US-TALIBAN PEACE TALKS COULD WEAKEN AL-QAEDA

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An article in Pakistan Today describes how The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) warned the country not to be sympathetic to militants and to denounce all groups who are. On September 3, the HRCP warned all institutions, especially political parties, of the catastrophic consequences of their failure to resist militancy. The commission said, "The barbaric beheading of 12 Pakistani soldiers and killing of others by the Taliban adds a new grisly chapter to the long list of outrages committed by extremists."

On the same note, in Dawn, an article mentioned on September 4, 2012 that Pakistan is ready to give the Taliban 'safe passage'. Pakistan has agreed to provide safe passage to the Afghan Taliban leaders willing to participate in reconciliation talks with the Afghan Government. An unnamed US official said that the US and Pakistan had formed a working group to facilitate safe passage to Afghan Taliban leaders willing to visit Kabul for talks with Afghan officials. 

Ironically, back on January 29th, the BBC news announced that the Afghan government planned to hold peace talks with the Taliban in Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks. The talks were planned to be held in an established Taliban office in Qatar, according to unnamed Western and Afghan officials. The Taliban agreed to the meeting, but Afghanistan officials refused to comment to BBC. The Taliban previously said they would only talk to the United States and other allies of the Afghan government. A senior Afghan government official said that even if the Taliban office is established in Qatar, the Afghan government will pursue other efforts in the region, including discussions with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Note: Do you favor peace talks with the Taliban? Please take "This Week's Poll: Do you favor peace talks with the Taliban?" in the upper right-hand narrow margin.

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There is much opposition to peace talks with the Taliban, for they have earned many enemies. In 2008, they conducted an
Indian embassy bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan. It was a suicide bomb attack on July 7th at 8:30 AM local time and 58 people were killed and 141 wounded. The suicide car bombing took place near the gates of the Indian embassy while the officials were trying to get inside. It was the deadliest attack in Kabul since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. The embassy reopened on 14 July 2008 after one week of closure. Interestingly, on August 1st of that year, The New York Times reported allegations by unnamed U.S. officials, who claimed that members of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency had aided the attack. The claim was strongly denied by Pakistan. During the 15th SAARC  summit in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani assured India that his government would carry out an independent investigation of the attack.

Another "earned" enemy of the Taliban is the CIA. Remember the December 30, 2009 Camp Chapman suicide attack against Forward Operating Base Chapman, a key facility of the CIA in Afghanistan? The CIA hasn't forgotten. The base was located near the eastern Afghan city of Khost, in a stronghold of the Taliban movement. One of the main tasks of the CIA operatives stationed at the base was to provide information for drone attacks against Taliban fighters in Pakistan. Seven CIA operatives, including the chief of the base, and an officer of Jordan's General Intelligence Directorate were killed in the attack, and six others were seriously wounded. Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack, and western intelligence officials identified the attacker as Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, a Jordanian doctor. While the CIA thought that al-Balawi would be an important informant, who could help the intelligence agency to capture top leaders of the Taliban and of al-Qaeda, he actually was loyal to insurgents fighting against the U.S.-led military forces in Afghanistan. The bombing was the most lethal attack against the CIA in more than 25 years, and a major setback for the agency's operations in the region.

However, OSINT News believes that the CIA has rightfully avenged the deaths of these young case officers. We might also add that it was the CIA that spearheaded the battle against terrorism after 9/11. A small band of CIA operatives 
went on a treacherous mission, while the rest of us were still in shock from the attacks on the Pentagon and Twin Towers. These early CIA missions in Afghanistan were what led to the ousting of the Taliban from that country. 

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But, here we are now. The United States and its allies have been fighting the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan for a decade and neither side is winning. The US draw down has begun and the troops are gradually coming back home. But, a significant number of US combat troops will remain in Afghanistan until at least 2014, perhaps longer, depending on the situation on the ground and the outcome of the US presidential election this November. The Taliban will continue with their increased suicide bombings and guerrilla ground attacks against western forces, while US policymakers and the American public try to find a way out whilst restoring peace and stability to Afghanistan.

