Tribune’s Gamechangers 2011: Sirajuddin Haqqani

The latest US bogeyman.

Move over Husain, and let the original Haqqani stand up.

The son of legendary Afghan mujahid Jalalauddin Haqqani, Sirajuddin is now considered the operational head of the Haqqani network, which is blamed by the US for just about every major setback they face in Afghanistan. Said to be based in North Waziristan, the Haqqani network has been a serious bone of contention between Pakistan and the US.

The US has repeatedly accused Pakistan’s establishment of supporting the Haqqanis, a charge hotly denied by Pakistan. The US has also pushed for a military operation in North Waziristan, something that Pakistan has thus far resisted.  The Haqqani network is also considered to be the most sophisticated and resilient of Afghanistan’s insurgent groups.

QUOTE: "Gone are the days when we were hiding in the mountains along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border." - Sirajuddin