Pakistan to launch major military operation against Waziristan militants next month; U.S. Defense Secretary Panetta says U.S. increasing cross-border cooperation with Pakistan; U.S. Secretary of State Clinton reviewing FTO designation for Haqqani Network; Afghan and Pakistani presidents to send joint military team to investigate cross-border attacks; Prime Minister Ashraf tells cabinet ministers to prepare for elections; Tuesday’s Orakzai clash between Pakistani troops and militants reportedly part of new Pakistani offensive in border region; Interior ministry issues warning of increased terrorist attacks in coming weeks.
U.S.-Pakistan Relations
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On Wednesday, U.S. military officials confirmed U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s Monday statement that the Pakistani military plans to launch a major military operation in September to clear militant groups in the tribal areas of Waziristan. The new offensive, likened to the military’s 2009 Swat valley operation in which thousands of troops were deployed during an 18-month period, will reportedly target Taliban militants from both Afghan and Pakistani factions. Still unclear is whether the operation will focus only on South Waziristan—given the challenges of conducting an operation in North Waziristan as well—and whether troops will also target members of the Haqqani Network.[1]
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Defense Secretary Panetta said on Tuesday that the U.S. was increasing its cross-border cooperation with Pakistan. During a press briefing with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, Panetta discussed meetings between Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, and Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff, and noted that additional meetings between Gen. Kayani and U.S. Gens. Dempsey and James Mattis were planned. Panetta also called Pakistan's July 3 reopening of the NATO supply route a "good step" and suggested that Pakistan was helping facilitate peace and stability in Afghanistan.[2]
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U.S. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said on Tuesday that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was currently considering whether to designate the Haqqani Network as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). Nuland’s statement followed Friday’s decision by President Barack Obama to sign into law the Haqqani Network Terrorist Designation Act of 2012, which requires the State Department to determine within 30 days whether the Haqqani Network meets the criteria for FTO designation. Such a designation, in turn, would permit the U.S. to freeze the organization’s assets and criminalize funding it. Nuland also told reporters that the U.S. was in talks with Pakistan and Afghanistan regarding action against the Haqqani Network. On Tuesday, however, senior Pakistani security officials rejected reports of a joint U.S.-Pakistani operation against the Haqqani Network, reportedly codenamed “Tight Screw,” and denied claims that Pakistan was using the organization as a surrogate in Afghanistan.[3]
Afghan-Pakistan Relations
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During a Tuesday meeting in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari discussed bilateral relations, regional security, and Afghan reconciliation. Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to supporting the socioeconomic development of Afghanistan, and both leaders spoke of the need for all Afghan groups to forego violence and participate in the peace process. Additionally, Karzai and Zardari agreed to send a joint military delegation to the border to investigate the recent spate of cross-border attacks that have heightened bilateral tensions. Their meeting took place on the sidelines of the Conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation concerning challenges facing the Muslim world.[4]
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On Wednesday, Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Omar Daudzai denied claims made by Afghanistan’s national security advisor and Pakistan’s interior minister that Afghan officials had met with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in April. Afghan officials have long requested access to Baradar, a senior Taliban leader who was captured by Pakistani authorities in 2010, and news of the Afghan delegation’s April meeting with Baradar was seen as an indication of Pakistan’s desire to facilitate Afghan reconciliation. Daudzai, however, rejected such reports and stated that Pakistan had only granted Afghanistan consular access to Afghan prisoners—but not Taliban prisoners—held in Pakistani jails. Daudzai did reiterate the Afghan government’s long-standing demand for Baradar’s release into Afghan custody.[5]
International Relations
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A high-level delegation from Tajikistan met with Pakistani officials on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of importing critical food supplies, including wheat, rice, and corn. The talks followed unprecedented snowfall last fall and winter that hampered Tajikistan's ability to provide basic food commodities to its people. The talks also signaled both sides' interest in strengthening diplomatic and political relations by expanding bilateral trade. Follow-up meetings to discuss the pricing and quality of imports, as well as technical issues, were agreed upon. Last week, Pakistan made a barter deal with Iran that similarly included wheat exports.[6]
Domestic Politics
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During a Wednesday cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf directed federal ministers to prepare for elections, stating that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was a national party that “believed in free and fair elections.” The day before, Ashraf announced that the PPP had invited all political parties to participate in a dialogue regarding the creation of a caretaker government. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, PPP senior leader Aitzaz Ahsan observed that the judiciary lacked the power to amend the Constitution, and said that “some political elements [were using the judiciary] to achieve their nefarious goals.” Ahsan added that the government would not “degrade the judiciary” and intended to elect a new prime minister if Ashraf was disqualified from holding office. His comments followed the Supreme Court’s decision last week to issue a contempt of court notice to Ashraf for not reopening old corruption cases against President Zardari. Other government officials, including Attorney General Irfan Qadir and political advisor to the prime minister Chaudhry Fawad, argued against Ashraf appearing at the August 27 contempt proceedings.[7]
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On Wednesday, a Pakistan Air Force Mirage fighter jet crashed in the Hyderabad Thal area of Bhakkar in Punjab province. The jet reportedly caught on fire during a routine training mission. The pilot safely ejected from the aircraft, and no causalities were reported.[8]
Militancy
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According to The Hill, Tuesday’s clash between Pakistani troops and militants in Orakzai agency was part of Pakistan’s new military offensive against militant groups in the border region. Countering initial reports of the event, CNN states that the clash began after Pakistani security forces raided a militant hideout in the area. During the ensuing clash, 35 militants and two security personnel were killed and an additional 16 personnel injured, according to a Pakistani military source. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which took credit for the attack, disputed those figures with spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan stating that five security personnel were killed and 15 TTP militants injured. [9]
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Pakistan’s interior ministry issued a warning on Tuesday noting the increased likelihood of terrorist attacks in the weeks ahead. The ministry identified politicians and political party offices as potential targets, and directed law enforcement agencies to take precautionary measures.[10]
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One security personnel was killed and three others injured on Wednesday when their patrol triggered a landmine in the Saragarhi area of Kurram agency. Elsewhere in Kurram, a remote-controlled bomb detonated near a vehicle in the Bugzai area, injuring three civilians.[11]
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Nearly 100 militants reportedly attacked a Levies check post in the Ghaiba Khawar area and an anti-Taliban militia headquarters in Sangar village, both located in Halima sub-district of Mohmand agency. The attack killed two Levies personnel and one civilian. No group has claimed responsibility for attack.[12]
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Incidents of violence across Karachi left seven people dead and another five injured on Tuesday and Wednesday. Firing incidents took place in the Lasbela bridge, Soldier Bazaar, Nursery, Jamali Goth, and Bhains Colony areas.[13]