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It's kind of like trying to change a flat tire...while the car is still moving! The US government will, no doubt, continue with what the American public wants... an immediate withdrawal of all troops. However, the US will maintain an open-ended, but greatly reduced military presence. Many suggest that a strong, legitimate central Afghanistan government is far from likely to emerge and that fewer coalition forces, used in creative ways, may have better effects on the ground than a larger, more conventional presence. They say that even though Pakistan should not be pushed too hard, so as to avoid sparking social chaos there, Afghanistan's other neighbors can and should be encouraged to become more actively involved. Most agree that there will never be complete peace in Afghanistan, but a self-sustaining security system able to restore order swiftly in the wake of violence is attainable.

We shall see. US and coalition forces on the ground in Afghanistan are a mere present-day snapshot of the country's military history. The Taliban and warlords of Afghanistan trace back to over  2,500 years of conflict, from clashes against the Persians, Greeks, and British, through the defeat of the Soviet Union in the 1980s and the rise and fall of the Taliban, until their recent come back.

NOTE: what's your feelings about peace talks with the Taliban? Please take the Poll "Do you favor peace talks with the Taliban?" in the upper right-hand narrow margin.

BROWSE THE HUGE CIA BOOKSTORE!

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OSINT News, during its research into the issue of negotiating with the Taliban, ran across an enlightened book called An Enemy We Created by Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn.  In essence, what they alluded to is that if the US conducts peace talks with the Taliban, then we may weaken al-Qaeda. Let us explain! According to van Linschoten and Kuehn, the belief is widespread that the Taliban and al-Qaeda are synonymous, that their ideology and objectives are closely intertwined, and that they have made common cause against the West for decades.

 

Not! In An Enemy We Created, both authors debunk this myth and reveal the much more complex reality that lies beneath it. Drawing upon their unprecedented fieldwork in Afghanistan, as well as their Arabic, Dari, and Pashtu skills, the authors show that the West's present entanglement in Afghanistan is predicated on the false assumption that defeating the Taliban will forestall further terrorist attacks worldwide. While immersing themselves in Kandahar society, both men interviewed Taliban decision-makers, field commanders, and ordinary fighters, thoroughly exploring the complexity of the relationship between the Taliban and al-Qaeda and the individuals who established both groups. They found that from the mid-1990s onward, the Taliban and al-Qaeda diverged far more often than they converged. They argue that this split creates an opportunity to engage the Taliban on two fundamental issues: renouncing al-Qaeda and guaranteeing that Afghanistan will not be a sanctuary for international terrorists. Yet the insurgency is changing, and it could soon be too late to find a political solution. The authors contend that certain aspects of the campaign in Afghanistan, especially night raids, the killings of innocent civilians, and attempts to fragment and decapitate the Taliban are having the unintended consequence of energizing the resistance, creating more opportunities for al-Qaeda, and helping it to attain its objectives.

 

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OSINT News researched the book, which is not advertised here, and believes it helps to untangle the myths from the realities in the relationship between the Taliban and al-Qaeda and offers a deeper understanding of what is really happening in Afghanistan. Although it is not advertised on this site, we still recommend you purchase it elsewhere. We urge you to take the Poll in the upper right-hand narrow margin: "Do you favor peace talks with the Taliban?". Perhaps, it would be a good idea. At least we'd get a better understanding of Taliban members, such as Juma Khan, David Hicks, Abdullah Mehsud, Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi, Mir Alam Shah, Abdul Salam (Taliban Chief Justice), Ghulan Mohammed Hotak, Ghulam Nabi, Rahmatullah Safi, and Mullah Rahmatullah.

