Sirajuddin Haqqani
Encyclopedia
Sirajuddin "Siraj" Haqqani (alias "Khalifa" born c. 1973 or 1977/78) is a Pashtun
warlord and military leader who fights
against American and coalition forces
from his base within North Waziristan
in Pakistan
, where it is claimed he provides shelter to Al Qaeda operatives. His father is Jalaluddin Haqqani
, a famous mujahideen
and military leader of pro-Taliban forces in Afghanistan
and Pakistan. His forces have been accused by the coalition forces of carrying out the late-December 2008 bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan at an Afghan elementary school near an Afghan barracks that killed several schoolchildren, an Afghan soldier, and an Afghan guard; no coalition or US personnel were affected.
Haqqani has admitted planning the January 14, 2008 attack against the Serena Hotel in Kabul that killed six people, including American citizen Thor David Hesla, as well as having planned the April 2008 assassination attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai
.
In November 2008, New York Times reporter David S. Rohde
was captured in Afghanistan.
His initial captors are believed to have been solely interested in a ransom. Sirajuddin Haqqani is reported to have been his last captor prior to his escape. The U.S. government's Rewards for Justice Program
is offering up to US$5 million in reward for information leading to Sirajuddin Haqqani's capture.
Several reports indicated that Haqqani was targeted in a massive U.S. drone attack on February 2, 2010, but that he was not in the area affected. He was again targeted in a drone attack in Dande Darpakhel on February 18, which instead killed his younger brother Mohammad Haqqani.
In March 2010 he was described as one of the leaders on the "Taliban's Quetta Shura".
In 2011, the CIA disclosed that they had an opportunity to assassinate Siraj but backed off due to women and children being nearby.
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
warlord and military leader who fights
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
against American and coalition forces
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
from his base within North Waziristan
North Waziristan
North Waziristan is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering . Waziristan comprises the area west and south-west of Peshawar between the Tochi river to the north and the Gomal river to the south, forming part of Pakistan's...
in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, where it is claimed he provides shelter to Al Qaeda operatives. His father is Jalaluddin Haqqani
Jalaluddin Haqqani
Mawlawi Jalaluddin Haqqani is the leader of the Haqqani network, an insurgent group fighting against US-led NATO forces and the government of Afghanistan. He also fought in the 1980s Soviet war in Afghanistan, including in the Operation Magistral...
, a famous mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
and military leader of pro-Taliban forces in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Pakistan. His forces have been accused by the coalition forces of carrying out the late-December 2008 bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan at an Afghan elementary school near an Afghan barracks that killed several schoolchildren, an Afghan soldier, and an Afghan guard; no coalition or US personnel were affected.
Haqqani has admitted planning the January 14, 2008 attack against the Serena Hotel in Kabul that killed six people, including American citizen Thor David Hesla, as well as having planned the April 2008 assassination attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
.
In November 2008, New York Times reporter David S. Rohde
David S. Rohde
David Stephenson Rohde is an American author and investigative journalist for Thomson Reuters. While a reporter for The Christian Science Monitor, he won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 1996 for his coverage of the Srebrenica massacre. From July 2002 until December 2004, he was...
was captured in Afghanistan.
His initial captors are believed to have been solely interested in a ransom. Sirajuddin Haqqani is reported to have been his last captor prior to his escape. The U.S. government's Rewards for Justice Program
Rewards For Justice Program
The Rewards for Justice Program is the counterterrorism rewards program of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service . The Secretary of State is currently offering rewards for information that prevents or favorably resolves acts of international terrorism against U.S. persons or...
is offering up to US$5 million in reward for information leading to Sirajuddin Haqqani's capture.
Several reports indicated that Haqqani was targeted in a massive U.S. drone attack on February 2, 2010, but that he was not in the area affected. He was again targeted in a drone attack in Dande Darpakhel on February 18, which instead killed his younger brother Mohammad Haqqani.
In March 2010 he was described as one of the leaders on the "Taliban's Quetta Shura".
In 2011, the CIA disclosed that they had an opportunity to assassinate Siraj but backed off due to women and children being nearby.