Pakistan paramilitary move against Taliban; Zuma set for South African presidency; Japanese to take on pirates; and more
Top of the Agenda: Pakistan's Emboldened Taliban
Pakistan sent paramilitary troops into the district of Buner today after Taliban seized the area yesterday, moving closer to the country's capital. Dawn reports Islamabad dispatched eight platoons of thirty to fifty troops each with the intention of protecting government buildings in Buner, which neighbors the Swat valley, the turbulent region where Taliban have recently imposed Islamic law through a controversial peace deal with the government.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, meanwhile, said Islamabad would consider revisiting the deal (The News) if peace isn't restored quickly in Swat and its surrounding areas.
The New York Times leads its coverage this morning with analysis of the Buner developments. The Times article notes that the district is strategically important and moves Taliban forces within seventy miles of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad. The fall of Buner does not mean Taliban pose an imminent threat to seize Islamabad, the article says, but it does reflect the gathering strength of the Taliban movement in Pakistan.
Appearing before Congress yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lashed out at Pakistan's government for "abdicating" to the Taliban by agreeing to impose Islamic law in Swat. She added that Pakistan's problems pose a "mortal threat" to the world (Reuters).
Commentary:
- An editorial in Dawn looks at recent comments by former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressing alarm at the Taliban's spread. The piece says the comments by Sharif, who for a long time stood mum on the issue, may be "too little too late."
- An editorial from another Pakistani paper, the Daily Times, says it is becoming increasingly clear that Pakistan's military will have to fight the Taliban as "Pakistan's own war."
Background and Analysis:
- A new policy paper from CFR's Daniel Markey says the United States should rethink it's "Af-Pak" strategy, placing Pakistan front and center as its first priority.
- A new Backgrounder explains the interplay between Islamic law and militancy.
PACIFIC RIM: Japan Anti-Piracy Bill
Japan's lower house of parliament approved a domestically controversial bill (BBC) that would allow Japanese Self-Defense Forces, the country's defense-oriented military, to play a larger role fighting pirates.
- An editorial in the Asahi Shimbun says the measures are necessary.
S.KOREA: The Korea Times reports Seoul and Washington have agreed to relocate some U.S. military bases in South Korea by 2015.
ELSEWHERE:
ANC set for easy victory in S.Africa; may fall short of two-thirds majority, however.
Fidel Castro says Obama misunderstood brother Raul's comments.
This is an excerpt of the CFR.org Daily News Brief. The full version is available on CFR.org.