 

Who knows? Perhaps we could have met the deceased 

Baitullah Mehsud, the 35 year-old leading militant in Waziristan, Pakistan, and the leader of the Taliban umbrella group, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which he formed from an alliance of five pro-Taliban groups in 2007. He, according to U.S. military analysts, commanded up to 5,000 fighters and was behind numerous attacks in Pakistan including the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. If we were negotiating with him, could we have prevented Bhutto's assassination? Perhaps, we should initiate on-going negotiations with the Taliban. Why not give it a serious try? After all, it hasn't been tried in 2,500 years. 

 

Robert Morton, Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO). A portion (10%) of this site's ad revenues is donated to the AFIO. The views expressed on this site do not represent those of any organization he is a member of. OSINT News is always looking for different perspectives regarding the Intelligence Community- got a thought, article or comment you'd like to submit? Contact us on the  SECURE CONTACT FORM

JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF DISAGREE WITH ROMNEY'S MOCKERY OF GLOBAL WARMING

This POST has been updated. Go to "CLIMATE CHANGE A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT"

PAKISTAN ISI INFILTRATED AFGHANISTAN SECURITY FORCES

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Should US officials rule out a possible role of ISI in attacks on NATO troops in Afghanistan? Well, they did just that. US officials refused to endorse Afghanistan's claim that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has infiltrated their Security Forces and were attacking American and NATO troops, dressed as Afghan soldiers. This was reported on August 27. "It's our understanding that these attacks aren't the work of foreign intelligence services," a senior US defence official revealed to the Wall Street Journal. Citing US investigations of the incidents, the official said, "They're typically Afghans who themselves decide to conduct them, and some Afghans from insurgent networks might have helped on occasion."

OSINT News feels that if these Afghan Security Forces decided to kill American and NATO troops, they would have readily have decided to align themselves with Pakistan's ISI.

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Earlier, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, issued a statement, insisting that "foreign spy agencies" had infiltrated Afghan Security Forces and were now using their uniforms to attack US and NATO troops in the early morning hours of August 27, 2012. U.S. Special Operations forces have suspended the training of some Afghan Local Police recruits while it double-checks the background of the current police force, following a rise in attacks against NATO troops by their Afghan counterparts. The order makes sense, since more than 40 NATO troops were killed this year either by members of the Afghan security forces or by insurgents disguised as Afghan police or soldiers. It adds a whole new meaning to the term "friendly fire."

"Current partnered operations have and will continue, even as we temporarily suspend training of about 1,000 new ALP recruits while re-vetting current members"- Col. Thomas Collins, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

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OSINT News feels America and the NATO alliance has some soul searching to do. The war in Afghanistan has spread into Pakistan and our counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan will fail if we dismiss the ISI's influence and it's capability of sabotaging the development of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and the Afghan National Police (ANP) into a unified ideological, civil, and military machine that can provide the security requisite for stable government to exist. Weaknesses in the ANSF will be exploited by by the Taliban, Hekmatyer, and Haqqani networks. Both the Afghan army and police forces must increase in size and capability. Many believe the size of the ASNF should be doubled and that the logistical, financial, and training to make the units of the ASNF capable of operating independently should be greatly increased. 
 
Some believe the United States is the only country with the resources to make this happen and add that it has failed to do so. They claim the U.S. has not provided enough money, mentors, and training personnel or the kind of partners in the field necessary to create the scale and quality of Afghan forces needed. If the situation isn't reversed, they say, then  Afghanistan, NATO/ISAF, and the United States may well lose the war.

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OSINT News believes that US officials should not so quickly rule out the possibility of an ISI role in the steady attacks on US and NATO troops by disloyal members of the ANSF. They may have been influenced by the ISI. 
After all, the relationship between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban has been described as Pakistan's "double game" and arises from Islamabad's yearning to gain "strategic depth" in Afghanistan.

OSINT News also believes that certain factions of Pakistan's ISI support the Haqqani, al Qaeda, Taliban and Hekmatyer networks to sabotage the entire process...we hope we're wrong.
 

