Pakistan claims to have arrested terrorist leader; Thai opposition calls for parliament to elect new PM; Blackwater guards hand themselves in; riots in Greece; and more
Top of the Agenda: Pakistan Terror Arrests
Pakistani authorities say they have arrested the operational leader of the militant group India says coordinated this month's terror attacks in Mumbai. The New York Times quotes a senior Pakistani security official as saying Pakistani troops raided a camp run by the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group in a Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir, and arrested the group's supreme commander, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.
The BBC says the arrest comes amid a broader crackdown that has included a major military campaign to control the LeT camp. The BBC correspondent in the region says the Pakistani army has sealed off the area around the camp. Dawn described the operation as a "quiet crackdown" focused in the city of Muzaffarabad, and reports some twenty militants have been arrested.
Meanwhile, the Times reports in a separate article that spies from Pakistan's main intelligence service, the ISI, likely aided the LeT group in advance of the attacks, and that the group has gained strength in recent months.
Background:
- This CFR.org Backgrounder profiles the LeT group.
- This one looks at the accusations of supporting terrorism against the ISI.
Pacific Rim: Stock Rally
Market indices across East Asia posted sharp gains (WSJ) this morning, due in part to hopefulness about new government stimulus initiatives. Markets in Hong Kong and Tokyo jumped 8.7 percent and 5.2 percent respectively.
THAILAND: Thailand's opposition Democrat party is calling for a parliamentary session (Bangkok Post) to elect a new prime minister, following a decision by the Thai supreme court banning the current prime minister from office for five years. The BBC reports some followers of the country's ruling party have formed an off-shoot party and may also try to start a new government.
Elsewhere:
Blackwater employees to surrender on charges related to Iraq shootings.
Anarchist groups lead three days of riots in Greece.
This is an excerpt of the CFR.org Daily News Brief. The full version is available on CFR.org.