| |
SOUTH ASIA INTELLIGENCE REVIEW
Weekly Assessments & Briefings
Volume 9, No. 6, August 16, 2010
Data and
assessments from SAIR can be freely published in any form
with credit to the South Asia Intelligence Review of the
South Asia Terrorism Portal
|
Mapping
the Drone
Ajit Kumar Singh
Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management
The Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA)
and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP,
earlier known as North West Frontier Province), the
militant hub in terror-engulfed Pakistan, are now the
location of an ever-increasing cycle of drone attacks
by the United States (US). In the latest wave of such
attack, at least 13 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
militants, including ‘commander’ Amir Moaviya, were
killed, and six others were injured, when a US drone
struck a Hujra (guesthouse) of a tribesman's
compound at Eisori village near Mirali, a town in North
Waziristan Agency (NWA), on August 14, 2010. Earlier,
on July 25, at least 24 persons, a majority of them
believed to be local tribal militants, were killed in
South Waziristan and North Waziristan Agencies. The
US conducted its first drone attack in Pakistan on June
18, 2004, at Wana, the regional headquarters of the
South Waziristan Agency (SWA), killing five tribal militants.
Reports
indicate that missile attacks by US drones in the FATA
have more than tripled since January 20, 2009, when
Barack Obama took over the Presidency in USA. According
to a BBC Urdu Service report published on July
24, 2010, there were 25 drone strikes between January
2008 and January 2009 in which slightly fewer than 200
people were killed. Between January 20, 2009, and the
end of June 2010, there were at least 87 such attacks,
killing more than 700 people.
The South
Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) database records
that both the number of drone attacks and casualties
have been rising every year, with the exception of 2006,
in which there was no such incident recorded. While
only one person was killed in a single incident in 2005,
the number of fatalities increased to 20 in 2007, in
a single attack. In 2008, 156 persons were killed in
19 such incidents. Year 2009 became bloodier, with 46
such incidents killing 536 persons. The first seven
months of 2010 have already seen 41 such incidents and
366 fatalities.
Drone
attack in Pakistan: 2005-2010
Year
|
Incidents
|
Killed
|
Injured
|
2010*
|
41
|
366
|
35
|
2009
|
46
|
536
|
75
|
2008
|
19
|
156
|
17
|
2007
|
1
|
20
|
15
|
2006
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2005
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
*Data
till August 15, 2010.
Source: SATP
The most
significant drone attacks in Pakistan includes the following:
January
17, 2010: A US drone strike killed at least 20 Taliban
militants, including foreign terrorists (Uzbeks), in
the SWA.
October
24, 2009: A suspected US drone killed 33 militants in
the Bajaur Agency of FATA. The drone targeted a TTP
shura (executive council) meeting in Damadola
area.
August
21, 2009: A pre-dawn drone attack killed at least 21
militants in the NWA.
July
8, 2009: 48 militants were killed and several others
injured in two separate attacks by US drones in the
SWA.
June
23, 2009: Approximately 80 militants, including Khwaz
Wali Mehsud, a senior ‘commander’ of the TTP, were killed
and several others sustained injuries in two separate
attacks by US spy planes on a suspected militant hideout
and funeral prayers at Lattaka village of Ladha subdivision
in SWA.
February
16, 2009: 30 suspected militants were killed and three
others sustained injuries in a missile strike on a refugee
camp in the Kurram Agency of FATA.
February
14, 2009: Two missiles fired by US drones killed 28
TTP militants, including foreign nationals, in SWA.
October
3, 2008: US drone strikes on Mohammad Khel village in
NWA killed at least 20 suspected militants.
June
19, 2007: At least 22 suspected militants were killed
and 10 sustained injuries, when a missile fired by US
drone hit a cluster of compounds in the Dattakhel area
of NWA.
There
is an evident intensification of US drone operations
across the tribal regions of Pakistan, as the realization
dawns that, despite its intense ground and air operations
in Afghanistan, the International Security Assistance
Force (ISAF) has failed to secure its objectives of
weakening the Taliban and al
Qaeda in that country, as Pakistan’s
tribal areas become the source and sanctuary for Islamist
terrorists operating on Afghan soil. The TTP – which
has also been lethally active within Pakistan – has
provided critical support to al Qaeda and Taliban leaders
and operatives. The prime objective of campaign of drone
attacks is to flush out the top tier of al-Qaeda's leadership,
including Osama bin Laden, and deny sanctuary in FATA
for the Taliban/TTP and those militants who regularly
slip across the border to attack US forces in Afghanistan.
