US and Pakistan bicker over bin Laden mission – aid in jeopardy as politicians try to spread blame; Palestinian factions unite, refusing to give even "a single inch of land"; EU looks to bring back border restrictions; Amnesty International reveals massive North Korea prison camps; and more

Top of the Agenda: Bin Laden Fallout Strains US-Pakistani Relations

Candid statements from US and Pakistani officials about the US military operation that killed Osama bin Laden highlight rising tensions in bilateral diplomatic relations. Director of the CIA Leon Panetta said that Pakistani intelligence (FT) was kept in the dark about the raid for fear that secrecy may have been jeopardized. US lawmakers said that Congress will review, and possibly suspend, the $1.5 billion in annual aid to Pakistan (WSJ) if the country's leadership is found to be complicit in abetting bin Laden.

Leaders in Islamabad criticized the unilateral and unauthorized nature of the US strike, saying such decisions "cannot be taken as a rule." Top Pakistani officials continued to deny allegations that they harbored bin Laden, despite the obvious embarrassment for Pakistani intelligence (NYT). Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani laid blame on global intelligence agencies, suggesting the intelligence oversight (BBC) was not Pakistan's alone. Pakistan's foreign ministry said the ISI had been sharing information about bin Laden's compound with the "CIA and other friendly intelligence agencies since 2009."

Analysis:

Shabbir Cheema, director of Governance and Democracy Initiatives at the East West Center, looks at the likely impacts of bin Laden's death on US-Pakistani relations.

Bin Laden's death is a real and symbolic blow to al-Qaeda, and its stature in the Middle East is already diminished by the pro-democracy movements in the region, but the group remains lethal. Seven CFR experts discuss.

On his CFR blog The Water's Edge, James M. Lindsay examines the political benefits that bin Laden's death presented to the Obama administration.

This CFR Issue Guide provides background and analysis on the foreign policy implications of bin Laden's death.

Background:

Foreign Affairs offers a collection of articles on al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.

This CFR backgrounder on al-Qaeda offers historical insight into the international terrorist organization behind the September 11 attacks.

Multimedia:

In this video, CFR's Daniel Markey explores the implications of bin Laden's death for US relations with Pakistan, where the al-Qaeda leader was hiding.

See what CFR's Crisis Guide: Pakistan, recent winner of an Overseas Press Club award, has to say about the roots of Pakistan's challenges, what it means for the region and the world, and some plausible futures for the country.

 

PACIFIC RIM: Prison Camp Sprawl in North Korea

A new report from Amnesty International shows the massive scale of North Korea's prison camps. The report includes satellite photos and firsthand accounts from former prisoners of North Korea's network of political prisons, which are estimated to hold some two hundred thousand inmates.

Any movement to resume stalled talks on North Korea's denuclearization is unlikely, says CFR's Sue Terry. Washington should continue to deter Pyongyang's aggressive behavior using sanctions and working with regional allies, she says.

Japan: EU officials admonished Sony's leak of customer information (Bloomberg), saying the company's response was too slow and that consumer trust must be "reinstated now." Officials also criticized Apple for its controversial collection and storage of location data from iPhones.

 

ELSEWHERE:

- Hamas and Fatah to Celebrate Unity Deal
- Migrant Surge Spurs EU Border Restrictions

 

 

 

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