Halt attacks on Pakistani military: Siraj Haqqani

Siraj_Haqqani-1.jpg

Click to view slide show of some of the Haqqani Network’s top leaders. Pictured is a composite image of Siraj Haqqani.

Siraj Haqqani, the operational commander of the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani Network, and a member of a Taliban alliance that spans the tribal Pakistan’s areas and eastern Afghanistan, has ordered the Taliban to abide by its peace agreement with the Pakistani military and cease its attacks on the security forces. Siraj’s statement confirms what the Pakistani government has denied: the Taliban and Pakistan have entered into a peace deal.

Siraj issued the order under the aegis of the Shura-e-Murakeba, an alliance that was formed in January and consists of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, which is led by Hakeemullah Mehsud and his deputy, Waliur Rehman Mehsud; Hafiz Gul Bahadar’s group; Mullah Nazir’s group; and the Haqqani Network. The Shura-e-Murakeba was formed with the aid of al Qaeda’s top leaders.

The statement, which was distributed in the form of a pamphlet in North Waziristan, was obtained by The Associated Press.

“In North Waziristan, we are all in agreement with the Pakistani government, so we are all bound to honor this agreement and nobody is allowed to violate it,” the pamphlet said. Siraj said that “anyone who violates the agreement ‘will dealt with as a culprit,'” according to AP.

The Shura-e-Murakeba was officially formed in early January after months of negotiations between the various terror groups operating in eastern Afghanistan and Pakistan’s tribal areas, as well as with al Qaeda [see LWJ report, Al Qaeda brokers new anti-US Taliban alliance in Pakistan and Afghanistan]. The members of the Shura-e-Murakeba agreed to cease attacks against Pakistani security forces, refocus efforts against the US, and end kidnappings and other criminal activities in the tribal areas.

The formation of the Shura-e-Murakeba was brokered by senior al Qaeda leader Abu Yahya al Libi; another senior al Qaeda leader known as Abdur Rehman al Saudi; Mullah Mansour, a top Taliban leader who operates in eastern Afghanistan; and Siraj. Mullah Omar, the overall leader of the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, is said to have dispatched Siraj and Mansour to help negotiate the agreement.

The Pakistani military and Interior Minister Rehman Malik have previously denied that Pakistan was in talks with the Taliban. In December 2011, Malik had said that the Taliban must lay down their weapons and end attacks in the country before any talks could proceed.

And in November 2011, the Pakistani military issued a press release that “strongly and categorically” denied it was conducting talks with the Taliban [see Threat Matrix report, Pakistani military denies role in talks with Taliban.]

“Strongly and categorically refuting media reports, a spokesperson of ISPR [the military’s public affairs branch] said that Army is not undertaking any kind of negotiations with TTP [Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan] or its affiliated militant groups. Such reports are concocted, baseless and unfounded,” the statement said. “Any contemplated negotiation/reconciliation process with militant groups has to be done by the Govt, the spokesperson concluded.”

From 2004 to 2009, the Pakistani military and government signed numerous peace agreements with the Taliban in the tribal agencies of North and South Waziristan, Bajaur, Mohmand, Arakzai, Kurram, and Khyber, as well as in settled districts in the northwest, including in Swat. The peace agreements gave the Taliban control over the territories, but stipulated that the Taliban must recognize the government, end attacks on security forces, and deny shelter to al Qaeda and other foreign terror groups. The Taliban have refused to abide by the terms of the agreements.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

Tags: , ,

15 Comments

  • JT says:

    Any more info regarding the Afghan reported cross border kidnapping into Baluchistan? The SW part of Pakistan is reported to shelter many Taliban types but there is very little report of proactive military activity against them.
    Here is a link to the Dawn article:
    http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/12/afghan-forces-allegedly-cross-into-balochistan.html

  • JR says:

    How we ever thought we could ever have a candid, forthright relationship with this duplicitous lot is beyond me.
    “Strongly and categorically refuting media reports, a spokesperson of ISPR said that Army is not undertaking any kind of negotiations with TTP or its affiliated militant groups. Such reports are concocted, baseless and unfounded,”
    If it weren’t so sad, it would be funny. We should never trust their word. They make agreements knowing they will ultimately disavow them. They expect it from all parties. It’s their culture.
    “Their is no honor amongst thieves” is how we should approach any negotiation with any of them.

  • HJM says:

    Its bad when you can trust the word of the Taliban before an “ally” government like Pakistan. No doubt there is an agreement and no doubt the Taliban will find some reason or excuse to break it……again.

