Story of Musharraf’s ‘blue eyed boy’ who turned ‘most dangerous’ Qaeda commander
September 20th, 2009 - 5:14 pm ICT by ANI
Islamabad, Sep.20 (ANI): Senior Al-Qaeda leader Ilyas Kashmiri, who was reportedly killed in a US drone attack in North Waziristan earlier this month, was once considered former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf’s ‘blue eyed boy’.
Kashmiri, who was recently named the fourth most wanted terrorist by Pakistan’s Interior Ministry, belonged to Pakistan occupied Kashmir’s (PoK) Kotli region and was a former commando in the Pakistani Army.
The one-eyed Army commander whom the US officials considered as one of Al Qaeda’s ‘most dangerous commanders’ was deputed by the Pakistan Army to train the Afghan Mujahideens fighting against the Russians in mid-80s.
According to The News, in 2000 the then Army Chief Musharraf had rewarded Kashmiri after the latter presented his senior most official the head of a dead Indian Army officer.
According to officials, Kashmiri was the operational commander of the Harkat-ul Jihad Islami (HuJI), a terrorist group having links with Al Qaeda which operates in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.
However, Kashmiri turned against the Pakistan following the formation of the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM).
“His honeymoon with the Pakistan Army generals was over after the creation of Jaish-e-Muhammad. General Mehmood wanted Ilyas Kashmiri to join JeM and accept Maulana Masood Azhar as his leader but the one eyed militant refused to do so,” the newspaper reported.
According to it, the Lal Masjid operation in July 2007, had a great impact on Kashmiri and he reorganized his group and joined hands with the Taliban. He also persuaded several officials of the Pakistan Army to join his brigade.
In 2008, Kashmiri also planned to assassinate Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kiyani, but his operation was called-off at the last moment after Al Qaeda’s senior leadership interfered. (ANI)
- Pak officials probing Ilyas Kashmiri led HUJI's role in ex-ISI official's murder - May 01, 2010
- Banned terror outfits recruiting fresh 'jihadis' under govt's nose in Pak - May 04, 2010
- Al Qaeda commander Ilyas Kashmiri is alive: Dawn - Jul 16, 2011
- JuD among jihadi outfits openly involved in flood relief operations in Pak, finds survey - Sep 09, 2010
- Jaish chief commander killed in Srinagar (Lead) - Mar 10, 2011
- Pak lie nailed: puts JuD in banned groups list but orders no 'restrictions' on its activities - Jul 06, 2010
- US offers $5 million for terror leader Ilyas Kashmiri - Apr 07, 2011
- Two Jaish guerrillas gunned down in Kashmir - Aug 30, 2011
- Kashmir gunfight continues, civilians evacuated (Second Lead) - Oct 21, 2010
- Pak Govt. remains ambivalent over taking on terror outfits in Punjab - Jun 23, 2010
- Ilyas Kashmiri could be successor to Osama: US officials - May 11, 2011
- Haqqani network growing in Pakistan despite drone strikes - Feb 14, 2011
- PPP accuses Pak Punjab govt of openly 'supporting' and 'facilitating' JuD - Sep 22, 2010
- Possible link between New York 'bomber' and Masood Azhar's JeM unravelled - May 06, 2010
- One-eyed Ilyas Kashmiri is 'one of the world's most dangerous men' - Nov 11, 2010
Tags: army commander, army generals, army staff, blue eyed boy, chief of army, general pervez musharraf, harkat ul, indian army, indian army officer, jihad islami, kiyani, lal masjid operation, masood azhar, north waziristan, operational commander, pakistan army, pakistan india, pakistani army, pervez musharraf, president general pervez musharraf
