ANSF, Coalition forces focus on Haqqani network

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN

10.19.2007

Story by Sgt. Timothy Dinneen 

Combined Joint Task Force - 82 PAO

By Army Sgt. Timothy Dinneen
Combined Joint Task Force-82 Public Affairs Office

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Among the many negative influences contributing to the insurgency in eastern Afghanistan, one man has vied for the lead role as the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan's prime antagonist.

Siraj Haqqani, leader of the Haqqani network, has become one of the most influential insurgent commanders in eastern Afghanistan. Recent operations planned and led by Afghan national security forces and supported by coalition forces have effectively worked to disrupt insurgents in that area.

"A desired effect of these operations has been to disrupt the Haqqani network," said Army Lt. Col. Dave Anders, Combined Joint Task Force-82 director of operations. "Siraj Haqqani is the one who is training, influencing, commanding and leading," Anders said. "Kidnappings, assassinations, beheading women, indiscriminate killings and suicide bombers - Siraj is the one dictating the new parameters of brutality associated with Taliban senior leadership."

According to CJTF-82 officials, Siraj Haqqani's tactics are more closely aligned with international Jihadism than the tactics of Afghanistan's elder insurgent leadership like Mullah Omar and Jalalludin Haqqani. Jallaludin Haqqani, Siraj's father, a famous mujahideen fighter whose network established camps in Khowst province that trained fighters during the Soviet-Afghan war. He maintains strong tribal connections in Khowst and Paktya provinces, as well as in Pakistan.

"Siraj is part of a younger, more aggressive generation of Taliban senior leadership that is pushing aside the formerly respected elders. Now, the Haqqani network is clearly in the hands of Siraj, and the face of it is evolving, becoming more violent and self serving," according to Anders.

"He is growing more and more powerful within the Taliban networks, and some would argue his authority exceeds that of elder leaders, who Siraj may believe are becoming obsolete," said Army Maj. Chris Belcher, a CJTF-82 spokesman. "The younger leaders demonstrate little respect for the elder leadership. They have become more brutal. They disregard the former motivations for fighting, and they tend to look for opportunities to displace or undermine the old leadership. Some believe that's happening now."

Yet, because of Siraj's absence from Afghanistan, some Taliban senior leaders openly question the sanctity of his cause and his commitment to his own fighters.

Haqqani is the principle suicide facilitator in the region responsible for numerous attacks this year throughout Afghanistan, including attacks in Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul. He is also believed to oversee several madrassas in Pakistan responsible for the training of future Taliban and Haqqani fighters.

Siraj has expanded his father's original provincial operating areas of Khowst, Paktya and Paktika by exerting more of a leadership role in Ghazni, Logar, Wardak and Kabul while offering support to insurgent networks in Kunar, Nangarhar, Helmand and Kandahar. His close connections with al-Qaida have enabled him to accumulate more financial support from Middle Eastern countries and have created a larger recruiting pool of fighters from other countries.

"Siraj Haqqani's extended reach brings foreign fighters from places like Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Chechnya, Turkey and Middle Eastern countries into Afghanistan. His reach now certainly exceeds that of his father, and Siraj is working to rival Mullah Omar for the Taliban leadership," Belcher said. "In many ways, he's simply smarter and more respected."

To date, recent ANSF led operations have detained more than 30 Haqqani fighters possessing improvised explosive device making materials and has confiscated more than 50 weapons, 25 rocket propelled grenade rounds, six mortar rounds and two mines. ANSF and coalition forces have recovered more than 18 pieces of unexploded ordnance including five 1,000-pound bombs and two 500-pound bombs.

"Given the number of detainees related to the Haqqani network, we can expect to continue to refine this picture of Siraj Haqqani, his leadership, and his efforts to expand his power base in Afghanistan and Pakistan," Anders explained.

ANSF supported by coalition have conducted more than 150 combined patrols to separate Afghan civilians from the insurgency, clearing more than 63 villages of enemy presence while disrupting Haqqani operational goals. The Pakistan military has also contributed to the disruption and capture of insurgents along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.

As part of its recently instituted Most Wanted program, CJTF-82 has issued a $200,000 reward for information leading directly to the arrest of Siraj Haqqani.

• Date Taken: 10.19.2007
• Date Posted: 10.19.2007 11:05
• Story ID: 13116
• Location: BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF