Mullen: U.S.-Pakistan military relationship at “very difficult” point; India-Pakistani secretaries prepare agenda for talks; Nadeem: U.S. did not share plans for bin Laden operation; Twenty-seven militants killed in Kurram; Blast kills soldier in S. Waziristan; Militants burn “un-Islamic” clothing in Wana; Karachi violence continues; Zardari son to seek Lyari assembly seat; Patek extradition confirmed; FIA: Shahzad phone records unavailable; Oxfam says Pakistan not ready for floods.
U.S.-Pakistan Relations
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On Monday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen told a press briefing that U.S.-Pakistan “military-to-military relations” were currently going through a “very difficult time.” Mullen said that despite difficulties in the relationship, U.S.-Pakistan ties would endure. Mullen recently publicly suggested Pakistan’s Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) killed journalist Saleem Shahzad. Adm. Mullen stressed the need for the U.S. and Pakistan to work through current tensions to continue the fight against terrorism in the region.[i]
India-Pakistan Relations
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On Tuesday, the Indian and Pakistan Foreign Secretaries met in New Delhi to determine the agenda for this week’s talks. On Wednesday, the Foreign Ministers, Pakistan’s recently appointed Hina Rabbani Khar and India’s S.M. Krishna, will meet to begin substantive discussions.[ii]
Abbottabad Commission
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At the Monday meeting of the commission formed to investigate the May 2 U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Maj. Gen. Ashfaq Nadeem stated on the record that the U.S. never alerted Pakistan to bin Laden’s presence in Abbottabad or shared plans for the operation. Nadeem assured the commission that no one in the Pakistani military was aware of U.S. plans to launch an operation on Pakistani soil.[iii]
FATA
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Officials said on Monday that “twenty-seven militants and four tribesmen” were killed in clashes between militants and tribal militias in the Masuzai area of central Kurram. An ongoing military offensive in Kurram has spurred action on the part of tribal lashkars and peace committees who wish to expel militants from the region.[iv]
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On Tuesday, a remote-controlled explosive blew up a Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) vehicle in the Shallam area of South Waziristan, killing one soldier. The FWO is currently engaged in a road-building project in the area. Nearby, mortars allegedly fired from Afghanistan injured a soldier. Geo reports twenty-five mortars were fired from Afghanistan into Angoor Adda.[v]
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On Tuesday, Islamist extremists “stormed shops” in Wana and burned clothing they deemed immodest. One shopkeeper says militants burned his stock, saying the fabric was “too thin” to make appropriate Islamic clothing.[vi]
Karachi
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On Tuesday, the death toll for the last five days of targeted killings in Karachi rose to fifty-six. Residents of most violent areas of the city have closed their business and are remaining indoors. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik claimed unspecified “elements” were sparking the violence in Karachi. Malik recently suggested foreign-made weapons implicated foreign parties in the violence.[vii]
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On Monday, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari declared at a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) gathering that his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, would return to Pakistan to run for the national assembly seat for Lyari. Lyari is one of the more trouble areas of Karachi.[viii]
Terror Suspect Extradition Confirmed
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On Monday, Indonesia’s National Anti-Terror Agency (BNPT) deputy chief Tito Karnavian confirmed that Pakistan will send terror suspect Umar Patek to Indonesia for prosecution. Patek is suspected of plotting and making preparations for the 2002 Bali bombing.[ix]
Shahzad
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According to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA,) records from the phone of slain journalist Saleem Shahzad remain unavailable. Either Shahzad’s family or the Pakistani government will have to formally request the records from the “foreign cellular company” Shahzad used. Moreover, the password for Shahzad’s Blackberry remains unknown.[x]
Pakistan Unprepared for Floods
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On Tuesday, Neva Khan, who leads Oxfam’s efforts in Pakistan, said Pakistan should “act now” to prepare for future flooding. Khan stressed the need to invest in flood preparations before Pakistan finds itself unprepared for another disaster.[xi]