Death of Taliban chief a blow to extremists

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan - Pakistan's Taliban chief was killed by a CIA missile strike, a militant commander confirmed Friday — a severe blow to extremists threatening the stability of this nuclear-armed nation and a possible boost to U.S.-Pakistani cooperation in fighting insurgents who wreak havoc along the Afghan border.

Pakistani officials vowed to dismantle the rest of the network run by Baitullah Mehsud regardless of who takes over, a move seen as essential to crippling the violent Islamists behind dozens of suicide attacks and beheadings in the country.

Already, the Taliban were holding a "shura" council in the lawless, rugged South Waziristan tribal region to choose Mehsud's successor, intelligence officials and militants told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information. It was unclear when they might reach a decision.

Pakistan considered the al-Qaida-linked Mehsud its No. 1 internal threat. He was suspected in the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and many other assaults. He claimed responsibility for some, including an audacious attack on a police academy in March that killed 12 people.

His death would be a victory for President Barack Obama and a nod to the Bush administration, both of whom have relied heavily on the CIA-controlled missile strikes to take out militants in Pakistan's wild northwest. The U.S. had a $5 million bounty on Mehsud, whom it considered a threat to the Afghan war effort.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Friday that the administration could not confirm the death, but was aware it was the growing consensus among "credible observers." A senior counterterrorism official said that while the U.S. is still working on final identification, authorities now have strong indications that Mehsud is dead. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence reports.

"If he is dead, without a doubt, the people of Pakistan will be safer as a result," Gibbs said.

Islamabad officially protests the missile strikes, although many analysts suspect the two countries coordinate on the drone-fired attacks. Mehsud was killed with one of his two wives Wednesday in his South Waziristan stronghold, his militant aide said.

"I confirm that Baitullah Mehsud and his wife died in the American missile attack in South Waziristan," Taliban commander Kafayat Ullah told AP by telephone.

Pakistani leaders said they were getting the same reports and were reasonably sure of their accuracy but did not have forensic evidence such as a body for irrefutable confirmation. Final confirmation could take days or weeks.

Fareed Khan / AP Displaced Pakistanis from the troubled Swat valley read newspaper stories about the death of Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud as they arrive at a bus terminal in Karachi Friday to return to their homeland.

A tribesman who spoke on condition his name not be used said the missile struck Mehsud's father-in-law's house. He said a doctor was treating the Taliban leader there for a kidney ailment. The tribesman said he attended Mehsud's funeral.

Pakistani officials would not say they coordinated with the U.S. on the strike, although they insist they cooperate with U.S. and Afghan forces on border-related operations. Intelligence sharing between Washington and Islamabad has been increasing in the past year now that Pakistan has a civilian government and has shown a growing willingness to battle militants in its borders.

There apparently was no official criticism or popular outcry against the missile strike that killed Mehsud, despite public fury over other U.S. attacks.

The U.S. for years considered Mehsud a lesser threat to its interests than some other militants because most of his attacks were focused inside Pakistan, not against U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan.

Three times in two years, the Americans turned down Pakistani requests to target Mehsud, according to a former Pakistani security official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release information to media.

While U.S. officials would not comment directly on the Pakistani assertion, they said Mehsud has been a target for some time although there may have been targeting disagreements.

A U.S. counterterrorism official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters said that there are sometimes conflicts over tactics, even as the broader goals remain the same.

Earlier this year, however, U.S. drones began repeatedly striking Mehsud's territory in Pakistan's South Waziristan region as his power grew and concerns mounted that violence could destabilize Pakistan and threaten the region. In addition, some of Mehsud's fighters were suspected of attacking supply convoys for U.S. and NATO forces through Pakistan.

Whether Pakistan will now aim for militant leaders that are a greater threat to the U.S. — such as those led by Maulvi Naseer Wazir in South Waziristan, Hafiz Gul Bahadur in North Waziristan or the Haqqani group — remains to be seen, although the U.S. success in taking out Mehsud could be a strong nudge.

Fueled by his alliances with al-Qaida and other militant outfits, Mehsud rose to the peak of Pakistan's militant pyramid thanks largely to his brutality and Pakistan's unwillingness to take him on. A 30-something son of a potato farmer who once taught physical fitness, Mehsud was soft-spoken but brash enough to once hold a news conference.

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