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO). A portion (10%) of this site's ad revenues is donated to the AFIO. The views expressed on this site do not represent those of any organization he is a member of. OSINT News is always looking for different perspectives regarding the Intelligence Community- got a thought, article or comment you'd like to submit? Contact us on the Secure Contact Form

TURKEY AND CIA ESTABLISH NO-FLY ZONE FOR SYRIAN FREE ARMY

Please go to the updated post to this article: U.S. Will arm Syrian Free Army via Turkey

Read the online spy series "Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean" and get to know Corey and how the CIA operates. First 3 episodes are free!

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes the online spy thriller "Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean."  The views expressed on this site do not represent those of any organization he is a member of. Got a thought, article or comment you'd like to submit? Contact him on the Secure Contact Form

CIA DRONE AND SPEC OP ATTACKS TO INTENSIFY IN YEMEN

In SANAA, Yemen, a drone strike hit a vehicle carrying  militants traveling in eastern Yemen. Eight militants were killed and this marks the third such strike this week. The drone targeted a vehicle in Hadramawt in eastern Yemen.

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The U.S. considers the local al Qaeda branch the world's most active and has used drones in the past to go after its members. Seven other suspected militants have been killed in air strikes in the area since Tuesday. Yemen's government has intensified its campaign against militant groups, backed by U.S. advice and logistical support. Militants have carried out several attacks in retaliation.

 

OSINT NEWS researched drone usage in Yemen a half year ago, and we offer 8 observations that indicate the CIA is deeply involved in Yemen and, probably, will remain there for years to come. We hope they are. How about you? Take the poll- you can make a comment on it, too:

WHAT ROLE SHOULD THE CIA PLAY IN YEMEN?
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8 reasons OSINT News believes the CIA will remain deeply involved in Yemen:
1. We made a commitment. Several years ago, Gerald Feierstein, the new U.S. ambassador to Yemen, said the U.S. was  committed to support the Yemeni army and security forces in their efforts to combat the burgeoning al Qaeda force.

Feierstein stated, "There is a deep concern that al Qaeda could work freely in Yemen. We understand that fighting extremism cannot be through security only and it should include economic and development reforms. This is what America is committed to directly or through the Friends of Yemen Group.”

The Friends of Yemen Group is comprised of nations looking to help stabilize Yemen so al Qaeda and other terrorist groups will fail to develop a lasting stronghold there. They voiced their support for the security and stability of the Arabian Peninsula nation.

He went on to say, “America emphasizes its commitment to supporting the Yemeni Government and its people to overcome al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, to secure Yemeni borders, continue to train Yemeni anti-terrorist forces in addition to the provision of necessary equipments to get rid of the immediate threats posed by al Qaeda.”

At that time, Yemen’s President Saleh’s ensured that his government would take all necessary measures against terrorists and extremists and they welcomed Feierstein’s statement. Saleh added that he will support all measures mentioned by President Obama. A roughly $1.2 billion assistance bundle was being considered by Washington at that time. Feierstein said much will go to establishing a security department not to fight terrorists directly but to revitalize Yemeni forces and to battle the fight against drugs.

2. Numbers on the ground. Currently, the CIA has expanded the number of case officers collecting intelligence in Yemen. These intelligence officers, along with special ops and military intel, are brave souls. Al Qaeda in Yemen injured 10 intelligence officers, 3 seriously, on September 25, 2009 in the capital, Sana’a. The attack came just after American instructors finished a training course on fighting terrorism. 

An intelligence officer, Abdullah Ba Sharaheel, was murdered when two gunmen opened fire on him in the city of Al Mukalla. He was on his way home with his family when the Al Qaeda gunmen attacked on motorcycles and shot him.

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3. The Arabian Peninsula is where al-Qaeda fled. Little wonder CIA analysts are focusing more on al Qaeda’s offshoots, in addition to the small, inner core group, which may still be housed in the tribal areas of Pakistan (Although, maybe not, after bin Laden's death). These offshoots are becoming more of a threat to America’s security. Their fears have influenced President Obama’s tactical measures in Yemen, for clandestine U.S. military strikes and armed CIA drone attacks on terrorists commenced. 

