TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Suspect May Lead Army Of Thousands

ADVERTISEMENT

By IMTIAZ ALI and GRIFF WITTE, The Washington Post

Published: December 30, 2007

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - The man named by Pakistani officials as the chief organizer of Benazir Bhutto's assassination is a widely feared tribal commander at the vanguard of efforts by extremist groups to draw Pakistan deeper into their insurgent campaign.

Baitullah Mehsud, based in the lawless border region of South Waziristan, is thought to lead an army of thousands of followers who over the past year have been looking increasingly to the east in Pakistan for their targets, rather than west to Afghanistan.

If Mehsud, a Taliban leader who is said to be connected to al-Qaida, was behind Bhutto's killing, it would be his most audacious attack to date. But he is thought to be responsible for many other high-profile attacks in Pakistan, including an operation earlier this year in which his men captured more than 150 army soldiers and held them for weeks.
Pakistani officials revealed Friday that they had intercepted a phone call in which Mehsud congratulated his men for assassinating Bhutto. That allegation was disputed Saturday, as a purported spokesman for Mehsud denied any link between the insurgent leader and Bhutto's death.

"It's baseless," Maulvi Omar, who claims to be the spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, told local journalists in the Waziristan region. "Benazir's killing is a political issue."

Bhutto's supporters have said much the same, arguing that elements of the government are responsible for the attack and that pinning the blame on Mehsud is an attempt to provide cover for the true culprits.

Bhutto had been outspoken about the need for Pakistan to confront Islamic extremism, warning in dire terms that groups such as the Taliban and al-Qaida pose an existential threat to the nation.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT