Pakistan Security Brief
Petraeus stresses continued cooperation with Pakistan, no matter how difficult; Kashmiri separatist defends arrested Kashmiri-American lobbyist; DNI Clapper visits Pakistan; Al Qaeda plans U.S. utility facility attacks using inside positions; Drone strike kills four in N. Waziristan; Six militants killed in Kurram; Government offices in Mohmand take rocket fire; NATO oil tanker destroyed in Khyber; Three oil and gas company workers killed in blast; PML-N leader killed in Quetta; Rangers additional authority extended; Rana case files unsealed.
U.S.-Pakistan Relations
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On Wednesday, outgoing ISAF commander Gen. David Petraeus stated that the U.S. had to continue working with Pakistan “[h]owever difficult the relationship.” Petraeus also stated he believed it was possible no one in the Pakistani government was aware of Osama Bin Laden’s presence and location in Pakistan before the May 2 Abbottabad raid. He also said the U.S. must recognize sacrifices Pakistan has made in the war on terror, including the several thousand soldiers, police officers and civilians killed.[i]
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On Wednesday, Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Gilani responded to reports that Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai, the executive director of the Kashmiri American Council, had been arrested on charges of being an unregistered foreign agent with accusations of conspiracy. Gilani accused the U.S. and India of colluding to weaken the Kashmiri cause and lashing out at Pakistan’s Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) by silencing Fai. India’s head of police for Kashmir said Fai had been suspected of illicit activity for years, including “the diversion of ISI funds for anti-national activities in India.” In related news, Dan Burton (R-IN,) Dennis Kucinich (D-OH,) and Joe Pitts (R-PA) have come under scrutiny since the news broke that they received financial support from Fai and his organization.[ii]
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U.S. Director of National Intelligence (DNI) James R. Clapper visited Pakistan on Wednesday to discuss continued U.S.-Pakistan cooperation with Pakistani military leaders. Sources told the Express Tribune Clapper may be meeting with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and ISI chief Lt. Gen. Shuja Pasha. Clapper is expected to revisit the topics discussed during Lt. Gen. Pasha’s recent Washington visit, most notably Pakistan’s intention to “continue dismantling ‘private networks’ of local spies” cultivated by the U.S. in recent years.[iii]
Al Qaeda to Threaten Utility Facilities from Inside
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On Wednesday, ABC reported the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had warned utility facilities, such as oil and chemical refineries, that al Qaeda may attempt attacks or acts of sabotage targeting the facilities using already obtained “insider positions.” This follows last year’s arrest of al Qaeda recruit Sharif Mobley, “who had been employed at five different U.S. nuclear power plants in and around Pennsylvania after successfully passing federal background checks.”DHS pledged to prevent attacks through increased information sharing and cooperation with state and local authorities.[iv]
FATA
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On Thursday, four people were killed in a drone strike in Mir Ali. Two missiles struck a house in the Khushali Toori Khel area of Mir Ali. The death toll is expected to rise as locals continue the rescue operation.[v]
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On Wednesday, “pro-government tribesmen” killed six militants in the in Neka Ziarat area of Kurram Agency. Six tribesman and four other militants were also wounded in the clash.[vi]
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On Wednesday, militants launched rockets at government offices in the Baizai area of Mohmand Agency. Security forces reportedly returned fire, targeting militant positions in the area. No casualties have been reported.[vii]
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Dawn reports a blast destroyed a NATO oil tanker traveling through Khyber Agency on Thursday. Much of the U.S.’s supplies for the war in Afghanistan travel through Khyber before crossing into Afghanistan.[viii]
Karachi
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The Sindh government has extended the authority granted to the paramilitary Rangers to secure Karachi for three more months. The Rangers were granted “additional powers under Article 5 of the Anti-Terrorism Act” to quell violence in Karachi.[ix]
Balochistan
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On Thursday, three people were killed when a bomb targeted employees of a national oil and gas company in the Jaffrabad area of Baluchistan province. Those killed reportedly “worked for the state-owned Oil and Gas Development Corporation.” No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but both Islamist extremist militants and Baloch separatists execute attacks in Balochistan.[x]
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On Wednesday, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Saleem Jadoon was shot and killed in Quetta. Jadoon, a former “union council nazim,” was called out of his house to greet friends when a masked gunman opened fire.[xi]
Rana Case Files Unsealed
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On Wednesday, files from the trial of Tahawwur Rana were unsealed. Rana was accused of providing logistical support to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in the lead up to the 2008 attacks in Mumbai. Rana’s defense attorneys claim the documents will not provide much new information about the trial.[xii]