Al Qaeda has always aspired, but failed, to create a safe haven in Yemen...in the beginning, that is.  From 2001 to 2004, when Edmund J. Hull was the American ambassador to Yemen, U.S. and Yemeni counterterrorism efforts defeated al Qaeda at every turn, severely degrading its capabilities. During this period, al Qaeda mounted no successful operations against U.S. interests in Yemen and suffered the loss of its top leadership and cadres.

Unfortunately, things have changed. Their influence there is boiling over today. CIA analysts believe effective drone strikes in Pakistan have kept al Qaeda from recovering the offensive game. So, they migrated to the Arabian Peninsula and the new Yemen-based group is called Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). They succeeded in getting the Xmas day suicide bomber aboard the plane bound for Detroit. Analysts also believe the deceased Anwar al-Awlaki helped transform the AQAP into a transnational threat. OSINT News believes that, although the CIA has 10 times more people and resources in Pakistan than it does in Yemen, the figures will soon be the same. The National Security Council met with White House officials and it was decided that the CIA will play a major operational role in Yemen.

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4. We're not battling nation states anymore; we're fighting terrorist networks. And, they're sprouting up around the world faster than Chicken Delight franchises. Yemen is a pilot project...to be expanded, globally. No longer will America send in armored marine divisions. Instead, small, covert operations will expand globally where we gather intelligence, then apply it with lightening strike, in/out, inexpensive operations using spec ops.

Philip Mudd, a former senior official at the CIA and the FBI, believes that a Sept. 11-style attack has been supplanted by a proliferation of plots by AQAP and other affiliate networks. He stated, "The sheer numbers suggest that one of the plots in the United States will succeed. In the future the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region will not be the sole, or even primary, source of bombing suspects" (CTC Sentinel). Mudd's observation is another reason why OSINT News believes the U.S. should adopt Britain's MI5 model in its counterterrorism and counterintelligence efforts...here at home.

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5. Yemen needs stabilization. The reasons behind the current political and social chaos in Yemen is complex, with much historical causations that are an expression of authoritarian rule. And, al Qaeda takes advantage of chaos. Unrest continues to boil. While we were gathering OSINT intelligence a year ago, a gunmen killed a senior Yemeni intelligence officer in the main southern city of Aden, the latest in a spate of assassinations to hit the south, a security official said. Lieutenant Colonel Ali Ahmed Abd Rabbo was driving along the main coast road on Sunday evening when protesters blocked his way.

"As soon as his car stopped, gunmen opened fire, riddling the vehicle with bullets and killing the colonel". It was unclear whether the gunmen were from among the demonstrators or militants who had infiltrated the protest.

Several days later, army Colonel Naji Aitha escaped with minor injuries when militants detonated explosives outside his home, while fighting raged for the Abyan provincial capital of Zinjibar, where troops had been trying to dislodge al Qaeda linked militants.

At that time, a year ago, 230 Yemeni soldiers and 50 tribal auxiliaries had been killed in the battle for Zinjibar.

6. Anwar al-Awlaki resided there. His role in the global al Qaeda jihad was real, and just because a drone attack killed him, he was the "who's who" of jihadi attackers against the West. His DVDs and taped sermons on jihad were found in the computers of the US army officer responsible for the Fort Hood shootings, Major Nidal Hassan; underpants bomber Abdulmuttallab; and Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad. These DVDs and taped sermons are still used today to perpetuate hatred against the West, particularly the U.S.


7. CIA expanding operations there. Al Qaeda swarmed to Yemen. So, we should, too. As OSINT News was researching the AQAP, a group of construction workers in the Arabian Peninsula was hard at work constructing a secret CIA runway that would heavily ramp up drone strikes in Yemen designed to target al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The runway and  campaign is run by the CIA, which has been increasing the use of drone strikes in Afghanistan and Pakistan. OSINT News studied a wall chart  that shows al Qaeda's presence in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), including their organizational structure, key leadership figures, official media arm, Military Division, Research and Development Division,  Shura Council, and AQAP attacks (Delta Christmas attack,  attempted assassination of Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, etc). It was a vast mosaic of networking genius, to say the least.

