Abdullah Mehsud

Pakistani Kidnappers Borrow From Iraq

(Chagmalai, Pakistan) In a previous entry, it was reported that al-Qaeda-linked kidnappers took two Chinese engineers (Wang Ende and Wang Peng) as hostages and demanded the release of two Uzbek al-Qaeda militants held by Pakistan Security Forces. The leader of the kidnappers is a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner, Abdullah Mehsud, who was released because he was no longer considered a threat. Oops!


Abdullah Mehsud
Preferring to be called Commander Abdullah, the leader has directed a group of al-Qaeda-linked militants comprised of Chechens, Uzbeks, Arabs, and Pakistanis who have been battling Security Forces since March. Abdullah is currently surrounded by security forces and vows to kill the Chinese, one at a time, unless the security forces stop all military operations, free the two detained Uzbek militants, and leave. According to Pakistani Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Abdullah learned from tactics employed in Iraq.

"Whatever is happening in Iraq, they are moving according to that," he said.

Of note is that the situation in Pakistan provides direct evidence of ties among the al-Qaeda terrorists of Chechnya, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

Also of note is that Abdullah is the second recently-released prisoner from Guantanamo Bay known to be drawn back to al-Qaeda. Slimane Hadj Abderahmane clearly indicated his intentions to kill Russians in Chechnya.