US sees possible death of Taliban chief slowing group
07 Aug 2009 19:48:28 GMT Source: Reuters
* U.S. says Taliban may be hurt but will bounce back * Death gives boost to U.S.-Pakistani cooperation (Adds White House comments, paragraphs 7, 10) By Adam Entous WASHINGTON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - The CIA missile strike thought to have killed Pakistan's Taliban leader may set the movement back temporarily and strengthen intelligence cooperation between the United States and Pakistan after years of mistrust. But U.S. officials said the death of Baitullah Mehsud, if confirmed, was unlikely to cripple the Taliban in Pakistan, and played down the impact on U.S. efforts to stem the group's resurgence in neighboring Afghanistan. Most of Mehsud's focus has been on attacking Pakistan's government and security forces. "We're under no illusions," said a U.S. counterterrorism official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "He's got thousands of people in his network. No one is thinking they are down-and-out for good." The hunt for Mehsud, an ally of al Qaeda, has been a top priority of both the U.S. and Pakistani governments. Washington put a $5 million bounty on his head and intelligence agencies stepped up efforts to track his movements. Diplomats said his death would mark a coup for Islamabad. It could also give an important psychological boost to the U.S. drive, expanded under President Barack Obama, against the Taliban and al Qaeda. "If the reports of ... Mehsud's death are correct, there is no doubt that the Pakistani people are safer as a result of it," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. He said the operation demonstrated the extent of U.S.-Pakistani cooperation against militants. Underscoring the continued threat, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said groups like the Taliban in Pakistan can "regenerate another leader" to replace Mehsud. "I don't want to make more than one should of a single individual," Whitman said. Two U.S. officials said Washington had "strong indications" Mehsud was killed along with his wife and bodyguards in a missile attack two days ago in a remote area in Pakistan's South Waziristan tribal region bordering eastern Afghanistan. But they said the U.S. government was still awaiting "final confirmation". Gibbs said that process could take "many weeks". DRONE AIRSTRIKES Mehsud's death would represent a big success for a controversial CIA program using unmanned aerial drones. The program, which has caused several civilian casualties, is deeply unpopular within Pakistan. Critics say it has inflamed the insurgency in the tribal areas. Pakistan has publicly criticized the CIA strikes but U.S. officials say privately they have been receiving assistance from the government. Such strikes on Mehsud's territory have increased since Pakistan ordered a military offensive against him in June. "Intelligence sharing has been growing and a success like this will strengthen those ties," the U.S. counterterrorism official said. Mehsud declared himself leader of the Pakistan Taliban, grouping around 13 factions in the northwest, in late 2007 and his fighters have staged a wave of suicide attacks inside Pakistan and on Western forces in Afghanistan. "The loss of his leadership skills and experience would be significant," the U.S. counterterrorism official said. "It wouldn't mean the end of the Pakistani Taliban, but it would be a true setback for them -- especially in the near term," he said. "It would prove that their most senior leaders can be taken off the battlefield with great precision. It would also show them that places they thought were secure are anything but." (Additional reporting by Andrew Gray and Steve Holland; Editing by Simon Denyer)
REFILE - CLARIFYING CAPTION An illumination mortar round lights the sky over the U.S. Army's Michigan Base during an attack by militants in the Pesh Valley in Afghanistan's Kunar Province August ...
