ISLAMABAD, 27 October 2006 — Pakistan has said that an Al-Qaeda operative wanted in connection with the bombing of US embassies in East Africa in 1998 was killed in the North Waziristan border area last April. A Foreign Ministry press release said Muhsin Matwalli Atwah was on the FBI’s list of “Most Wanted Terrorists.” DNA tests were said to have established his identity. But the Foreign Ministry statement failed to put at rest the mystery surrounding the death of the Egyptian-born Al-Qaeda operative.
A tribal notable, Haji Gul Pazir, said many of the Al-Qaeda operatives who had taken refuge in tribal areas, use fictitious names. He also said that the army normally keeps its operations secret. Little details are released and the information is made public only when the government so desires. Only intelligence agencies are provided with complete information that includes names of the suspects killed or arrested, their nationalities, photographs and other details, Haji Gul said.
Haji Gul had earlier told Arab News that during operations in spring, army and the Frontier Corps had gunned down a number of Al-Qaeda operatives at Anghar Village near Afghan border and one of the men killed was Abdul Rehman Al-Mohajir. It is now said that Al-Misri, Abdul Rehman Al-Mohajir and Muhsin Mutwalli were the names given to an individual to create confusion. He was killed during the raid on Anghar village along with 15 people including five Arabs and three Chechens.
Mutwalli who carried a $5 million bounty was identified by the US experts through DNA tests. His autopsy and DNA tests were conducted in a very discreet manner by American experts.
To create more confusion, a statement issued by the US Embassy’s Charge d’ Affaires in Manila and an organization called Jamestown Foundation spoke about the presence of Mutwalli in the Philippines.
Jamestown Foundation had even said that Mutwalli was supporting Moro Islamic Liberation Front members.
The Pakistan Army called off its bloody campaign against Al-Qaeda and Taleban fugitives in North Waziristan territory bordering Afghanistan last month after concluding a peace deal with the local pro-Taleban tribesmen.
President Bill Clinton’s administration responded to the 1998 bombings of the US embassies with cruise-missile attacks on suspected Al-Qaeda camps in eastern Afghanistan.