Since the rugged terrain of the region does not allow
easy access to ground Forces, the drones have become
the ultimate tool of operation.
Significantly,
the US has succeeded in eliminating some leadership
elements in the target terrorist groups through drone
attacks. According to a report in The Long War Journal,
drone strikes have killed 15 senior and an equal number
of mid-level al Qaeda leaders, and four senior and five
mid-level Taliban/TTP leaders since 2004. Some of the
most significant kills include Baitullah Mehsud (former
TTP ‘commander’), Osama al Kini alias Fahid Mohammed
Ally Msalam (al Qaeda's operations chief for Pakistan),
Mustafa Abu Yazid alias Sheikh Saeed al Masri
(an al Qaeda leader in Afghanistan and top financial
controller), Mohammed Haqqani (a mid-level Haqqani Network
‘military commander’ and brother of the outfit’s leader
Sirajuddin Haqqani), Abdul Basit Usman (the US had a
USD one million bounty on his head), and Abu Jihad al
Masri (the leader of the Egyptian Islamic Group and
the chief of al Qaeda's intelligence branch). Bewildered
by these losses, the TTP, on April 5, 2010, threatened
more terrorist and suicide strikes unless the US shelved
drone attacks in the FATA.
The
efficacy of the drone attacks has, however, been widely
contested. While the US insists that these have been
targeted with extraordinary precision, with ‘negligible’
collateral damage, a report published in The
News on April 8, 2010, claimed that, of 60 cross-border
predator strikes carried out by the Afghanistan-based
American Forces on Pakistani soil, between January 14,
2006, and April 8, 2009, only 10 were able to hit their
intended targets, killing 14 wanted al-Qaeda leaders,
besides killing 687 innocent Pakistani civilians, yielding
a ‘success rate’ of not more than six per cent. A July
14, 2009, Brookings Institute report titled "Do
Targeted Killings Work?" stated that more
than 600 civilians are likely to have died in the drone
attacks, as compared to approximately 60 militants killed.
Unsurprisingly,
there is a great hue and cry inside Pakistan about these
attacks and the drones have become a highly emotive
political issue in the country. Consequently, the Government
and Army protest loudly after each strike. On March
25, 2010, for instance, Interior Minister Rehman Malik
said US drone attacks in the tribal areas were being
carried out ‘without Pakistan's consent’ and the matter
would be taken up with Washington during bilateral discussions.
He, however, added that the US was committed to provide
drone technology to Pakistan.
Despite
their public protestations, however, Islamabad, under
tremendous US pressure, is secretly cooperating with
the US by providing much of the human intelligence that
allows the drones to target safe houses in the tribal
area where al-Qaida and Taliban/TTP militants are suspected
to be hiding out. Reports indicate that Islamabad has
allowed the hosting of Central Intelligence Agency agents,
who call in the strikes, in Pakistani Army compounds
in the tribal area. A Times report of June 1, 2009,
The CIA's Silent War in Pakistan, thus noted:
...Pakistani
leaders like Army Chief of Staff General Ashfaq
Kayani seem to have concluded that using drones
to kill terrorists in FATA is generally a good
thing. This is a major change in direction; although
former President Pervez Musharraf allowed drones
to operate, he placed severe limits on where and
when they could strike. After Musharraf resigned...
the shackles came off. The US struck a tacit bargain
with the new administration in Islamabad: Zardari
and Kayani would quietly enable more drone operations
while publicly criticizing the US after each strike...
|
Meanwhile,
vocal Pakistani opinion in general remains unconvinced
that the campaign serves Pakistan's interests, arguing,
moreover, that the drone strikes and the disproportionate
‘collateral damage’ that inflict are helping the militants
win more sympathy. As Brigadier (Retired) Mahmood Shah
noted in 2009, "Baitullah Mehsud likes to boast
that each drone attack brings him three or four suicide
bombers."
