Pakistan: Who Is Baitullah Mehsud?

Baitullah Mehsud, commander of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan militant group, has come under intense media scrutiny in recent weeks. Mehsud, who was a nearly unknown militant three years ago, is now being called one of the most dangerous al Qaeda-linked threats to Pakistan and the United States. Mehsud's rise in prominence reflects the growing Talibanization of Pakistan, a generational shift in militant leaders, and a struggle between al Qaeda and Pakistani intelligence organizations for influence and control of Afghan and Pakistani jihadists.