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Taliban leader vows revenge on America for Pak missile strike
A top Taliban leader vowed on Thursday to target the US in revenge for an alleged missile strike that killed several people in a Pakistani tribal region, a threat that bodes ill for the new government's efforts to negotiate peace deals with militants.
- AP
- Published: 17:29 May 15, 2008
Khar: A top Taliban leader vowed on Thursday to target the US in revenge for an alleged missile strike that killed several people in a Pakistani tribal region, a threat that bodes ill for the new government's efforts to negotiate peace deals with militants.
Destroyed in Wednesday's blast was a compound in Damadola village, a militant stronghold in the Bajur tribal region near the border with Afghanistan.
A similar attack in 2006 reportedly missed Al Qaida's No. 2 leader, Ayman al-Zawahri.
The Pakistani government used the lack of clear information to fend off questions about whether the incident would harm the peace process or its relations with the United States.
Residents said they saw a US aircraft flying in the area before two explosions rocked the village. The US, which has not confirmed the incident, is believed to operate unmanned drones out of Afghanistan.
After attending a funeral for seven men said to have been killed, Faqir Mohammed, a cleric and deputy leader of Pakistan's Taliban movement, vowed revenge.
"This is jihad for us, and we fully know the price we have to pay for fighting aggressors," said Mohammed, who is accused of links to al-Zawahri and other Al Qaida operatives.
"America martyred our people, and the blood of our brothers will not go to waste," he said. "God willing, we will avenge it by targeting America."
The alleged missile strike could embarrass Pakistan's new government, which is trying to pursue peace deals with militants. The negotiations have stirred alarm in the US, which long backed President Pervez Musharraf's more forceful tactics.
Western officials worry that such deals may simply give militants time to regroup and plan attacks in Afghanistan and the West.
Maulvi Umar, a Taliban spokesman, has said the movement will continue fighting in Afghanistan despite any peace deal it might reach in Pakistan. Both countries have suffered from a series of militant attacks.
Responding to the latest incident, Umar said, "We will avenge this but will continue talks with the government."
It was apparently the first such attack since the new government took power six weeks ago. A spate of strikes in March killed at least 25 people in the border region, fueling speculation that Musharraf, whose allies then led the government, gave tacit approval for US forces to target foreign militants inside Pakistan.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Sadiq said Thursday he was "not aware" of any such approval.
He declined to discuss the implications of Wednesday's blast because investigators were still trying to determine if it was caused by a missile, a rocket or an "internal explosion."
Pakistan has previously passed off several similar incidents as accidental detonations of explosives stashed in militant hideouts.
Any "violation" of Pakistan's sovereignty would be raised through standard diplomatic and military channels, Sadiq told a news conference.
The new coalition government is riven by divisions over how to restore judges ousted last year by Musharraf. Ministers from the party of ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif submitted their resignations from the Cabinet this week.
Zafar Ali Shah, a senior leader in Sharif's party, said "external forces" were taking advantage of the rift "to violate our sovereignty."
Shah did not directly implicate the United States. Pakistan insists it does not allow US forces to operate on its territory.
Pakistan's military spokesman declined to comment on Thursday. The US Embassy in Islamabad deferred comments to officials in Washington, who could not be immediately reached.
Who or exactly how many people were killed in the latest alleged strike remained unclear.
Residents said militants brought doctors to the area to treat the wounded. It was not immediately clear whether any foreigners were among the casualties, though residents said local militants quickly took some bodies away.
On Wednesday, villager Ibrahim Khan said at least 15 people were killed while local Taliban leaders gathered for a feast at the targeted house. He reported secondary explosions, suggesting weapons had been stored inside.
Umar said more than 10 died, including women and children. Shabir Ullah, an administrator in the region, confirmed a missile attack, but said: "We have conflicting casualty figures."
In 2006, a missile strike targeted al-Zawahri in Damadola - apparently launched from a Predator drone controlled by the CIA in Afghanistan. At least 13 villagers were killed, but the Al Qaida deputy chief escaped unharmed.
Pakistani intelligence officials initially said several other senior Al Qaida operatives died then, but their bodies were never produced. Al-Zawahri remains at large.
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