Al Qaida-Allied Afghan Fighters Seek New Pakistan Haven -- McClatchy NewsPARACHINAR, Pakistan_ The Haqqani network, an extremist group close to Al Qaida that has mounted devastating attacks in Afghanistan, is attempting to move into a new safe haven in Pakistan's tribal region as a base for attacks on U.S.-led forces across the border, according to leaders of a Pakistani tribe based here.
The Haqqanis, who have a history of close ties to the Pakistani military and its Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency, have undertaken negotiations with the main tribe here, the Turi, that the Turi say would open the way for the move from their current base at Miramshah, North Waziristan, into the adjacent Kurram Agency, 80 miles to the north.
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My Comment: I suspect that the Taliban leadership are now of the mind that their area of operation is so riddled with informers and spies, that they can now no longer operate as freely as they use to.
Will the adjoining tribes and territories permit them to come in .... in the past they usually did .... but this time the cost may be too high for them.
Well, the issue is those "Turi" tribes are Shia and have been under siege and constant attacks by the Taliban/Qaeda. Their stronghold is the region of Parachinar in Kurram province, they have their own airport because they can't use the road to Peshawar, and they are armed.
ReplyDeleteThere have been a civil conflict in this region for a while between the majority Turis and neighboring Majority-Sunni Bangach tribes.
Maybe the Haqqani/ISI offered to lift the siege or stop targeting Turis in Exchange for access to such a critical area (Parachinar is situated almost inside Paktia)
Iran have benefited from this situation, and is supporting the Turi's to a certain extent, Iran could be another a Broker for this unlikely arrangement (I don't think it will work)
N.B: The above info is based on conversations with both Turi and Bangach outside Pakistan.