DRONE STRIKES RESUME, HIT AL QAEDA #2
After a long lull following the deterioration of U.S.-Pakistan ties since November of 2011, the U.S. has again increased the pace of drone strikes on militants in Pakistan’s tribal areas. Eight drone strikes have been conducted since the NATO summit in Chicago last month, when the U.S. and Pakistan failed to reach an accord on reopening Pakistani supply routes into Afghanistan to NATO trucks. The latest CIA-operated drone strike killed 15 militants in North Waziristan, where the vast majority of strikes have been conducted. It was the third drone strike in three days. U.S. officials have confirmed that the strike killed al Qaeda’s deputy leader, Abu Yahya al Libi, one of al Qaeda’s “most experienced and versatile leaders.” Al Libi, promoted to the number two spot after the killing of Osama bin Laden in May 2011, had escaped from the American prison at Bagram airbase in 2005. One American official told the New York Times “There is no one who even comes close in terms of replacing the expertise AQ has just lost.” In December 2009, reports also emerged that a drone strike had killed al Libi in South Waziristan. A Pakistani official could not verify that al Libi was killed in the strike. (New York Times June 5 2012; Press Trust of India June 4, 2012)
PANETTA IN INDIA
US Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta was on a two day visit to New Delhi, India this week as part of a broader Asia trip spanning Afghanistan, Singapore and Vietnam. Panetta met with Prime Minister Singh, Defense Minister AK Antony and National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, among others. Pointing out that US-India defense ties had significantly improved over the past decade, Panetta called for even closer security cooperation between both nations and urged a reduction in red tape surrounding bilateral decisions. Panetta’s visit comes at a time when the US is seeking the support of regional powers for its new strategy of rebalancing forces towards the Asia-Pacific region. He emphasized the importance of India’s participation in this strategy, calling it a “lynchpin” in the move purported to safeguard “the crossroads of the global economy.” The planned shift in US naval and military power is widely acknowledged as a response to China’s military rise, although Panetta was careful to temper his comments in New Delhi with a call for better relations with China. The prospects for stability in Afghanistan and relations with Pakistan were other issues that featured prominently during discussions. An agreement was also reached to allow the US to recover the remains of American airmen who had lost their lives during the Second World War from the Indian Northeast. (BBC 6 June, 2012; New York Times June 6, 2012; Times of India June 6, 2012;)
US EASES WAY FOR DEFENSE TECH TRANSFERS TO INDIA
This week, the US promised to initiate measures to grant India’s state-owned defense and research organizations, like the Defense and Research Development Organization (DRDO), access to certain dual-use technologies that were previously restricted by sanctions after India’s 1998 nuclear tests. The export controls levied on various Indian civilian and defense organizations stem from the so-called ‘entities list’, a U.S. regime designed to regulate missile and nuclear technology transfers. A guarantee to lift barriers on exports for nine Indian organizations including the DRDO and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) had previously been announced by the Obama administration when the president visited India in 2010, but the DRDO has complained that the changes remain “on paper only” and it remains difficult to import certain US produced technologies previously covered under the controls. A removal from the ‘entities list’ implies that the DRDO would be treated as any other firm for US exporters and that licenses would not be required in the exporting process. (Hindustan Times June 6, 2012; Daily Pioneer, September 26, 2011; Indian Express January 25 2011)
SCO MEETS IN BEIJING
The twelfth annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was held in Beijing this week, with security in Central Asia and Afghanistan lying foremost on the agenda. The SCO, a regional body formed in 2001, initially focused on security cooperation, but has grown to also consider cultural and economic issues. The members of the SCO -- China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan -- see it as a counterbalance to Western diplomatic forums like the G8 and NATO. Decisions taken at this year’s summit included a resolution by members against any foreign intervention in Syria in the face of a deepening humanitarian crisis and civil strife in the country. The group’s opposition to military intervention in Iran was also stressed, along with other discussions on bolstering economic and security ties between member states. China offered a worker training program and $10 billion developmental loan to other member states at this year’s summit. The SCO also decided to admit Afghanistan as an observer to the dialogues this Wednesday. Also present at the summit this year as official “observers” were India, Mongolia and Pakistan. India and Pakistan are seeking full membership but no decision was taken at the meeting on this regard. Indian External Affairs Minister SM Krishna and Chinese Vice-Premier Li Keqiang met at the sidelines of the summit to discuss the future of India-China relations. Li, slated to become China’s next Premier, exchanged views with Krishna on topics of border security, trade relations and India’s membership to the SCO. (China Daily, June 8, 2012; CNN News, June 7, 2012; New York Times, June 8, 2012; The Hindu, June 6, 2012)