper. According to the 2004 deal, the Nek Mohammad-led militants agreed not to use Pakistan against any other country and live in peace. However, it should be noted that the deal was a failure with subsequent killing of Nek Mohammad. The deal of 2005, signed between Mahsuds and the Government, made the militants agreed not to attack the military and target the administration. Again this deal was not taken very seriously by the local militants. Abdullah Mahsud, the tribal leader, disowned it, causing further violence.

The Peace Agreement signed between the local militants (led by Maulana Nek Zaman) and the administration (in North Waziristan) in September 2006 is a recent one in this category. According to this agreement, the militants have agreed not to attack the security forces of the State and its properties; restrain from running parallel administration; not to carry out target killings; and departure of all foreigners (a euphemism for al-Qaeda and other foreign jihadis) in North Waziristan.

The first major problem is with the presence of foreigners, not only in North Waziristan, but all over the FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas). The deals of 2004 and 2005 failed precisely over this issue. Now the question becomes relevant what would be the future of this agreement in the context of the recent uprising of the militants against the foreigners, including the Uzbeks.

In adherence to the 2006 deal, the administration is faced with a dilemma about the foreigners. It could neither accept them by registering them successfully nor in evacuating them totally and most of them belong to the Central Asian region and particularly Uzbekistan. Interestingly, many of these foreigners are truly respected by the local communities and the tribal custom would not give permission if they are to be pushed out forcefully.

Against backdrop, this issue of anger of the local militants against these foreigners needs a careful insight. Speculations are being made about over the issue: some say that the government is controlling and trying to win over the local tribesmen; some say there is a split inside the Taliban-al-Qaeda duo. The truth may be something else. 

The first and foremost is that such violence is limited to South Waziristan. Secondly, it was targeted at Tahir Yuldashev, a particular group of Uzbeks. Thirdly, other Uzbek fighters of North Waziristan did not come to support the South Uzbeks. Initially, the people including the Wazirs were happy with the Uzbeks. The Uzbeks could settle here only with the help of Nek Mohammad, the leader who was killed in 2004. In addition to that, the Uzbeks helped the local people in improving their economic condition by providing them with cash often in dollars. Now the question comes why one section of the local community turned against Tahir's Uzbek fighters?

Reports say that many of the Uzbek fighters had targeted the locals for being either pro-government or American spies; not only that, they were also involved in killing of the local leaders, kidnapping and looting banks over there. It raised serious discontentment on the part of the local militants led by Maulavi Nazir. It is also believed that he was highly dissatisfied with the Uzbeks for two reasons: involvement of the Uzbeks in the local administration and the killing of an Arab fighter belonging to al-Qaeda allegedly by the Uzbeks.  

These issues when put together, raise the following questions: Are the Uzbek fighters no more welcome in South Waziristan, though the tribal customs do not oppose it? Is it likely that this fight against foreigners will spread to rest of the FATA; or it will be limited only to South Waziristan? What would be the role of the Government with the Uzbeks and the Mullah Nazir group trying to impose their writ over this region?  Will the local writ of the state run?

There is a major problem of the recent deal. According to the agreement, there would be no target killing and no parallel administration in the Agency. When military operation in Waziristan began in 2004, Pakistan's army entered the region in search of al-Qaida and Taliban fighters who were using Waziristan as a base for attacks against American and Allied forces in Afghanistan. Since the military operation started, the tribal areas have been thrown into a quagmire of violence and now “Talibanisation”. Now, though the government is supporting the local population to evict the foreigners, it is unlikely for Mullah Nazir to allow the Pakistani state to impose its writ and it is creating the real problem for Pakistan.

There are also rumors about the involvement of Pakistani state in all these conflicts in order to destabilize Afghanistan. There are hints of a divide between the al-Qaeda Taliban and the Yaldashev. Also, there is news that Yaldashev has been bribed by foreign elements. If this is true, it may be a major break-through in this area.

It is true that these clashes, specially the recent one is limited both geographically and group-wise. But still these events are very crucial; and it is perilous to ignore the implications of these clashes.---INFA

 (Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)

 

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