PAKISTAN TESTING DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO TERRORISM
Under Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, the Muslim League-Nawaz [PML-N] parliamentarians voted Monday to support a military operation against the Pakistani Taliban. The vote comes in the aftermath of recent terror attacks in Bannu and Rawalpindi, the headquarters of the Pakistani military. As the death toll rises, Prime Minister Sharif stated the “country’s future cannot be protected unless terrorism is eliminated.” However, after the profession of a new desire for peace talks from a Pakistani Taliban spokesman, Sharif named a four-member commission to conduct negotiations with the Taliban, and urged them to appoint their own representatives. (The Express Tribune, January 27, 2014; The New York Times, January 29, 2014)
SRI LANKA’S INTERNAL CRISES SPUR INTERNATIONAL ACTION
Sri Lanka’s Northern Provincial Council will commence an international probe into the country’s alleged war crimes committed against the Tamil Tigers during the final months of the Sri Lankan civil war, which ended in 2009. The decision to investigate war crimes emerged because many inside and outside of the state continue to doubt the government’s willingness to address the issue. Just this week thousands of protestors marched in Sri Lanka’s capital o accusing the government of mass corruption and mismanagement, including free speech violations, the abolition of term limits, and other abuses of executive power. In response to recent chaos, the top U.S. diplomat for South Asia will travel to Sri Lanka this week to discuss post-war reconciliation and take further review of the state’s alleged human rights abuses. (Times of India, January 28, 2014; Times of India, January 28, 2014; The New Zealand Herald, January 29, 2014)
SAUDI ARABIA MULLS PAKISTANI JF-17 FIGHTER OFFER
The Saudi Arabian defense ministry has shown strong interest in purchasing the JF-17 Thunder jet fighter aircraft, a program created under a joint collaboration between Pakistan and China. The offer was presented to the Saudi Deputy Defense Minister, Salman bin Sultan, last week during his visit to Pakistan. Although Saudi Arabia has not made a final decision yet, Pakistan has sweetened the deal by offering joint manufacturing options in addition to full technology transfer. (Defence News, January 28, 2014)
INDIA PLANS TO MAKE AGNI-5 OPERATIONAL IN TWO YEARS
In India, the Defense Research and Development Organization [DRDO] will test a new “containerized” version of the Agni-5 intercontinental ballistic missile later this year while the Indian armed forces have scheduled user trials for next year. This new “hermetically sealed” version is made of a special steel canister meant to preserve the missile for many years, and Agni-5 will be both road and rail mobile. The Agni-5 is India’s longest-range nuclear-capable missile, with a range of 5,000 kilometers, and may be operational within two years. (Defence News, January 29, 2014)
PM SINGH AIMS TO RESUME DIALOGUE WITH PAKISTAN
As the end of his 10-year tenure as prime minister approaches, Manmohan Singh has promised to visit Pakistan one last time to resuscitate stalled peace talks. The talks, labeled the Composite Dialogue Process, were originally drafted in 1997 yet have been repeatedly suspended, most recently last year after the Pakistan army allegedly decapitated an Indian soldier along the Line of Control in Kashmir. The Composite Dialogue was designed to cover all the most pressing issues between the two South Asian powers, including Kashmir, economic ties, and terrorism. The dialogue is expected to resume sometime in March before Indian national elections, due in May. (Business Standard, January 28, 2014)