FATA/NWFP Maps

I suppose I should I have included maps of the region earlier.

Both maps are courtesy of the Longwar Journal.

The first map shows the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in gold, which is considered the Taliban's and al Qaeda's stronghold and the Northwest Frontier Province in purple, which contains a mish-mash of Taliban, al Qaeda, and other groups. About 3.5 million people live in the FATA and 21 million people live in the NWFP. Obviously the dominant religion is Islam and people speak Pashto (closer to Afghanistan) and Urdu (closer to Pakistan).

The second map shows the relative degree of control of each province (or agency in Pakistan-speak). Red indicates total Taliban control, but I would suggest that the gold areas should also be red. Pakistan operates the Frontier Corps (FC) in these areas, a sort of paramilitary security organization, to police the area. In reality, the FC chose to either (1) enforce the law and ultimately die by the hands of the Taliban, or (2) get on the Taliban's payroll and look the other way.

It's interesting (and frightening) to note that Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, is less than 50 miles from the red areas. If one were to make a map of Islamabad itself, I would guess that there would be plenty of red areas within the city.





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South Waziristan Map (Eastern Portion)

Northwest Frontier Province to the east.

Thanks to Google Earth.

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South Waziristan Map (Northern Portion)

With the southern portion of North Waziristan.

Thanks to Google Earth.

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South Waziristan (Central Portion)

Thanks to Google Earth.

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South Waziristan Map (Western Portion)

Thanks to Google Earth.

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Wow

Photo: Associated Press (Mehsud on the left)


Sorry for the dated story, but I just stumbled on it.

I'm not rying to make light of the seven dead CIA personnel who died in Khost, Afghanistan last December, but this seems a little silly. I am sure Hakimullah Mehsud is phoning his lawyer right now to seek a plea deal...

From Dawn.com (September 1, 2010):

WASHINGTON: US prosecutors have charged the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud, for the plot that killed seven CIA employees at an American base in Afghanistan last December, the US Justice Department said on Wednesday.

Mehsud was charged with conspiracy to kill Americans overseas and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction.

On Dec. 30, a Jordanian doctor who had gained the trust of the CIA employees detonated a bomb hidden under his clothing after entering the heavily fortified compound outside Khost. It was the second-most deadly attack in CIA history.

“Criminal charges are meant to deal with Hakimullah if he's captured,” said one US official who declined to be further identified. “He can face justice in other ways, too. That hasn't changed.”

US military forces have tried to kill Mehsud since the attack with strikes by unmanned aerial drones. The State Department is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his location.

After the attack, a video surfaced in which the bomber, identified as Jordanian Humam Khalil Abu Mulal al-Balawi, appeared with Mehsud claiming responsibility for the suicide bombing and stating that it was revenge for the killing of the group's leader Baitullah Mehsud.

Al-Balawi's legs were recovered from the scene of the blast and DNA testing helped identify him, according to the criminal complaint filed in US District Court for the District of Columbia. Six Americans were also injured in the attack

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Tensions in South Waziristan

This is VERY interesting. Maulana Noor Muhammed, a founding member of the JUI (an old-school Pakistani militant group)and influential cleric in South Waziristan was blown up today. He was notably against the involvement of central asian militant groups in the insurgency inside Afghanistan. I'm wondering if the Uzbeks are making a power move.

From AFP and Dawn.com (September 21, 2010):

WANA / PARACHINAR: Thirty-two people, a former parliamentarian among them, were killed and at least 42 others injured in two terrorist attacks in tribal areas on Monday.

In the South Waziristan town of Wana, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the seminary of Maulana Noor Mohammad, former MNA of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) from Fata, killing the cleric and 24 others, local people said.

Thirty-six people were injured and five of them who had suffered critical injuries were airlifted to Rawalpindi.

An eyewitness said Maulana Noor Mohmmad was about to leave the Jamia mosque near Wana bazaar after Zohr prayers when a boy in his teens approached him to shake hands.

At that moment a huge blast took place. The mosque was badly damaged. People rushed to the seminary to rescue the injured and retrieve bodies from the rubble.

Official sources said the head and legs of the suicide bomber had been found.

Maulana Noor Mohammad was elected to the National Assembly in 1997 from South Waziristan.

He was an influential figure and brokered several deals between Taliban militants and the local administration. He was reported to have opposed the presence of Uzbek militants in the tribal region.

Our correspondent in Parachinar adds: Seven people were killed and six others wounded when an improvised explosive device planted near a government school exploded at a time when a jirga of elders of Khomasa area of Kurram tribal region was in progress.

The jirga was held to sort out a dispute between two groups over the ownership of the school. The powerful blast made a three to four feet crater.

The Assistant Political Agent of Kurram said the blast might have been caused by a time-bomb.

An eyewitness reported seeing thick smoke billowing from the place after the explosion and people running towards the area. Seven bodies lay on the ground while the injured cried for help.

Administration personnel cordoned off the area and launched search operation. No group claimed responsibility for any of the explosions till Monday evening.

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Change in Pace: Drone Strike in South Waziristan

Something/someone big must have been spotted in South Waziristan today to divert our focus from North Waziristan. Perhaps it was Mullah Nazir himself? It's probably a good time to provide a little write up on Nazir and South Waziristan. Stay tuned.

From AFP and Dawn.com (September 21, 2010):

MIRAM SHAH: A US drone on Tuesday fired three missiles at a militant compound in Pakistan's northwestern tribal belt near the Afghan border, killing six militants, officials said.

“At least six militants were killed and five others were wounded when a US drone fired three missiles at a militant compound,” a senior security official told AFP.

The attack took place in Azam Warsak village, some 25 kilometres (15 miles) west of Wana, the main town in South Waziristan tribal district, the official said.

An intelligence official and a South Waziristan administration official confirmed the attack and death toll to AFP via phone in Miram Shah, the capital of neighbouring North Waziristan tribal district.

Another security official in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province also confirmed that the unmanned US aircraft killed at least six militants.

The Nation.com (September 22, 2010) reports that 12 militants were killed in total.

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Map of North Waziristan (Eastern Portion)

Thanks to Google Earth.

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Map of North Waziristan (Central Portion)

Thanks to Google Earth.

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Map of North Waziristan (Western Portion)

This map represents the western portion of North Waziristan. North Waziristan is located in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), which technically is part of Pakistan, but is nestled between Afghanistan on the North and West and Pakistan on the East and South.

The larger villages are accurately located (in bigger text), but the smaller ones are just a guesstimate.

Thanks to Google Earth.

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