Pakistan Security Brief - March 30, 2010

Pakistan Security Brief – March 30, 2010

Air raids kill militants in Orakzai; U.S. to ship drones to Pakistan in the next year; US-Pakistan relationship moving toward “strategic partnership”; G8 announces economic plan for Afghanistan and Pakistan; Iranian diplomat freed in Pakistan; China agrees to finance Pakistani civilian nuclear projects; militants torch school; bomb injures policemen; landmine kills one near Quetta.

Orakzai & Khyber

• Between 21 and 26 militants were killed in air raids on Tuesday as fighter jets bombed various militant targets in Orakzai Agency. Nine militants were killed and “three key militant commanders” were arrested by Pakistani security forces in Orakzai Agency on Monday. Two more militants were killed and fourteen arrested in a search operation in Khyber Agency. Security forces also seized a cache of weapons and ammunition.[1]

U.S.-Pakistan Relations

• The US hopes to ship a dozen unarmed drones to Pakistan “within a year.” According to an official the Pakistani military is still deciding which drone model best suits their needs. The official discussed looking at both Shadow and ScanEagle drones. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently defended giving “close allies” drone technology despite the Missile Technology Control Regime, an international pact “aimed at curbing the spread of unmanned delivery systems that could be used for weapons of mass destruction.”[2]
• Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi announced that Pakistan and the US have “agreed to develop multifaceted bilateral ties on the basis of mutual interest, respect and trust.” He said that “the US-Pakistan bilateral relationship has started moving from being a merely transactional to a strategic partnership.”[3]

G8 and ‘Af-Pak’

• On Monday the G8 group announced a plan to cultivate trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as “strengthen border infrastructure.” The plan is specifically aimed at increasing employment and development in the border region. During his announcement of the initiative Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said, “Stability in the region is critical for global security.”[4]

Diplomat Freed

• Heshmatollah Attarzadeh of Iran's Peshawar consulate was rescued by Iranian intelligence agents in a “complicated cross-border mission.” The Iranian diplomat was kidnapped by militants in Peshawar in 2008.[5]

China-Pakistan Nuclear Cooperation

• China has agreed to finance two new nuclear power projects in Pakistan. China will provide 82% of total $1.912 billion price tag for the two projects in Chasma, Pakistan. Each project would provide 320-megawatts of power and are set to be completed in eight years.[6]

NWFP

• Militants set fire to a boys’ primary school in Maidan Town of Lower Dir on Tuesday.[7]
• On Monday a remote-controlled bomb was detonated in Hangu injuring five policemen.[8]

Quetta

• One person was killed and three were injured when their vehicle hit a landmine near Quetta on Monday.[9]