The U.S. Undermines Pakistan in Waziristan

Waziristan is the largest chunk of territory in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. It is harsh, rugged, semi-mountainous terrain, with very few springs and waterholes; therefore, sparsely populated. The last census two decades ago (all censuses of tribal areas are notoriously inaccurate), calculated the population of South Waziristan, the area of the Mehsud tribe, at 250,000; a rough estimate today would place it at about 400,000. Out of which 200,000 left South Waziristan before commencement of the ground operation on October 17, and about 150,000 left since.

The remaining 50,000 Mehsuds are not all Taliban; I estimate about 30,000; equally divided under Hakimullah and Waliur Rahman; the latter having separated from the former; both ex-deputies to Baitullah.

South Waziristan is southern extreme of FATA and a strip to its southeast juts in towards Punjab. To its north is North Waziristan. To the east lie settled areas of the NWFP. To the south is Balochistan, and to its west is Afghanistan.