The Islamic Emirate of Waziristan and the Bajaur Tribal Region: The Strategic Threat of Terrorist Sanctuaries
Conclusion
Following the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. government realized that the existence of Islamist-controlled sanctuaries presented a major security dilemma for the international community. Although al-Qaeda’s main sanctuary was destroyed in Afghanistan, over the last five years, and specifically the last year, al-Qaeda has been able to establish and consolidate its power within the Western Pakistan tribal regions. Control of this area has allowed the organization to plan large-scale attacks and continually mount offensives into Afghanistan to destabilize the nascent Afghan democracy. Although policy options remain limited due to the unstable political situation within Pakistan, the United States and NATO forces must act to ensure al-Qaeda remains off-balance and on the run throughout the border regions. In the long-term, the US should work to strengthen the Pakistan government, while also supplying and training its military for future counterterrorism operations.
Notes
[i] “Terrorist Black Holes,” Center for Strategic Studies, 7 June 2006, <https://www.ccss.nl/news/2006/20060607_terrorist_black_holes_a_study_into_terrorist_sanctuaries_and_governmental_weakness.html> (28 November 2006).
[ii] “National Strategy for Combating Terrorism,” GlobalSecurity.org, September 2006, <https://www.globalsecurity.org/security/library/policy/national/nsct_sep2006_sectionv.htm#control> (28 November 2006), Strategy for Winning the War on Terror.
[iii] “National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States,” 9-11commission.gov, August 2004, <https://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch12.htm> (27 November 2006), 12.2 Attack Terrorists and Their Organizations.
[iv] “National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States,” 12.2.
[v] “National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States,” 12.2.
[vi] “National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States,” 12.2.
[vii] “National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States,” 12.2.
[viii] “National Strategy for Combating Terrorism”
[ix] Jackie Spinner, “Insurgent Base Discovered in Fallujah,” Washington Post, 19 November 2004,
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59519-2004Nov18.html> (25 November 2006).
[x] Alexis Debat, “Al Qaeda’s Winter Headquarters,” ABC News, 27 October 2006, <https://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/10/al_qaedas_winte.html> (30 November 2006).
[xi] Thomas Donnelly, “Force size and Strategy,” American Enterprise Institute, 20 August 2004, <https://www.aei.org/publications/pubID.21075/pub_detail.asp> (26 November 2006).
[xii] Bill Roggio, “Talibanistan: The establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Waziristan,” The Fourth Rail, <https://billroggio.com/archives/2006/09/talibanistan_the_est.php> (1 December 2006).
[xiii] “Group claims establishment of Islamic state,” Jerusalem Post, 15 October 2006, <https://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1159193445929> (24 November 2006).
[xiv] Susan B. Glasser and Kamran Khan, “Pakistani intelligence hunting for Bin Laden,” Washington Post, 17 November 2001,
<https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/91929326.html?dids=91929326:91929326&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=NOV+27%2C+2001&author=Susan+B.+Glasser+and+Kamran+Khan&pub=The+Washington+Post&desc=Pakistani+Intelligence+Hunting+for+Bin+Laden%3B+Agents+in+Afghanistan+Aim+to+Prevent+Entry&pqatl=google> (24 November 2006).
[xv] “Pakistan police arrest al Qaeda suspects,” CNN, 18 January 2002,
<https://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/01/18/ret.pakistan.arrests/index.html> (26 November 2006).
[xvi] “Musharraf assassination plot foiled,” CNN, 22 September 2002, <https://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/09/19/pakistan.arrests.plot/index.html> (27 November 2006).
[xvii] “National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States,” 12.2.
[xviii] Francis T. Miko, “Removing Terrorist Sanctuaries: The 9/11
Commission Recommendations and U.S. Policy,” Congressional Research Service,” 10 August 2004, <https://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RL32518.pdf> (1 December 2006).
[xix] Ismail Khan and Dilawar Khan Wazir, “Tribesman resist registration,” DAWN, 10 May 2004, <https://www.dawn.com/2004/05/10/top3.htm> (29 November 2006).
[xx] Syed Saleem Shahzad, “New al Qaeda phase begins,” Asia Times, 21 January 2006, <https://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HA21Df02.html> (1 December 2006).
[xxi] Bill Roggio, “The Rise of Talibanistan,” The Fourth Rail, 6 March 2006,
<https://billroggio.com/archives/2006/03/the_rise_of_talibani.php> (1 December 2006).
[xxii] Daveed Gartenstein-Ross & Bill Roggio, “Pakistan Surrenders,” Weekly Standard, 2 October 2006,
<https://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/738ijawx.asp>
[xxiii] Alexis Debat, “Al Qaeda’s Winter Headquarters,” ABC News, 27 October 2006, <https://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/10/al_qaedas_winte.html> (1 December 2006).
[xxiv] “Pakistan may ink another peace deal with militants,” Gulf Times, 23 October 2006,
<https://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=114177&version=1&template_id=41&parent_id=23> (26 November 2006).
[xxv] Jason Anderson and Karen De Young, “Plot to bomb US-bound jets is foiled,” Washington Post 11 August 2006,
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/10/AR2006081000152.html> (1 December 2006).
[xxvi] Bill Roggio, “Matiur Rehman, the London Airline Plot and the Road from Pakistan and Talibanistan,” The Fourth Rail, 12 August 2006,
<https://billroggio.com/archives/2006/08/matiur_rehman_the_lo.php> (24 November 2006).
[xxvii] Alexis Debat, “The Man Who Is Planning the Next Attack on America.” ABC News, 9 August 2006, <https://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/08/the_man_who_is_.html> (1 December 2006).
[xxviii] B. Raman, “The Trail to Pakistan,” South Asia Analysis Group, 11 August 2006, <https://www.saag.org/%5Cpapers20%5Cpaper1907.html> (25 November 2006).
[xxix] “National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States,” 12.2.
[xxx] Bill Roggio, “Matiur Rehman, the London Airline Plot and the Road from Pakistan and Talibanistan.”
[xxxi] Bill Roggio, “The Afghan insurgency,” The Fourth Rail, 8 September 2006, <https://billroggio.com/archives/2006/09/the_afghan_insurgenc.php> (1 December 2006).
[xxxii] David Rohde, “Al Qaeda finds its center of gravity,” NY Times, 10 September 2006, <https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/10/weekinreview/10rohde.html?ex=1315540800&en=ff0f6f4f33304738&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss> (1 December 2006).
[xxxiii] Tim Albone, “Wounded Taliban treated in Pakistan,” Times Online, 19 November 2006,
<https://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2459906,00.html> (25 November 2006).
[xxxiv] “NATO allies deaf to please from Canada,” The Edmonton Journal, 2 December 2006,
<https://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/opinion/story.html?id=40b10c78-599d-4086-af84-aa43e0f0662a> (28 November 2006).
[xxxv] “Pakistan faces Islamist revolt,” Newsday, 10 November 2006,
<https://www.newsday.com/news/opinion/ny-vppak104968743nov10,0,6463879.story?coll=ny-editorials-headlines> (1 December 2006).
[xxxvi] Habibullah Khan and Brian Ross, “U.S. Strike Killed Al Qaeda Bomb Maker,” ABC News, 18 January 2006, <https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=1517986> (1 December 2006).
[xxxvii] “Foreign Military Training In Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006, Volume 1,” US State Department, March 2006, <https://www.state.gov/t/pm/rls/rpt/fmtrpt/2006/> (26 December 2006).
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