ISLAMABAD:
Intelligence officials knew about a meeting between al Qaeda chief Ayman al Zawahiri and the slain head of the homegrown Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Baitullah Mehsud back in 2008, but then ‘lost’ track of the terror mastermind.
The meeting, which was reported to have taken place during the first half of the same year, might have acted as a precursor for the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) drone attacks against Baitullah, which ultimately killed him in August 2009.
Officials looking after domestic counter-terrorism efforts said that officials of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) had informed CIA about the interaction.
It was not precisely known whether the meeting took place in South Waziristan — which was then completely controlled by the TTP — or somewhere in Afghanistan.
To substantiate the claim, officials said Baitullah was never targeted by US drones till 2008 because Americans did not consider the TTP a ‘serious’ enemy before his interaction with Ayman al Zawahiri.
“It was only after [this meeting] that Americans started taking Pakistani Taliban as a potent threat,” an official remarked.
“We were 100% sure from the start about collusion between al Qaeda and TTP… the Americans came to the same conclusion later,” said a former military official, who once served as secretary security for tribal areas under former president Pervez Musharraf.
Brigadier (retd) Mahmoud Shah said although he got retired two years before the meeting, he got hold of the information that the meeting between the two terrorists took place.
The CIA started a relentless drone campaign against Baitullah from 2008, and ultimately he got killed in the eighth Predator strike.
ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha is reported to have assured top American officials during his trip to Washington last week that Pakistani forces would take action if CIA came up with ‘actionable’ intelligence on the whereabouts of the new al Qaeda leader.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 18th, 2011.
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@Mirza: Your views are really misplaced ... I would love this campaign to continue provided it does what it is meant for. Its a known fact that the majority of people gets hit are civilians in an area where revenge is considered above GOD himself. Its not the Middle East where if you see some one is carrying gun you fire on them as we all know 99% of population in tribal areas carry them openly, from a teenage kid to an old man. The logic behind current campaign is the same as saying target any house that has a gun. (almost every single house has more than one in Pakistan thanks to Zia-Charlie's war). Govt has to get rid of sympathisers first and then get high profile people in TT Pakistan & AQ .. and seal the eastern border while sending back all parasitic refugees.
@Jameel: How naive one can be to not even understand a single sentence? They might have known about the meeting but not the location ... If ISI had spies in that region they might have known that these people are going for a meeting but not necessarily about the exact location.
Yet Pakistani officials, instead of dispatching F16s, did nothing? Plus they 'lost' track of them too. Pretty suspicious. For the information of Pakistani officials, waziristan is a Pakistani territory. It’s not CIA's job to act in Pakistani territory, really.
@ik....i agree with you. The headlines are generally irrational and do not properly convey the meaning of the article.
hehehehe ... Pakistani ... Wiki leaks ....
The headline should read "ISI informed CIA about Baitullah, Zawahiri meeting - but no action by CIA"
This news confirms that the US drone attacks have been fair and just. They did not target the TTP till 2008, when they got the info confirming their links and meeting Al Qaida leader. It was only after that proof did the US started targeting TTP and soon killed his leader. Looks like Pasha’s visit to the US is working to clear the US position in Pakistan. Now the US should start releasing the money, as we say “muzdoor ka pasina khushk hone se pehle ujrat de do” or before the sweat dries one has to pay the laborer.
i am proud of my army especially ISI.
CIA abstracting info from ISI and when aceive target did not mention this shame on you CIA.