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6 Peace and Security Review Vol.1, No.2, Second Quarter, 2008 US, to disrupt the Al-Qaeda infrastructure in the SWA and kill or apprehend Al-Qaeda militants. Subsequently, Pakistan started putting pressure on the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe to handover the foreign militants or purge them out of their territory. On 2 October 2003, the Pakistani government killed an Al-Qaeda leader, Ahmad Said Khadr alias Abdur Rehman al-Canadi aka Abdur Rehman al-Masri, and Hassan Makhsum, chief of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) in a gunship helicopter attack in the Shakai area. 9 The incident marked the first attack by Pakistani security forces in the SWA in which a prominent Al-Qaeda leader was killed. The subsequent military operations by Pakistan against Nek Muhammadled Taliban militants from the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe between October 2003 and April 2004 met with stiff resistance from Nek Muhammad. During this period, Al-Qaeda gradually relocated from the Shakai area of SWA to the adjoining North Waziristan Agency (NWA), and took refuge in the Shawal Valley, Saidgai Wazir, Dattakhel, Miranshah and Mirali. The IMU, however, stayed back and fought alongside Nek Muhammad against the Pakistani security forces. In one such operation, Tahir Yuldashev, head of the IMU, was severely injured, but evaded arrest at the hands of Pakistani security forces. 10 Some of the IMU militants also moved to the area inhabited by the Mahsud tribe of SWA. On 24 April 2004, a verbal agreement, commonly known as the Shakai Peace Agreement, was reached between the Pakistani Government, the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe and Taliban militants led by Nek Muhammad. 11 The Shakai agreement, however, eventually fell through due to non-compliance, with each side accusing the other of violating the agreement ⎯ thanks partly to the unwritten nature of the agreement. 12 Nek Muhammad was eventually killed in a predator drone strike in June 2004. 13 The absconding associates of Nek Muhammad revived the Shakai agreement in October 2004 after fresh negotiations between the government and the militants. 14 9 “Chronology: Son of Al-Qaeda, Ahmad Said Khadr Killed in Pakistan,” Frontline, www.pbs.org/ wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/khadr/family/cron.html. 10 “Uzbekistan Seeks Info About Militants Arrested in Pakistan Tribal Area,” Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst, Vol. 5, No. 7, 7 April 2004, The Central Asia Caucasus Institute, SAIS, John Hopkins University, US. 11 Iqbal Khattak, “Army Embraces Wanted Tribesmen,” Daily Times, 25 April 2004. 12 Iqbal Khattak, “Yargulkhels asked to Surrender Nek and Group within 24 Hours,” Daily Times, 9 June 2004. 13 Ayaz Gul, “Pakistan Military Kills Alleged Al-Qaeda Facilitator,” Voice of America, 18 June 2004. 14 Iqbal Khattak and Mujeebur Rehman, “Waziri Militants Agree to Peace Pact,” Daily Times, 12 November 2004. Vol.1, No.2 2008 pp.1-25
Gunaratna & Bukhari Making Peace with Pakistani Taliban to Isolate Al-Qaeda 7 Sararogha Peace Agreement (February 2005) After reaching the Shakai Agreement with the Ahmadzai Wazir Tribe in April 2004, the Pakistani security forces turned their attention to the Mahsud Tribe of the South Waziristan Agency (SWA), where many foreign militants, especially the Tahir Yuldashev-led IMU militants, had taken refuge following the military operations against Ahmadzai Wazir. An extensive military operation was launched in June 2004 against the Mahsud faction of the local Taliban militants led by Abdullah Mahsud and Baitullah Mahsud. 15 On 7 February 2005, the Pakistani government signed the Sararogha Agreement, in the pattern of Shakai Agreement, with the tribal elders of Mahsud tribe and the Mahsud Taliban militants led by Baitullah Mahsud. 16 The Pakistani government, however, refused to grant amnesty to Abdullah Mahsud on account of his abduction of two Chinese engineers in October 2004 from the nearby area of Gomalzam. 17 Both the Chinese were working on the Gomalzam Dam project which was being built by China's state-run Sino Hydro Corp in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). 18 One of the Chinese engineers was eventually killed in a subsequent rescue operation by the Pakistani security forces, while the other was recovered unharmed. Abdullah Mahsud, on his part, also refused to sign the Sararogha Agreement 19 and preferred to travel to Afghanistan’s Zabul province to fight the US-led foreign troops. He was eventually killed by Pakistani security forces in Zhob in Balochistan Province in July 2007, while travelling back to South Waziristan from Zabul Province of Afghanistan. 20 North Waziristan Agreement (September 2006) The North Waziristan Agency (NWA) assumes tremendous significance compared to any other Agency/District of FATA, since most of the leadership of Al-Qaeda and other foreign militant groups are based in NWA and operate from there. Similarly, Miranshah, the headquarters of NWA, is also the meeting place of local Taliban shura (consultative council) where almost all 15 Ismail Khan and Dalawar Khan Wazir, “Three Die in South Waziristan Action,” Dawn, 17 June 2004. 16 Dilawar Khan Wazir, “Amnesty Granted to Militant Leader,” Dawn, 8 February 2005. 17 Iqbal Khattak, “Kidnappers of Chinese Engineers Demand Foreign Militants’ Release,” Daily Times, 11 October 2004. 18 Oliver August, “Ex-Guantanamo Detainee Threatens to Kill Chinese Hostages,” Times Online, 11 October 2004. 19 “Abdullah Mahsud Says He Will Continue Jihad,” Daily Times, 10 February 2005. 20 “Taliban Commander: Abdullah Mahsud Killed in Pakistan,” Pakistan Times, 25 July 2007. Vol.1, No.2 2008 pp.1-25
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