January 2:
Tensions appear to have eased slightly between India and Pakistan. In an act of goodwill, New Delhi and Islamabad have shared details of their atomic sites with one another, the Financial Times reports. The conciliatory efforts came after a request from President George W. Bush to alleviate the growing tensions between the two countries since the late November terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and the Indian government's allegations of Pakistani complicity.
January 3:
Russia is warning NATO of ghosts of invasions past. According to Russian experts, current NATO military efforts in Afghanistan are reminiscent of the mistakes made by the Soviet Union almost two decades ago, the Times of London reports. Ruslan Aushev, head of Russia's War Veterans' Committee, has said that the U.S. and NATO are ignoring the needs of the local Afghan population, and relying too heavily on troop surges. Unless NATO can woo the locals to support them rather than the Taliban, according to Aushev, Western efforts to stabilize the former Taliban stronghold are bound to ultimately fail.
January 5:
Following a period of strained relations stemming from U.S. ground and air strikes in Pakistan, Washington and Islamabad appear to be working to rebuild their military alliance. The Wall Street Journal reports that Pakistani officials have been given access to view video feeds from American unmanned drones in a clear sign of warming military-to-military ties between the two countries. U.S. officials credit some of this thaw to Pakistani current Army Chief, General Ashfaq Kiyani, who has expressed his commitment to action against militants, and has supplied significant numbers of forces to the border regions along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan in a bid to stabilized them.
Sri Lankan forces have scored a major success against the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTIE) after seizing the group's “de facto capital,” Kilinochchi. But Reuters India reports that Colombo's victory is not complete; Sri Lankan forces are said to still be on the hunt for the Tamil Tigers’ leader.
January 6:
In its efforts to modernize its military, India is quickly becoming a leading arms importer. The China Post reports that India’s abiding interest in replacing its Soviet-era military arsenal was made official after the country agreed to a $2.1 billion dollar deal with The Boeing Company. According to Defense Ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar, Boeing will deliver eight “P-81 anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare planes” to India over the next four years.
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