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The Haqqani Network: Nexus of Terror
The Haqqani Network: Nexus of Terror
October 15, 2010
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has released a sixth report in the Afghanistan series, The Haqqani Network: From Pakistan to Afghanistan by Jeffrey Dressler. This comprehensive study details the history of the Haqqani network, its leadership structure, the organization’s current operations in Afghanistan, and efforts by coalition and Afghan forces to target this most lethal enemy group.
The Haqqani network is a terrorist organization operating out of North Waziristan, Pakistan, and across Afghanistan’s southeastern provinces. Although this organization does not have international name recognition, like Al Qaeda, the Haqqanis have proved to be a lethal insurgent group with a history of close ties to Osama bin Laden, the Taliban and Pakistan’s intelligence service, the ISI.
The author, ISW scholar Jeffrey Dressler, recently returned from Afghanistan where he conducted research for General David Petraeus. Jeff explains the importance of the Haqqani network stating, “Of all Afghan insurgent groups, the Haqqani network maintains the closest ties to Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and other transnational terrorist groups in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Therefore, degrading and defeating the Haqqani network should be one of America’s preeminent goals in the war on terror.”
Until recently, U.S. and coalition forces lacked sufficient troop numbers needed to reverse the momentum of the Haqqani network. In Pakistan, an increased drone campaign against senior Haqqani safe havens in North Waziristan has disrupted the network’s ability to plan and execute operations. In Afghanistan, the massive increase of special operations and conventional military forces over the past year is beginning to disrupt the network’s infrastructure and operations.Despite recent progress, network cells have demonstrated the ability to regenerate if not continually pressured. View the disposition of ISAF troops, Pakistani military forces and the Frontier Corps to see where the action is happening.
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Very respectfully,
Ian Galloway
Communications, ISW