Hakimullah Mehsud appointed head of Pakistani Taliban

October 5th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The new Pakistani Taliban chief has met journalists in Pakistan's lawless tribal district of South Waziristan to refute claims by Pakistani and US officials that he might have died. Hakimullah Mehsud allowed five reporters to interview him in the remote, mountainous district Sunday on the condition that it would be reported only Monday.

October 5th, 2009 SARAROGHA - Newly appointed Pak-Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud met with reporters in Pakistan's tribal areas, ending speculations on his death. Mehsud, surrounded by other Taliban commanders in a show of unity, spoke to a small group of reporters on Sunday on condition the interview only be published on Monday, The Dawn reports.

October 5th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's new Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud has met journalists, ending speculation about his death, and vowed to avenge drone attacks and the killing of his predecessor Baitullah Mehsud. Hakimullah Mehsud met reporters Sunday in the country's tribal area for the first time since gaining control over the militant outfit, Dawn reported Monday.

October 3rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - US intelligence agencies believe the newly named leader of the Taliban in Pakistan, Hakimullah Mehsud, might have been killed in a gunfight with a rival faction weeks ago. Militants tapped Hakimullah to replace the group's previous leader, Baitullah Mehsud, who was killed by a missile fired from a CIA-piloted drone aircraft in his South Waziristan stronghold on the Afghan border Aug 5.

September 14th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A Saudi Arabian charity has funded 15 million dollars to a pro al-Qaeda militant organization to carry out terror attacks in Pakistan, Pakistani police has claimed. "The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan is likely to strike major cities of the Punjab.

September 2nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Newly appointed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud has already been killed and it was his look-alike brother who gave an interview to the BCC some days ago, Pakistani security forces said. According to a private television channel, Hakimullah's look-alike brother was specially summoned from Afghanistan to Pakistan, while the decision to appoint their new chief was being taken by the Taliban after Baitullah Mehsud's death in a US drone attack last month.

September 2nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani security forces believe that new Taliban commander Hakimullah Mehsud is dead, a media report said Wednesday. A Pakistani TV news channel quoted intelligence sources as saying that the man died some time back and it was Hakimullahs look-alike brother who spoke to news channels recently.

August 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Observers believe that the power struggle in the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) could erupt again following the announcement of its new chief after the banned outfit admitted, after weeks of denial, that Baitullah Mehsud had indeed been killed in US drone strike earlier this month. The TTP may have announced the name of its new leader, but observers believe the infighting would continue in the banned outfit.

August 23rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani intelligence agencies believe the new Taliban chief named by the militant group Saturday is a look alike brother of Hakimullah Mehsud and not the real one, the Online news agency reported. Taliban in order to save their image are giving the impression that Hakimullah Mehsud is alive, while the truth is the man, also called by the same name, who has been selected as the new chief of Teherik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is his look alike brother, the report said citing intelligence sources.

August 22nd, 2009 Pakistani Taliban say new leader chosenKHAR, Pakistan — Hakimullah Mehsud, a Pakistani Taliban commander behind several serious attacks including a deadly attempt to take the Sri Lankan cricket team hostage, has been appointed the new head of the militant group, the aide to another commander said Saturday. Bakht Zada, a close aide to commander Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, told The Associated Press a 42-member Taliban council, or shura, appointed a new head because Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud was ill.

August 22nd, 2009 Report: Hakimullah new head of Pakistani TalibanISLAMABAD — Leading Pakistan Taliban commander Hakimullah Mehsud has been appointed the new head of the militant group, media reports said Saturday, weeks after Washington and Islamabad said the militants' chief, Baitullah Mehsud, was almost certainly killed by a missile strike. Maulvi Faqir Mohammad told the BBC's Urdu service that a 42-member Taliban council, or shura, appointed a new head because Baitullah was ill.

August 22nd, 2009 Report: Pakistani Taliban choose new leaderISLAMABAD — Leading Pakistani Taliban commander Hakimullah Mehsud has been appointed the new head of the militant group, media reports said Saturday, weeks after Washington and Islamabad said the militants' chief, Baitullah Mehsud, was almost certainly killed by a missile strike. Maulvi Faqir Mohammad told the BBC's Urdu service that a 42-member Taliban council, or shura, appointed a new head because Baitullah was ill.

August 11th, 2009 PESHAWAR - Pakistan Government's claims about the killing of the top Taliban leadership were laid bare when Baitullah Mehsud's close aide Hakimullah Mehsud, who was declared dead in an intra-group clash, himself told the media he was alive. "Look, I am here, safe and sound," Hakimullah, 30, said in a telephone call to journalists from an undisclosed location.

August 9th, 2009 LONDON - Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik has challenged the Taliban to prove that their top leaders-Baitullah Mehsud and Hakimullah Mehsud-are still alive. "If Baitullah Mehsud is alive, or Hakimullah is alive, why don't they bring out a video.

August 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The killing of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehusd in a US drone strike is likely to open up a power struggle within the various factions of the Taliban, that Islamabad could use to divide and suppress the militancy in the region. Baitullah Mehsud unified more than a dozen militant factions two years ago, putting them under his umbrella as the TTP.