  • mike merlo says:

    This’ll last maybe 24 or 48 hours. After decades of recruiting psychopaths, dope fiends, criminally insane etc., and to think with the flip of a switch or a wave of ones hand they’ll just simply cease and desist. Yeah right. The next thing you know the Shura-e-Murakeba will start posting video’s of the Taliban manning lemonade stands and Child Care Centers along the Khyber Pass.
    On a more serious note, coupled with earlier posts by TLWJ & Zawahiri’s latest ‘pep’ talk concerning Syria, this ‘post’ is indicative of Al Qaeda shifting CinC, resources, expertise, etc., to the African continent.

  • Witch Doctor says:

    JR said :
    “They make agreements knowing they will ultimately disavow them. They expect it from all parties. It’s their culture.”
    You are absolutely correct. It is hard to come to grips with this type of thinking but it must be done and understood in order to know the enemy better.
    Selling each other out is truly their way of life. They can have it too.

  • David Rodden says:

    The current Administration wants to Negotiate with the Taliban???We can’t trust our ally, Pakistan…

  • Knighthawk says:

    Oh gosh… another “peace” agreement? Comical.
    Over\Under on when the next attack from the associated Taliban groups upon Pakistani forces will occur, assuming one has not already taken place?

  • mike merlo says:

    A clique of ‘Irish Car Bombers,’ Biden, Donilon’s & Brennan, are some of the principals in the Obama Administration pushing for these irrational negotiations & solutions based on Disneyland views of human behavior.

  • Devendra says:

    These are two entities which have no honor, no integrity, nothing they say can be and is ever trusted by the rest of the world. They both know each other well and will lie to get by the occasion only to turn on the other whenever it suits them.
    These two entities (Pakistani Government and Taliban/Al Quaeda) are sons of Devil and they will, and are, devouring each other. We should let them, and get out of the way.

  • bard207 says:

    Over the years, many Pro Pakistan commenters – posters here at the LWJ have claimed
    that the Taliban acting against Pakistan were funded, directed and supplied
    by the Mossad, CIA and RAW.
    Yet, the Pakistanis are making peace deals with the agents of the
    Mossad, CIA and RAW?
    Could a Pakistan supporter please explain these events to us?

  • gfgwgc says:

    @bard207: The silence to your question is deafening. I suspect that it will remain so.
    Just about everyone in that part of the world will accept and endorse any kind of outlandish conspiracy theory that works for that moment or event. No one, absolutely no one, will go back and revisit their assumptions (theories) when they are ultimately disproved. That’s called living in denial and they seem to be mired in it.

  • Bing says:

    Point of clarification: This is an existing “peace” agreement that is limited to North Waziristan and dose not apply across the tribal areas.
    bard207, the Haqqanis are on the Pakistanis side. The TTP is basically being told to abide by the Haqqani agreement here. We already know that NATO funds are diverted back to the Taliban in Afghanistan, so nothing is what it seems.

  • bard207 says:

    gfgwgc,
    Thank you.
    In recent years, web sites dominated by Pro Pakistan participants have encouraged their followers to go across the Internet and do positive Public Relations for Pakistan.
    When they (Pro Pakistan people) shy away from responding to a logical question, then previous efforts at generating good PR for Pakistan have been wasted.
    *******************
    Bing,
    I realize that things are not what they seem in regards to Pakistan.
    I have always been unsure if the Pro Pakistan commenters – posters at the LWJ actually believed that the TTP was funded, directed and supplied by the Mossad, CIA and RAW. The alternative POV is that Taqiyya was being done to try and justify Pakistani support for the Taliban as payback for the imagined Mossad, CIA and RAW support of the TtP.

  • Is the new $2.4 billion obama give away to pakistan Military has anything to do with this?Is Iran.karzai and Zardari meeting in Islamabad has anything to go by? I think TTP is coming on board due to Iran

  • Qadeer Ahmed says:

    Taliban will never change and their ruthless act of terrorism will continue. Militant commander’s one sided claimed peace talks while on the other side sporadic attacks have continued. Taliban was forbidden and illegitimate in Islam.
    In recent months, some militant commanders have claimed peace talks and sporadic attacks have continued. Taliban groups are doing a huge disservice to Islam by taking law in their own hands. Taliban’s have double standards regarding their religious and moral duties.

Iraq

Islamic state

Syria

Aqap

Al shabaab

Boko Haram

Isis