8. We feel justified to be in Yemen. And why not? Virtually every attempted terrorist attack against the West by Salafist jihadis since 2009 has had some association with AQAP or with the deceased and incredibly influential   Islamic cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki.

AQAP is the most internationally active of the various al Qaeda branches and, as mentioned previously, has been involved in the 2009 attempted ''underpants'' bombing by Umar Farouk Abdulmuttallab, as well as the 2010 cargo bomb plot.

 

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For these 8 reasons, OSINT NEWS believes the CIA will continue increasing operations and will remain in Yemen for a long time.

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association For Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes about the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC). A portion of Ad revenues generated on this site is donated to the AFIO. His ideas are his own and do not represent those of any organization he's a member of. We will publish your ideas and comments at no charge...for the good of the order! Contact us on the Secure Contact Form

CIA GOT BIN LADEN, NOT PAKISTAN SPY AGENCY

According to The Indian Express newspaper, stung by lingering suspicions that it was complicit in sheltering Osama bin Laden, Pakistan's spy agency has claimed credit for helping US intelligence agencies locate the high-walled hideout of the terror mastermind.

"The lead and the information actually came from US," a senior official of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had told the Washington Post, in what the paper said was a push for recognition ahead of the anniversary of the stealth raid that killed bin Laden.

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The official said it was ISI which had provided CIA with a cellphone number that eventually led to an al-Qaeda courier Abu Ahmad al-Kuwaiti, the paper said. "Any hit on al-Qaeda anywhere in the world has happened with our help," the official said. "They knew who the number belonged to," the official said, adding that he had worked closely with the CIA and turned over thousands of suspect numbers. "But after that, their cooperation with us ended."

"It is the story of an extreme trust deficit and betrayal," the official lamented. But the Washington Post said that US officials disputed the ISI version. "The fact is, our knowledge of the number didn't come from them telling us about it," the paper quoted US officials as saying.

The paper said many Pakistani politicians have described the May 2 raid as an assault on Pakistan's sovereignty and an example of US arrogance. A Pakistani doctor who helped the CIA in the hunt for bin Laden remains in custody on charges of treason, and his associates are barred from working.

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OSINT News believes Pakistan's ISI is lying about their critical help in killing bin Laden and also feel Pakistan is no U.S. ally in the battle against terrorism. We recall the words, "Justice has been done." President Barack Obama announced the triumphant news to the American public. Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil, was killed by Navy Seals, and we celebrated. The amazing courage and percision of the U.S. Navy SEALs who finally found and executed "Public Enemy No. 1".

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO). A portion (10%) of this site's ad revenues is donated to the AFIO. The views expressed on this site do not represent those of any organization he is a member of. OSINT News is always looking for different perspectives regarding the Intelligence Community- got a thought, article or comment you'd like to submit? Contact us on the Secure Contact Form

PAKISTAN FATA REGION TERRORIST BREEDING GROUND

Before describing the past week's heavy fighting in the federally administered tribal area (FATA), OSINT News researched this area's geography to learn about the provinces, cities and towns in this mysterious NW part of Pakistan. The radical elements in these tribal areas are of concern to the U.S. because they have the potential to eventually undermine a nuclear Pakistan itself. 

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The tribal region we describe below is located on the frontier between Pakistan and Afghanistan and is the center of terrorist activity in the world today. Since 2001, Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters have regrouped here, using its mountainous terrain as a safe haven in which to train, plan major terror attacks, send insurgents to Afghanistan, and recruit ever-younger fighters. It is a region of militancy with a lethal mixture of ultra-conservatism, hatred of the West, economic under-development and an absence of law and order...all factors that breed a radicalized populace, with grave consequences for the stability of a nuclear
Pakistan. OSINT News believes these 28 tribal areas pose an international security risk unlike any other.