Lacking
credible options, however, the Obama Government remains
determined to intensify the drone attacks to target
the terror centres in FATA and KP. Consequently, the
US defence budget for 2011 seeks an augmentation of
funds to enhance drone operations by 75 per cent, citing
its success in targeting militants in Afghanistan and
Pakistan’s tribal belt. Pushing for the enhanced allocation,
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike
Mullen declared, in February 2010, "With this funding,
we will increase the unmanned Predator and Reaper orbits
from 37 to 65, while enhancing our ability to process,
exploit and disseminate information gathered by this
game-changing technology." Further, the US Defence
Secretary Robert Gates, while briefing journalists on
the 2011 budget, stated that new drones would be added
to the American military’s arsenal "in a couple
of years" and these would be "the most advanced
UAVs".
The
success of the drone campaign will depend overwhelmingly
on the precision of intelligence on which each strike
is based. Unfortunately, there are wide black holes
in this dimension. Worse, in a tribal culture that regards
personal courage as an essential quality in both enemies
and allies, the drone strikes fuel contempt and alienation
among the population, who accuse the Americans of ‘cowardice’
and an unwillingness to face their adversaries in battle.
This plays quite well into the broader Pakistani establishment
gameplan, as an ambivalent project to support particular
brands of terrorism runs parallel to a limited effort
to direct domestic and foreign Forces against others.
Specifically, Pakistan has focused on operations against
the TTP, and sought to draw US drone fire against this
group’s leadership, even as it continues to provide
safe haven to, and cover up the tracks of, the leadership
of the Taliban – al Qaeda combine.
Technology
alone will not resolve this problem. Unless Pakistani
perfidy is neutralized, reliable intelligence is enormously
augmented, and civilian casualties are minimized, the
US will continue to harvest a bitter fruit even from
the ‘successes’ of its unmanned campaigns in FATA and
KP.
|
Madheshis:
The Power of the Weak
Anshuman Behera
Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
With
the principal parties in Nepal – the Unified Communist
Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M),
Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML)
and the Nepali Congress (NC) – still deadlocked
after four rounds of Prime Ministerial elections, relatively
minor Madhesh-based parties are beginning to wield disproportionate
clout in the political manoeuvres in Kathmandu. With none
of the major players capable of chalking up the required
support on its own, and no two of them willing to sit
together to form a Government, the Madheshi parties have
become key to pushing the outcome closer to the magical
numbers.
However,
the demands of the Unified Democratic Madheshi Forum (UDMF),
a combination of the four principal Madheshi parties –
Madheshi Janadhikar Forum (MJF),
Madheshi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik (MJF-L), Terai Madhesh
Loktantrik Party (TMLP) and Sadbhawana Party (SP) – remain
unacceptable to each of the national political formations.
The 82-member alliance crucially seeks complete regional
autonomy and a single Madheshi provincial state (ek
Madhesh ek Pradesh), and an unambiguous ‘right to
self-determination’, in addition to specific commitments
on the peace process, the drafting of the Constitution,
and implementation of past agreements such as the bulk
integration of Madheshi people in Security institutions,
as the price of its support to any Prime Ministerial candidate.
On August
1, the NC explicitly rejected the UDMF’s "ek Madhesh
ek Pradesh" demand and the condition of bulk
integration of the Madheshi people into security bodies,
and sought further explanation on the proposed ‘right
to self-determination’. There is little movement in the
UCPN-M and the CPN-UML that would suggest that these demands
may be acceptable to either of these.
After the
downfall of the monarchy in April 2006, the Madheshi parties
consolidated their support in the extended south of the
country, substantially curtailing the influence of the
Maoists, something that the other political parties initially
celebrated, since this was at least partly responsible
for denying the Maoists a majority in the Constituent
Assembly (CA) elections of April 10, 2008. The Madheshi
parties claimed 82 seats in a total of 599 in the CA,
with 25 going to the MJF, 28 to the MJF-L, 20 to TMLP,
and nine to SP.
While the
Madheshi parties appear to have become much more central
to any resolution of the protracted crisis in Kathmandu,
it is far from the case that they can present any easy
solution. Apart from their unbridgeable differences with
the national political parties, there is little internal
coherence even within the Madheshi groupings. There are,
for instance, serious divergences of opinions regarding
the question of autonomy. While the Upendra Yadav led
MJF demands complete autonomy and freedom of the region
to determine its own destiny, armed groups like the Janatantrik
Terai Mukti Morcha-Goit (JTMM-G)
are raising the stakes to a claim of sovereignty. On July
14, 2007, the ‘commander’ of the JTMM-G, Jaikrishna Goit,
had declared that his group sought ‘sovereignty’ for Madhesh,
because it was the most exploited and colonised region
in Nepal. Goit insisted that historical wrongs could not
be addressed unless the Madheshi people were completely
free to define their own future, and denounced groups
like the MJF as ‘collaborators’ of Kathmandu, claiming
that they would be bought off with no more than tokenism.
