Pak’s ‘Get Baitullah’ mission critical to defeat Taliban: Gen Dutton

September 17th, 2009 PESHAWAR - Two out of the six family members of the killed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud, who were kidnapped by the Taliban for spying on their chief, have died. Sources said Mehsud's in laws were subjected to brutal torture in custody by the Taliban.

August 24th, 2009 WANA - Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud wants the Taliban council to choose their new head within THE next five days, according to commander Waliur Rehman. Talking to a foreign news agency, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) South Waziristan Amir Waliur Rehman said, "We have thousands of suicide attackers, who can destroy their targets anywhere." Waliur Rehman added that Baitullah Mehsud is alive; but is seriously ailing.

August 24th, 2009 WANA - A commander of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Monday said his organisation will select a new chief in the next five days according to the instruction of their leader Baitullah Mehsud, a media report said. Waliur Rehman, commander of the group in South Waziristan, said: We have thousands of suicide attackers, who can destroy their (government) targets anywhere.

August 22nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has declared Hakeemullah Mehsud as the successor to Baitullah Mehsud. TTP spokesman Maulvi Faqir Muhammad announced Hakeemullah's appointment while claiming that Baitullah was alive, the News reports.

August 22nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A 42-member tribal gathering Saturday appointed Hakimullah Mehsud as the new head of the Pakistani Taliban though the group insists its previous head Baitullah Mehsud is still alive. Talking to BBC from an unknown location, acting TTP head Moulvi Faqir Muhammad categorically refuted reports that Baitullah Mehsud had been killed in a US drone attack last week.

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 10th, 2009 WANA (NWFP, Pakistan), - An aide to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan chief Baitullah Mehsud, Maulana Noor Saeed, has rubbished reports of him being killed by a US drone strike last Wednesday, and said that he is alive, but ill. Saeed was quoted by the BBC, as saying that Baitullah will issue a video message some time on Monday to quash speculations regarding his demise.

August 9th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - In a bid to ensure that Islamabad doesn't call off or delay its military offensive in Waziristan following the reported death of Baitullah Mehsud, the United States has told Pakistan to continue fighting the war on terror in the tribal areas. "The Obama administration is pleased over the death of Baitullah Mehsud, but it is against any decision by Islamabad to delay the South Waziristan offensive for long or call it off," The Nation quoted a diplomatic source, as saying.

August 8th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Despite the killing of Pakistan's enemy number one Baitullah Mehsud in a US drone strike, Islamabad has a long way to go in fighting terrorism, Pakistan's Information Minister Kamran Zaman Qaira has said. "We have a long way to go.

July 23rd, 2009 RAWALPINDI - The Pakistan Army has killed at least 27 Taliban fighters in various districts of the Malakand division in the last 24 hours. According to an ISPR statement, fighter jets pounded Taliban hideouts in South Waziristan killing six close aides of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud.

July 15th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A pro-government Taliban leader, Turkistan Bhittani, has accused the local administration of helping the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud establish his command in the North West Frontier Province's Tank District. Addressing a press conference, Bhittani, whom the government has been projecting as the leader of so-called 'good Taliban', claimed that the Tank administration is helping Mehsud gain a foothold in the region.

June 25th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Cracks within the Taliban are getting wider, with the younger brother of Qari Zainuddin, Misbahuddin Mehsud, vowing to continue the fight against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud until the Taliban warlord is killed. Misbahuddin Mehsud, who was appointed the new chief of the Abdullah Group, a breakaway Taliban organization, said he would lend all support to the military operation in South Waziristan against the TTP chief to revenge Zainuddin's murder, who was apparently killed for his anti-Mehsud remarks.

June 17th, 2009 PESHAWAR - Caught between heavy shelling by the Pak air force against Baitullah Mehsud in South Waziristan and retaliatory efforts by the Taliban fighters, Ahmedzai Wazir tribes have begun negotiating with both the sides to keep their areas safe. "We have been shuttling between the Taliban and the government for three days to reach some sort of an understanding to keep the Taliban from joining Baitullah," the Daily Times quoted WANA based tribal elders, as saying.

June 16th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Government's decision to launch an operation in Waziristan to catch Baitullah Mehsud could provide the Taliban the fillip to regroup in Malakand, warned former interior minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao. "Complete success in Malakand would demoralised Taliban ahead of fresh operation in Waziristan.

May 6th, 2009 LAHORE - As the Pakistan Army continues to struggle against the Taliban, officials in the US are confused as to why Islamabad initiated military action against the militia after it advanced so close to the federal capital, capturing several region of the Swat Valley on the way. Several top US officials had sounded the alarm immediately after the reports about the Taliban expanding its control beyond the Swat Valley were flashed, but for reasons unknown Pakistan waited for things to get worse.