Pakistan Security Brief

Obama reaches out to Zardari in response to NATO incident; U.S. to vacate Shamsi Airbase; Memogate whistleblower begins new round of political accusations; TTP losing power as group splinters; NATO to increase pressure on Pakistan-based militant groups; Afghan prison holds 30 Pakistanis, according to U.S.; Pakistani man in U.S. pleads guilty to aiding LeT; London police arrest three Pakistanis at Heathrow airport; Bonn Conference commences in Germany, Pakistan absent; Security forces reinforce security measures in North Waziristan, three FC soldiers injured in blast; LI captures “strategic hilltop” in Khyber agency; Militants attack market in Kohat; Security measures increased during Ashura; Pakistan to ask Australia to lift ban or uranium sales; UN reports reluctance to trust international health workers after “fake vaccination campaign.”

U.S.-Pakistan Relations

Pakistani Taliban

  • On Sunday, the Associated Press reported on the diminishing capacity of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) due to the “splintering” of the terrorist group into over “100 smaller factions.”  Analysts cite that the first signs of splintering appeared after the death of Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud in 2009; however, more recently, the leaders of different militant factions have been “making their own peace talks with the [Pakistani] government,” which one analyst says could benefit the Pakistan Army’s operation against insurgents by “separat[ing] more leaders from the TTP and more foot soldiers from their commanders.”[4]

War on Terror

Bonn Conference

  • In an article published in the German newspaper Der Spiegel on Monday, Afghan President Hamid Karzai accused Pakistan of “sabotaging all negotiations with the Taliban” and expressed frustration over Pakistan’s decision to boycott this week’s Bonn Conference on the future of Afghanistan in Bonn, Germany.  Meanwhile, Germany’s Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, articulated that Pakistan had the most to gain from “a stable and peaceful Afghanistan,” while voicing regret over Pakistan’s boycott of the conference.[9]

FATA

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

Ashura

Uranium

Healthcare



[1] “Obama expresses 'condolences' to Pakistan's president,” CNN, December 5, 2011. Available at
Matthew Rosenberg and Eric Schmitt, “Pakistan Refuses to Help as U.S. Sorts Out a Fatal Attack,” New York Times, December 2, 2011. Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/03/world/asia/pakistan-refuses-to-help-as-us-sorts-out-fatal-airstrikes.html?_r=1
“PM: Pakistan wants to rebuild ties with U.S.,” AP, December 5, 2011. Available at
Karin Brulliard  and Karen DeYoung, “U.S. breach with Pakistan shows imbalance between diplomatic, security goals,” Washington Post, December 4, 2011. Available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-breach-with-pakistan-shows-imbalance-between-diplomatic-security-goals/2011/12/03/gIQAd2DsTO_story.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed
Eli Lake, “America's Shadow State in Pakistan,” Daily Beast, December 5, 2011. Available at http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/12/05/america-s-shadow-state-in-pakistan.html
[2] “American aircraft arrives at Shamsi base,” Dawn, December 4, 2011. Available at http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/04/american-aircraft-arrives-at-shamsi-base.html
[3] “Zardari, Haqqani knew about Osama raid: Ijaz,” The News, December 4, 2011. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=10748&Cat=13
Anwar Iqbal, “White House rebuts Ijaz claim about May 2 raid: Strikes not deliberate, Obama tells Zardari,” Dawn, December 5, 2011. Available at http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/05/white-house-rebuts-ijaz-claim-about-may-2-raid-strikes-not-deliberate-obama-tells-zardari.html
Mansoor Ijaz, “An Insider Analysis of Pakistan's 'Memogate,'” Daily Beast, December 5, 2011. Available at http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/12/04/an-insider-analysis-of-pakistan-s-memogate.html
“Haqqani changed BlackBerry handsets thrice to cover tracks: Mansoor Ijaz,” Express Tribune, December 3, 2011. Available at http://tribune.com.pk/story/301761/haqqani-changed-blackberry-handsets-thrice-to-cover-tracks-mansoor-ijaz/
Muhammad Saleh Zaafir, “Ijaz ready to come to Pakistan for memogate probe,” The News, December 5, 2011. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=10752&Cat=13
Abdul Manan and Qaiser Zulfiqar, “Memogate: Court’s commission falters but PM braces for fire,” Express Tribune, December 4, 2011. Available at http://tribune.com.pk/story/301667/memogate-scandal-tariq-khosa-refuses-to-head-commission/
“Mansoor Ijaz trying to destabilise Pakistan: Malik,” Express Tribune, December 5, 2011. Available at http://tribune.com.pk/story/302485/mansoor-ijaz-trying-to-destabilise-pakistan-malik/
Issam Ahmed, “A US citizen stirs up Pakistani 'memo-gate,'” Christian Science Monitor, December 5, 2011. Available at http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2011/1204/A-US-citizen-stirs-up-Pakistani-memo-gate/%28page%29/2
[4] “Under pressure from all sides, Pakistani Taliban militant network splintering into factions,” Washington Post, December 4. 2011. Available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/under-pressure-from-all-sides-pakistani-taliban-militant-network-splintering-into-factions/2011/12/04/gIQAyBg4QO_story.html
[5] Julian Borger, “Nato plans push in eastern Afghanistan to quell Pakistan-based insurgents,” Guardian, December 2, 2011. Available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/02/nato-offensive-east-afghanistan-pakistan?newsfeed=true
[6] “Pakistani prisoners at Bagram wait for justice,” Dawn, December 4, 2011. Available at
[7] “Pakistani pleads guilty in U.S. to aiding militants,” Reuters, December 2, 2011. Available at
[8] “Three Pakistanis held by London police at Heathrow,” The News, December 4, 2011. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=27934
[9] “Karzai accuses Pakistan of stalling talks with Taliban,” The News, December 4, 2011. Available at  
[10] “Security in NWA up after Nato attacks,” The News, December 5, 2011. Available at http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=80809&Cat=7
“Three FC soldiers injured in NWA blast,” The News, December 5, 2011. Available at  http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=80942&Cat=2
[11] “LI recaptures strategic hilltop,” The News, December 5, 2011. Available at
[12] “Two dead in Kohat grenade attack,” Reuters, December 5, 2011. Available at http://www.dawn.com/2011/12/05/two-dead-in-kohat-grenade-attack.html
[13] “Malik fears terror attacks in Karachi, D I Khan during Ashura,” Dawn, December 5, 2011. Available at
 “Muharram processions: Security tightened across Pakistan,” Express Tribune, December 5, 2011. Available at
[14] “Pakistan seeks Australia uranium after India ban lifted,” BBC, December 5, 2011. Available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16027509
[15] Owais Tohid, “Move to Get Bin Laden Hurt Polio Push,” Wall Street Journal, December 3, 2011. Available at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204190504577038781784474056.html
 
 
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