Significantly,
the UDMF remained neutral in the first two rounds of the
Prime Ministerial elections held on July 21 and 23, on
the grounds that they would participate only if their
demands were conceded by one of the candidates. Their
ranks were, however, split in the August 2 round of the
polls, when 11 members of the MJF, defying a party whip,
voted for the Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka
Prachanda, in a body blow to the group’s solidarity.
Reports
suggest that, on August 2, just before the third round
of the elections the UDMF had a central committee meeting,
which discussed the issue of "ek Madhesh ek Pradesh".
The MJF, on its part, was urging the other UDMF constituents
to be flexible on this issue, giving the CA the final
right to decide on it. A party release stated: "The
demand is negotiable and open to discussion. We don’t
want to hamper Government formation by forwarding such
a complicated issue." Reacting to the MJF statement,
MJF-L chief whip, Ram Janam Chaudhary, observed that it
was high time to bargain with the parties over their demand
for a single Madheshi province: "We are in the process
of Constitution drafting rather than only forming a Government,
so we should stick to the demand."
Meanwhile,
reports indicate that there are at least 30 underground
militant
groups operating in the 20 Districts
of the Madhesh region. These armed groups remain a very
real threat to any political accord in the region, and
have resisted every effort to secure a permanent peace.
Indeed, one of the prominent armed formations, the Janatantrik
Terai Mukti Morcha-Rajan (JTMM-R), on July 31, 2010, issued
a 72-hour ultimatum to all Madhesh-based party leaders
to resign from their posts, and to participate in the
Samyukta Madhesh Mukti Aandolan (SMMA, the Unified Madhesh
Freedom Movement). The JTMM-R ‘chairman and supreme commander’,
Rajan Mukti, warned the Madheshi leaders not to support,
assist, or protect any Government that may be formed under
the leadership of a Nepali speaking leader. He also warned
of ‘physical action’ against anyone who failed to comply
with, or who went against, the terms of the ultimatum.
‘Physical action’ would also be taken against the Madhesh-based
party leaders who participated in the ‘drama’ of Government
formation, which was going on in the Legislature-Parliament,
the JTMM-R threatened, further. Similarly, on August 5,
another armed group, the Janatantrik Terai Madhesh Mukti
Party (JTMMP), threatened action against the 11 MJF members
who had defied the MJF’s directives and voted for Maoist
Chairman Dahal, in the third round of the Prime Ministerial
elections.
The trust
deficit in the wider Nepali polity appears to have been
replicated in politics of the ‘peripheral’ Madhesh region.
While the national parties find themselves increasingly
dependent on Madheshi support, the lack of consensus between
the Madheshi parties and the proliferation of armed groupings
has robbed the Madhesh lobby of any capacity to cash in
on the power that has been yielded to them as a result
of the political flux in Kathmandu. Barring a complete
surprise, there appears to be little in all this that
promises any breakthrough in the next round of Prime Ministerial
elections scheduled for August 18. The weak, it seems,
have found a voice; but don’t appear to be particularly
sure about what they want to say.
|
Weekly
Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia
August 9-15, 2010
|
Civilians
|
Security
Force Personnel
|
Terrorists/Insurgents
|
Total
|
INDIA
|
|
Assam
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
Jammu and
Kashmir
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
12
|
Manipur
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
Left-wing
Extremism
|
|
Chhattisgarh
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
6
|
Orissa
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
West Bengal
|
4
|
0
|
1
|
5
|
Total
(INDIA)
|
11
|
5
|
12
|
28
|
PAKISTAN
|
|
Balochistan
|
21
|
5
|
0
|
26
|
FATA
|
1
|
3
|
16
|
20
|
Sindh
|
4
|
0
|
2
|
6
|
Total
(PAKISTAN)
|
26
|
8
|
18
|
52
|
Provisional
data compiled from English language media sources.
