VZCZCXRO9435
OO RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHPW #0004/01 0050327
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 050327Z JAN 09
FM AMCONSUL PESHAWAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7792
INFO RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD IMMEDIATE 4577
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI IMMEDIATE 1730
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE IMMEDIATE 1723
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI IMMEDIATE 0997
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL IMMEDIATE 1363
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA IMMEDIATE 0618
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 0759
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE IMMEDIATE 0666
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 0617
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA IMMEDIATE 0711
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/CDR USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUMICEA/USSOCOM INTEL OPS CEN MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 4849

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PESHAWAR 000004 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  1/5/2019 
TAGS: PTER MOPS PGOV PK
SUBJECT: FATA AND NWFP:  WEEKLY INCIDENTS OF TALIBANIZATION, DECEMBER 
19 - DECEMBER 31 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Michael A. Via, Acting Principal Officer, 
Peshawar, Department of State. 
REASON: 1.4 (a), (b), (d) 
Introduction: 
------------- 
 
¶1. (U)  Fighting continued in Bajaur through the end of 
December, with around 15 militants reported killed. 
 
¶2.      (SBU)  Pakistani security forces, backed by helicopter 
gunships, tanks and heavy artillery, launched an attack on 
December 30, targeting criminals and militants in the Jamrud 
area of Khyber Agency.  The political agent declared the 
operation a success.  (Septel) 
 
¶3.      (C) An apparent split in Swat between different elements 
of the taliban seemed to emerge over the issue of educating the 
over 40,000 female students there.  Shah Duran, the deputy of 
Maulana Fazlullah's group, on December 25, reportedly warned 
government and private schools not to enroll girls.  Militants 
have reportedly destroyed over 130 schools in Swat in the past 
14 months.  (Note.  There are approximately 490 primary schools 
in Swat.  End note.)  On the other hand, over the past year, 
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesmen have repeatedly denied 
that they object to girls' education, provided the education 
comports with Islamic values. 
 
Bajaur 
------ 
 
¶4.      (U)  The following is a summary of events in Bajaur 
Agency, where the Pakistani military has been conducting 
military operations since August: 
 
December 30:  Militants fired five rockets at Khar, three 
landing in the Civil Colony, with no casualties reported. 
Security forces reportedly killed two militants in a shelling 
counterattack. 
 
December 29:  Militants burned the houses of four elders of a 
tribal lashkar in Mamoond tehsil.  Elsewhere, security forces 
reportedly killed three militants after they attacked a 
checkpost in Zor Banda, 18 km from Khar.  A mortar shell also 
killed three civilians. 
 
December 28:  Militants burned the houses of eight tribal elders. 
 
December 26:  Security forces reportedly killed four militants 
in Mamoond tehsil as they attacked militant hideouts throughout 
the area. 
 
December 23:  Militants attacked several checkpoints, with an 
exchange of fire lasting over an hour.  No casualties were 
reported. 
 
December 21:  Fighter jets attacked suspected militant positions 
in Mamoond tehsil, reportedly killing four. 
 
NWFP 
---- 
 
¶5.      (U) The following incidents have occurred in the 
Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) and settled areas 
of NWFP: 
 
December 28, Buner:  A suicide car bomb attack on a polling 
station at a government school killed at least 40.  (Septel) 
 
December 28, Swat:  Five more people were killed in separate 
incidents throughout the valley. 
 
December 28, Peshawar:  At least four explosions were reported 
throughout the city. 
 
December 25, Peshawar:  The local Christian community cancelled 
a Christmas day fair at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 
breaking a decades-long practice, due to deteriorating law and 
order 
 
 
PESHAWAR 00000004  002 OF 003 
 
 
December 24, Swat:  Security forces reportedly killed 11 
militants during attacks on suspected hideouts in Shakar Darra 
valley.  Militants reportedly killed four and blew up a bridge 
in Khawazakhela tehsil.  Elsewhere, two brothers were killed 
when they left their village home.  Two other dead bodies were 
also discovered in separate villages. 
 
December 23, Dera Ismail Khan:  Militants fired six rockets at 
various points in the city.  No casualties were reported. 
 
December 23, Swat:  Security forces claimed to kill seven 
militants in Shakar Darra, while six others were killed in other 
areas. 
 
December 22, Swat:  Security forces reportedly killed 15 
militants near Shakar Darra.  Two security men were killed in 
the fighting.  Militants also killed a person they accused of 
spying in Mingora. 
 
December 22, Peshawar:  Militants attacked three English-medium 
schools in the city, set five buses on fire, and ransacked one 
principal's office.  The three private schools are considered 
the leading schools in the city. 
 
December 20, Swat:  The NWFP government in Peshawar declared the 
military operation in Swat a failure and called upon the 
security forces to take "effective action" against militants. 
Elsewhere, militants attacked a Frontier Constabulary post, 
injuring two, and killed a general councilor and his son, 
burning their house and shop.  An errant mortar also killed 
three members of a family in Matta tehsil. 
 
FATA 
---- 
 
¶6.      (U)  The following is a roundup of incidents of 
Talibanization in the FATA and Frontier Regions: 
 
December 30, Khyber:  Pakistani security forces, backed by 
helicopter gunships, tanks and heavy artillery, launched an 
attack on criminals and militants in the Jamrud area, destroying 
33 homes, arresting 159, and killing at least eight. 
 
December 26, Khyber:  In separate incidents, militants kidnapped 
a driver returning from Afghanistan, and a local trader from his 
home. 
 
December 25, Hangu:  Militants abducted Awami National Party 
(ANP) Hangu Secretary General Malik Riaz Bangash and his driver. 
 
December 24, Mohmand:  Militants blew up buildings of a basic 
health unit and tehsil headquarters.  Security forces attacked 
militant hideouts and destroyed nine homes. 
 
December 23, Khyber:  Lashkar-i-Islam publicly executed two 
alleged murders in Bara. 
 
December 23, North Waziristan:  Militants killed a policeman and 
injured three others in a rocket attack. 
 
December 21, Orakzai:  Local militants announced the imposition 
of Shari'a law in the agency and directed residents to seek 
resolution of their disputes with their "local taliban centers." 
 
December 21, Khyber:  Militants set another NATO oil supply 
tanker on fire in Landikotal. 
 
December 21, North Waziristan:  Militants killed two Afghan 
refugees, accusing them of spying for the United States. 
 
Government Response 
------------------- 
 
¶7.      (U)  This is a summary of government responses to 
"creeping Talibanization" according to press and consulate 
contacts: 
 
PESHAWAR 00000004  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
December 25, Mohmand:  68 of the 70 taliban wanted by the 
Mohmand Agency political administration reportedly surrendered. 
The Frontier Corps reported that 310 taliban militants had 
surrendered to the political administration over the previous 
week. 
 
December 23, Tank:  Security forces killed one militant and 
arrested two others at a checkpoint. 
 
Grass Roots Efforts to Halt Talibanization 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶8.      (U)  The following events are examples of activities taken 
by local communities to halt the spread of Talibanization: 
 
December 24, Mohmand:  A jirga of the Burhankhel tribe produced 
10 more wanted persons. 
VIA