Second Taliban leader captured by Pakistan, but has the ISI really changed?; China's Communist Party's rules to tackle corruption; EU warns Turkey over coup claims; Ill Nigerian president returns home; and more

Top of the Agenda: Pakistan Seizes Taliban Official

The capture of a second high-level leader of the Afghan Taliban by Pakistani authorities raised hope (WSJ) that Pakistan's intelligence agency is breaking its ties with Islamist extremists. US and Pakistani officials confirmed Tuesday that Mullah Abdul Kabir, an alleged member of the Taliban's leadership council and commander of Taliban forces in eastern Afghanistan, was captured in Pakistan last week. But US officials remain uncertain of whether the Inter-Service Intelligence agency's moves against the Taliban are short-term posturing or indications of real change. Some American officials say Pakistan shifted gears because it believes the Afghan Taliban poses a threat to domestic stability.

Asked about why Pakistan had moved against Afghan Taliban, head of US Central Command General David Petraeus said there was no single explanation (AFP).

Analysis:

The International Institute for Strategic Studies discusses the difficulties for the United States in crafting a strategic policy toward Pakistan.

On the Daily Beast, Richard Wolffe discusses the Afghan war's strain on NATO ties.

At a recent CFR meeting, expert Ahmed Rashid downplayed notions of a strategic shift in which Pakistani security services are moving more aggressively to seize Afghan Taliban leaders on their soil.

Background:

This CFR Backgrounder discusses Pakistan's fragile foundations.

 

PACIFIC RIM: China's Communist Ethics Code

China's ruling Communist Party issued an ethics code (AFP) to curb the widespread corruption considered a major threat to its survival.

Indonesia: Indonesian police are engaged in a high-profile tax-evasion investigation (WSJ), including a probe of a company tied to one of Indonesia's most senior political and business leaders, Aburizal Bakrie.

 

ELSEWHERE:

Nigerian President Returns Home
EU Warns Turkey Over Coup Trials

 

This is an excerpt of the CFR.org Daily News Brief. The full version is available on CFR.org.