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The are 28 major tribal area agencies- Makeen, Parachinar, Angoor Ada, Jamrud, Wana, Pakistan, Landi Kotal, Spinkai, Alizai, Kurram, Mir Ali, Pakistan, Miranshah, Sadda, Fata, Zira Khel, Lahor, Fata, Shindand, Pakistan, Khar, Bajaur, Damadola, Upper Orakzai, Ghulam Khan, Bara Tehsil, Ayub Kaley, and Beliamen.

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There is a village named Alizai Alizai in the FATAs, located near the Durand Line border with Afghanistan . It is occupied by the Turi Tribe and both Shia and Sunni Muslims dwell in Alizai. It is considered a peaceful place in the Kurram Agency although some civil unrest took place recently. The United States has maintained detention facilities in the Alizai tribal area and it has been rumored that this site has been used to torture prisoners. The tribal area Angoor Ada Angoor, also called Angorada, means "Grape Base" in Pashto. OSINT News gathered information regarding Angorada from the data supplied by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and a Department of Defense (DoD) Combat Support Agency. It is a village and a border crossing straddling the South Waziristan Agency of Pakistan 's Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Afghanistan 's Paktika Province.

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Angorada is one of the few easy passages across a very mountainous border, and one of two between Paktika and Waziristan, the other passage being the Gumal River. The Afghan village Shkin lies just to the west of Angoor Ada. The actual authoritative Durand Line international boundary, first demarcated in 1895, slices through the east side of the main bazaar area, placing most of the built up area legally in Afghanistan. However, the military forces and gates enforcing border control are several hundred meters west of the boundary and thus west of the main bazaar area.

Eighty-five (85) militants and 17 civilians comprised the 102 persons killed last week in the Federal Administered Tribal Area (FATA). Here's blow-by-blow details of the murderous events:

Security Forces on August 26 killed at least 20 militants and injured 10 others in a clash during a raid in Batwar area of Salarzai tehsil (revenue unit) in Bajaur Agency of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

At least 28 militants and four members of the Salarzai Qaumi Lashkar were killed and 10 militants and four Security Force (SF) personnel injured as the fighting continued for the second day on August 25 along the border area of Batwar in Bajaur Agency. In addition, seven persons belonging to one family were killed and eight others, including women and
children, were injured when two mortar shells hit a house in Qambarkhel area of Bara region in Khyber Agency. 

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Eighteen suspected militants were killed and another six were injured when missiles fired by United States (US) drones slammed into suspected militants' hideouts in Shawal area of North Waziristan Agency (NWA) on August 24. Also, eight militants were killed and two of their hideouts destroyed after SFs shelling in Gawaki area of Orakzai Agency. Also, six militants and two Lashkars (tribal militia) were killed and five civilians were injured when at least 100 militants from across the Afghanistan border entered Batwar village in Salarzai tehsil (revenue unit) in Bajaur Agency and started firing on the posts set up by Salarzai Qaumi Lashkar.

Five militants were killed and two others injured when a US drone fired missiles at a vehicle near Shnakhura village in NWA on August 21.

Whew...what a week! OSINT News studied the history of these turbulent tribal areas. They, by law, are all semi-autonomous and governed by rules dating back to the British colonial era. Today, unfortunately, they provide safe havens for international terrorists, training grounds for regional militants, and are a destabilizing threat to the Pakistani state. Since 9/11, the Pakistani government has pursued different strategies to address these overlapping threats to national and international security, ranging from heavy military operations to negotiations. All have failed.

Robert Morton, Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO). A portion (10%) of this site's ad revenues is donated to the AFIO. The views expressed on this site do not represent those of any organization he is a member of. OSINT News is always looking for different perspectives regarding the Intelligence Community- got a thought, article or comment you'd like to submit? Contact us on the Secure Contact Form