Clashes continue between local and foreign militants in South Waziristan

Islamabad has pointed to recent victories by local militias against foreign militants (who have ties to Al Qaeda and the IMU) as a sign that its strategy of relying upon traditional leaders, and not the national army, is starting to pay off. According to a Pakistan spokesman, a tribal chief aligned with the Taliban has come over to their side, leading to an ultimatum that foreign insurgents leave. Press has little access to the area, so these claims are difficult to verify.

This story last week is an interesting counterpoint to the NY Times front page story that describes the resurgence of Al Qaeda's leadership and capabilities.

Pakistan Fights Near Afghanistan Kill 52
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) By Munir Ahmad - Fighting between local and foreign militants Friday killed 52 people, bringing to more than 200 the number of dead in recent days in a conflict between Pakistanis and suspected al-Qaida-linked extremists, a senior official said.

Map: BBC.

 

Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao said 45 Uzbek militants and seven tribesmen died in battles in South Waziristan, a lawless region used as a rear base by Taliban militants fighting in Afghanistan and where the United States fears that al-Qaida is regrouping. Since fighting began last week, 213 people have been killed, including 177 Uzbeks and their local alllies, Sherpao told The Associated Press.

The minister said the conflict intensified Friday after foreigners failed to comply with an ultimatum from tribal elders to leave their territory. Security officials said tribal militias had fired rockets at the hideouts of the foreigners in several locations...South Waziristan is generally off-limits to journalists, making it hard to verify reports of the fighting.

Under pressure from the United States to do more against the Taliban and al-Qaida, the government has claimed that the violence in South Waziristan vindicates its policy of using traditional leaders, and not the army, to combat militancy along the border.

The government claims Nazir, a tribal chief previously aligned with the Taliban, has come over to their side. Some analysts, however, say militants with links to Taliban and al-Qaida are involved on both sides of the current conflict, which also pits local tribes against each other, and that blood feuds could deepen insecurity in a region viewed as a possible hiding place for Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri.

Hundreds of Central Asian and Arab militants linked to al-Qaida fled to the semiautonomous region after the collapse of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and forged alliances with local tribes. Other Uzbeks opposed to the regime of President Islam Karimov have reportedly since joined them.

As part of its support of the U.S.-led war on terror, Pakistan launched military operations in 2004 to wipe out the foreign militants. They succeeded in busting camps used by al-Qaida, but suffered hundreds of casualties and failed to expel the foreign fighters.

More recently, Pakistan has cut deals with pro-Taliban militants and urged local tribal elders to police the region themselves.