White House says can’t confirm death of Pak Taliban chief

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.

August 22nd, 2009 PESHAWAR - Four relatives of Pakistan Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud have been detained by the militants on suspicion that they tipped off the authorities about his whereabouts, and this led to his death. A foreign news agency said quoted a senior intelligence official as saying that Mehsud's father-in-law, Ikramuddin Mehsud, his son, one of his brothers and a nephew had been detained by the Taliban on suspicion that they had passed on information about Mehsud's whereabouts.

August 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - While the US officials have maintained that there is 90 percent chance that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud has been killed in a drone strike earlier this month, President Barack Obama, it seems, has no doubt about the Taliban chieftain's death. During a live radio broadcast from the White House, Obama said: "You've got the Pakistan Army for the first time fighting in a very aggressive way and that's how we took out Mehsud, the top Taliban leader in Pakistan who was also one of Osama Bin Laden's key allies." Obama said Mehsud's death was made possible due to an intensive US operation and sustained pressure on the Taliban and Al-Qaeda along the restive Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

August 18th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The US Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke has said that Washington is sure about the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud's death because the chieftain has not appeared over television or radio to prove his well-being. "The reason it's clear he's dead is that if he weren't dead, he'd be giving TV and radio interviews to prove he's not dead," Holbrooke told CNN.

August 12th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Taliban in Orakzai Agency has announced a unilateral ceasefire, saying they would not attack security forces in the month of Ramzan. Taliban's Orakzai spokesperson spoke to journalists over the phone and said the decision to halt the offensive was taken by the Taliban leadership.

August 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The United States has rejected theTaliban's claim of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud being alive. US National Security Adviser General James Jones said there is sufficient evidence and proof that Mehsud has been killed.

August 8th, 2009 LAHORE - Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman has said that Baitullah Mehsud had been 'martyred' in the US drone attack, and added that he termed anyone killed in a US attack a 'martyr'. Rehman said that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl did not support US action in Pakistan.

August 7th, 2009 White House: Pakistan safer if Taliban chief deadWASHINGTON — A spokesman for President Barack Obama says the White House cannot confirm the killing of Pakistan's Taliban chief but added that the people of Pakistan are now safer if reports are accurate. The Taliban leader, Baitullah Mehsud (BEH'-tuh-luh mah-SOOD'), led a violent campaign of suicide attacks and assassinations against the Pakistani government.

August 5th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A Pakistani security official said late Wednesday the intelligence agencies were trying to confirm reports that Taliban head Baitullah Mehsud had died in a suspected US missile strike that killed his wife in tribal region near Afghan border. "We have been busy for hours to check the information coming from the area that Baitullah also died with his wife," a local intelligence officer said on condition of anonymity.

July 23rd, 2009 PESHAWAR - The Taliban has rejected reports about its Swat commander Mullah Fazlullah being seriously injured, and has vowed to continue its 'jihad'. Talking to a foreign news agency over telephone from an undisclosed location, self proclaimed Taliban spokesperson Muslim Khan claimed that the whole Taliban leadership was alive and united.

July 12th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has rejected government claims about Mullah Fazlullah fighting for life. TTP spokesperson Maulvi Umar said over the phone that all reports about Fazlullah were false and 'baseless'.

July 11th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Swat Taliban chief, Mullah Fazlullah has been grievously injured in the ongoing military offensive, and is on his 'death bed', a BBC report has claimed. According to the report, BBC reporters gathered information about Fazlullah's condition through the several residents of the Swat Valley, whom they had interviewed recently.

June 26th, 2009 PESHAWAR - The North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain has said that reports about the death of Taliban Swat chapter deputy leader, Shah Durran, had not been confirmed yet. "We've heard reports of Shah Durran's death, and his consequent funeral and burial, but we cannot officially confirm it unless we have concrete evidence," Hussain said.

June 23rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - There seems to be an apparent lack of communication between the Pakistan government and the military, when it comes to determining the current status of Swat Taliban chief Mullah Fazalullah. While Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's Advisor on Interior Affairs, Rehman Malik has claimed that security forces have 'encircled' Fazalullah, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that it cannot 'confirm' reports about the status of the Taliban commander yet.

June 20th, 2009 White House: Reporter who escaped Taliban now safeWASHINGTON — The president's spokesman says the White House is "very pleased" that a New York Times reporter is safe and returning home after escaping from Taliban captors. David S. Rohde was abducted Nov.