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Militants say Pakistan's Mehsud alive

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-08-08 20:09

ISLAMABAD: A Taliban spokesman and a deputy to Baitullah Mehsud claimed Saturday that the Pakistani Taliban chief was not killed by a CIA missile strike, contradicting another aide who confirmed Mehsud's death a day earlier.

In this made from video taken on May 24, 2008, Pakistan's top Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, right, talks to the media in Kotkai, a village in the Pakistani tribal area along the Afghan border. [Agencies]

The claims, made in calls to Pakistani and international media organizations, could undermine the growing confidence among US and Pakistani officials that Mehsud died. They also could be tactical maneuvers to prevent defections as the Taliban leadership searches for a successor to Mehsud or even to delay a decision on naming an heir.

Pakistani intelligence officials acknowledged Saturday that the missile strike said to have killed the Taliban chief was carried out with Islamabad's help, indicating growing coordination between the two countries despite Pakistan's official disapproval of the strikes.

Mehsud deputy, Hakimullah, and Taliban spokesman Maulvi Umar each called two separate Associated Press reporters Saturday to say that Mehsud was alive. They pledged evidence of his continued existence would be brought forth in the coming days.

The reports of his death "are just to discourage and destroy the morale of the Taliban," Umar said.

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Umar said Mehsud was with his fighters "sound and fit," and not even injured. He said Mehsud would not be provoked into coming out so soon into the open because that would make him a target.

Hakimullah is one of the potential successors to lead the militant group. However, intelligence agents said it appears likely that Hakimullah may be passed over for the top position in favor of another Mehsud aide, Waliur Rehman.

Asked if Mehsud could call AP, Hakimullah said it was not possible at the moment. And asked why he did not refute the reports of Mehsud's death earlier in the week, the militant did not answer.

Mehsud's aide Kafayat Ullah told AP a day earlier that Mehsud was killed with one of his two wives Wednesday in his stronghold in the South Waziristan tribal region.

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