KARZAI CONDEMNS PAK DRONE STRIKES
Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned U.S. drone strikes against militants in Pakistan, in surprise remarks that seemed to clash with his previous position that the U.S. take more aggressive action against insurgent safe havens in Pakistan. "I am not in favor of drone attacks in Pakistan, I am against it," Mr. Karzai told Pakistan's Geo TV, according to a transcript released by the Afghan presidential palace this week. It is a clear departure from his previous stance on the issue, where he has supported US drone strikes, which are mostly launched from bases within Afghanistan.
The shift in Mr. Karzai’s stance comes at a time as the newly elected Pakistani Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, has publicly denounced the drone strikes on his home soil, and the Peshawar high court ruled in April that the U.S. drone strikes are illegal and constitute "war crimes" because of the high toll among civilians. Ignoring the court's ruling could expose Mr. Sharif to contempt of court charges–charges that led to the dismissal of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani a year ago. Karzai’s pro-Pakistan shift could be viewed a strategic move to help bolster relations between the neighboring countries in preparation for the NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan next year. Afghan officials say they expect an improvement in ties under Mr. Sharif, who has pledged to reassert civilian authority over Pakistan's military establishment. The U.S. has announced no plans to curtail drone strikes after Karzai’s remarks. (Wall Street Journal June 16, 2013)
INDIA BOOSTS MISSILE DEFENSE CAPABILITIES
India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is developing a missile defense system that would intercept enemy missiles from 5,000km away. The first phase of the program has just been completed, and the defense system is currently capable of intercepting missiles from 2,000km away. "We are planning to soon carry out the first trial of the phase-II of the program under which we will test our capability to destroy an incoming ballistic missile fired at us from 5,000 km range," said Avinash Chander, who took charge of the program earlier this month. Plans to extend the defense system to the Andaman Islands - over 1,000 km off the eastern coast of India are expected to begin once the various clearances are granted by the Indian government, most notably the Environment Ministry. (Hindustan Times June 16, 2013)
MYANMAR MAY SOON RELEASE POLITICAL PRISONERS
Ko Bo Kyi, member of the government-appointed committee to investigate the cases of political prisoners and co-secretary of Thailand-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), said that 155 activists may soon be released from various prisons including those arrested for participation in protests that erupted in Sagaing province in late April. The AAPP recently announced that they consider 183 persons as prisoners of conscience. Ko Bo Kyi acknowledged that there is a disparity in numbers of activists behind bars because of incomplete records. (Mizzima June 17, 2013)
CHIEF MINISTER CUTS TIES WITH BJP
Nitish Kumar, the chief minister for the state of Bihar has ended a 17 year-old alliance with India’s main opposition party after the BJP all but selected Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the party’s Prime Ministerial candidate: "Our parting ways from the NDA [Non-Democratic Alliance] is BJP's failure. You created a situation in which the old allies walked away. An alliance does not run under compulsion...[this] era in the BJP is over and we can't reconcile with the new leadership,” the Bihar chief minister said, defending his. The fracturing of the alliance comes at a crucial time, as the BJP and the secular-leaning Congress ready their election strategies. Congress has led a national governing coalition since 2004, when it unseated the BJP after a seven-year run in office. (Wall Street Journal June 17, 2013)