Abdullah Mehsud
Encyclopedia
Abdullah Mehsud (1974 – July 24, 2007) was a member of the Mahsud
tribe in South Waziristan
, and a Pashtun
militant commander who killed himself with a hand grenade
after security forces raided his dwelling in Zhob
, Balochistan
, Pakistan.
American authorities later claimed that he had originally been a prisoner in the Guantanamo bay detainment camps, who was judicially released and subsequently "returned to the battlefield".
and lost a leg to a landmine in 1996.
. In December 2001, he surrendered to the Uzbek
warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum
in the Battle of Kunduz. He was handed over to the U.S. and spent 25 months in Guantanamo Bay detention camp, where he was fitted with a prosthetic limb. He was released by the U.S. and returned to South Waziristan.
In Waziristan, Mehsud was believed to be behind the kidnapping of two Chinese
engineers from the building of the Gomal Zam Dam
, which left one hostage dead during a botched rescue attempt. He was also alleged to have been behind an attack on Pakistan's Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Sherpao that killed 31 people.
In March 2005 a Department of Defense
document claimed:
In 2005, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf
announced that Mehsud had been killed by ISI
forces, only to later retract the statement.
Mehsud was one of the first three former Guantanamo captives the Bush
Presidency reported had returned to the battlefield. As of July 2007 spokesmen reported that over thirty captives had returned to the battlefield, or associated with terrorists, after their release. As of July 2007 the spokesmen had named seven of those individuals.
, Balochistan
. A team of law enforcement agencies conducted a raid on the house where he was staying. Mehsud killed himself by detonating a hand grenade. During the raid, several other militants were killed and his brothers, Abdul Rahman Mehsud and Muhammad Azam, were captured along with a local Taliban leader.
, a tribal leader of the Waziri Mehsud tribe.
Other sources merely assert that they were clansmen, or associates.
Islam Online reports that Baitullah suspected that Abdullah was a double agent.
asserted Abdullah Mahsud had "returned to terrorism".
The DIA reported:
Mahsud
Mahsud is a Pashtun tribe in South Waziristan, a tribal region in Pakistan. Mahsud are considered to be one of the bravest and toughest Pashtun Tribes. The Mahsud tribe lives in the centre of South Waziristan valley, surrounded on three sides by the Darwesh Waziris, and being shut off by the...
tribe in South Waziristan
South Waziristan
South Waziristan is the southern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . Waziristan comprises the area west and southwest of Peshawar between the Tochi River to the north and the Gomal River to the south, forming...
, and a Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
militant commander who killed himself with a hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
after security forces raided his dwelling in Zhob
Zhob
-Roads:Zhob is 333 kilometers from Quetta, 225 kilometers from Dera Ismail Khan. However, the road linking with Dera Ismail Khan is for most part fair nowadays track passing through water streams and almost complete road is metalloid....
, Balochistan
Balochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
, Pakistan.
American authorities later claimed that he had originally been a prisoner in the Guantanamo bay detainment camps, who was judicially released and subsequently "returned to the battlefield".
Early life
Abdullah Mehsud (Muhammad Alam Mahsud) was born in early 1974 in Nano village of South Waziristan, and was a member of the Mehsud clan Saleemi Khel in South Waziristan. Abdullah Mehsud fought against the Northern AllianceNorthern Alliance
The Afghan Northern Alliance is a military-political umbrella organization created by the Islamic State of Afghanistan in 1996.Northern Alliance may also refer to:*Northern Alliance , a Canadian white supremacist group...
and lost a leg to a landmine in 1996.
Capture
During the opening days of Operation Enduring Freedom, Mehsud fought against U.S. and Northern Alliance forces in AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. In December 2001, he surrendered to the Uzbek
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are a Turkic ethnic group in Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Pakistan, Mongolia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China...
warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum
Abdul Rashid Dostum
Abdul Rashid Dostum is a former pro-Soviet fighter during the Soviet war in Afghanistan and is considered by many to be the leader of Afghanistan's Uzbek community and the party Junbish-e Milli-yi Islami-yi Afghanistan...
in the Battle of Kunduz. He was handed over to the U.S. and spent 25 months in Guantanamo Bay detention camp, where he was fitted with a prosthetic limb. He was released by the U.S. and returned to South Waziristan.
Return to the battlefield
After his release, Mehsud immediately begin rebuilding his Taliban cadre. He commanded a force of up to 5,000 Taliban fighters. He then began initiating attacks on Coalition soldiers in Afghanistan.In Waziristan, Mehsud was believed to be behind the kidnapping of two Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
engineers from the building of the Gomal Zam Dam
Gomal Zam Dam
Gomal Zam Dam is a hydro-electric power and irrigation project under construction in northwest Pakistan. It sits on the Gomal River in the South Waziristan Agency. The Gomal flows from neighboring Afghanistan southeast to the Indus River, of which it is a tributary...
, which left one hostage dead during a botched rescue attempt. He was also alleged to have been behind an attack on Pakistan's Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Sherpao that killed 31 people.
In March 2005 a Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
document claimed:
In 2005, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
announced that Mehsud had been killed by ISI
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
forces, only to later retract the statement.
Mehsud was one of the first three former Guantanamo captives the Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
Presidency reported had returned to the battlefield. As of July 2007 spokesmen reported that over thirty captives had returned to the battlefield, or associated with terrorists, after their release. As of July 2007 the spokesmen had named seven of those individuals.
Promise to never surrender
Sikh Spectrum reports that, during a telephone interview in 2004, Abdullah Mehsud promised to never surrender.Death
On 24 July 2007, Mehsud was at a house with other militants in ZhobZhob
-Roads:Zhob is 333 kilometers from Quetta, 225 kilometers from Dera Ismail Khan. However, the road linking with Dera Ismail Khan is for most part fair nowadays track passing through water streams and almost complete road is metalloid....
, Balochistan
Balochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
. A team of law enforcement agencies conducted a raid on the house where he was staying. Mehsud killed himself by detonating a hand grenade. During the raid, several other militants were killed and his brothers, Abdul Rahman Mehsud and Muhammad Azam, were captured along with a local Taliban leader.
Relationship with Baitullah Mehsud
Abdullah Mehsud has been described as a leader of Baitullah MehsudBaitullah Mehsud
Baitullah Mehsud was a leading militant in Waziristan, Pakistan, and the leader of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan . He formed the TTP from an alliance of about five militant groups in December 2007. He is thought by U.S...
, a tribal leader of the Waziri Mehsud tribe.
Other sources merely assert that they were clansmen, or associates.
Islam Online reports that Baitullah suspected that Abdullah was a double agent.
Defense Intelligence Agency claims he "returned to terrorism"
The Defense Intelligence AgencyDefense Intelligence Agency
The Defense Intelligence Agency is a member of the Intelligence Community of the United States, and is the central producer and manager of military intelligence for the United States Department of Defense, employing over 16,500 U.S. military and civilian employees worldwide...
asserted Abdullah Mahsud had "returned to terrorism".
The DIA reported:
External links
- Pakistan Army Pays More Than Half Million Dollars to Al Qaeda in Bizarre Deal, South Asia TribuneSouth Asia TribuneThe South Asia Tribune is one of the prominent online journals. It focus on the political, social, regional and other issues of South Asia. A prominent US-based Pakistani journalist, Shaheen Sehbai, is the founder of this journal.-Shaheen Sehbai:...
, 10 February 2005