Wali-ur-Rehman (Wali Ur-Rehman Mehsud) (c. 1970[1] - )is a citizen of Pakistan, and a senior Taliban commander based in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas.[2] He is the commander of the Tehrik-i-Taliban in South Waziristan.[3]
Wali-ur-Rehman was formerly a spokesman for Baitullah Mehsud, the leader of the Tehrik-i-Taliban.[2]
Following Baitullah Mehsud's reported death in a missile attack launched from a Predator drone, a shura convened to choose his successor to lead the Pakistani Taliban.[2] Wali-ur-Rehman was considered a contender for leadership. On August 9, 2009 a heated exchange at the shura escalated to open gunfire, and Wali-ur-Rehman allegedly shot Hakimullah Mehsud another leadership contender. Rehman called a Reuters reporter to deny that there was fighting or a shura.[4] He and Hakimullah later telephoned the BBC to confirm the death of Baitullah Mehsud.[5]
On November 2, 2009 Pakistani authorities offered a Rs50 million ($600,000) [6] reward for information that leads to the capture or killing of Wali-ur-Rehman. They offered the same reward for similar information regarding Hakimullah Mehsud and Qari Hussain and smaller rewards for 16 other TTP militants.[7][8]
On September 1, 2010 the United States added him and Hakimullah Mehsud to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists and the TTP to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.[9]
On August 26, 2011 an interview with him was aired on Al-Arabiya TV, in which he threatened to "wreak vengeance" on the U.S. and NATO (especially France and Britain) with "an attack greater than 9/11"[10].
Wali-ur-Rehman's family hails from the Mal Khel branch of the Mehsud tribe in South Waziristan. In 1996, he finished studies at the Jamia Islamia Imdadia madrassa in Faisalabad and returned to South Waziristan to teach in a madrassa in Kani Guram. He was affiliated with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) party prior to joining the Taliban in 2004.[1]
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