|
INDIA
Dialogue
is the only option, asserts Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh: Addressing
the nation on the occasion of 64th Independence
Day on August 15, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said
that he wanted to resolve issues through dialogue,
be it with Pakistan, Kashmiri separatists, Northeast
groups or Naxalites [Left Wing Extremists]. "India's
democracy has the generosity and flexibility to be
able to address the concerns of any area or group
in the country," he pointed out. The Prime Minister
made it clear that India wanted peace and harmony
with neighbours but emphasized that progress in dialogue
with Islamabad would not go far if Pakistan continued
to allow its territory to be used for acts of terrorism
against India. On Kashmir, he reiterated, "Kashmir
is an integral part of India. Within this framework,
we are ready to move forward in any talks which would
increase the partnership of the common man in governance
and their welfare." Describing Naxalism as a
"serious challenge" to internal security,
the PM appealed to Naxalites to abjure violence, come
for talks with the Government and join hands with
it to accelerate social and economic development.
Expressing readiness to carry forward talks with insurgents
in the Northeast, the Prime Minister said his Government
had a special responsibility towards the region.
The
Hindu;
Assam
Tribune, August 16, 2010.
Pakistan
must stop terrorist attacks from its soil, says External
Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna: External
Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said on August 12 that
India was willing to hold a sustained dialogue with
Pakistan, provided the latter's soil was not used
for attacks on India. He said, "If there is goodwill
from Pakistan and if there is an assurance that their
soil is not going to be directed by terrorist instrumentalities
to attack India or to foment anti-India feelings,
then India would certainly be willing for a sustained
dialogue with Pakistan".
The
Hindu, August 13, 2010.
Maoists
ready for talks if Azad killing is probed, says social
activist Swami Agnivesh: Social
activist Swami Agnivesh on August 12 said that Communist
Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) was ready to resume
the peace process initiated by their spokesperson
Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad if a judicial
inquiry was ordered into his killing. Earlier, on
August 11, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram had
rejected the demand.
The
Hindu;
Times
of India, August 12-13, 2010.
New
Zealand anticipates terror attack in India before
Commonwealth Games: According
to a diplomatic note published on August 11, New Zealand
officials in India anticipate a terrorist attack on
a "soft target" ahead of the Commonwealth Games in
New Delhi.
Times of India, August 12,
2010.
Nearly
8,500 armed Naxals in country, Government informs
Rajya Sabha: The
Government on August said almost 8,500 armed Naxal
[Left Wing Extremist] cadres were present in the country
and as many as 21 left wing extremist groups were
indulging in acts of violence. "As per available inputs,
the total strength of armed cadres of Naxalites is
around 8,500," Minister of State for Home Affairs
Ajay Maken informed the Rajya Sabha (Upper
House of Parliament) in a written reply.
DNA India, August 12, 2010.
Nodal
officers to track Maoist movements and terror threats:
Police forces of the four southern States - Andhra
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka - have resolved
to track movements of extremists, terrorists and other
organised crime offenders on a day-to-day basis.
Times
of India, August 12, 2010.
Arunachal
Pradesh Government asks Centre to fence border with
Myanmar:
Arunachal Pradesh Government asked the Centre to fence
the India-Myanmar border to check the movement of
militants from India's Northeast who have set up base
in the dense forests of the State.
Shilong Times, August 11,
2010.
NEPAL
Maoists'
totalitarianism led Madhesh-based parties to deny
support, says Minister Laxman Lal Karna: Minister
without Portfolio, Laxman Lal Karna, who is also vice-chairman
of the Sadbhawana Party (SP), revealed on August 12
that the Madhesh-based political parties didn't extend
their support to Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist
(UCPN-M) in the election for Prime Minister because
of it being a "totalitarian" party. He accused the
Maoists of engaging in all kinds of dirty games to
grab power and warned that the Maoists area trying
to impose totalitarianism in the name of democracy
in the country. Nepal
News, August 13, 2010.
PAKISTAN
21
civilians and five SFs among 26 persons killed during
the week in Balochistan: Unidentified
assailants singled out Punjabi passengers travelling
on a bus, killing 10 and injuring five others in Ahb-e-Gahm
area near Mach town in Bolan District on August 14.
Six
Punjabi speaking persons were shot dead by assailants
riding motorcycle when they were going home from work
in Khilji Colony of Quetta. Baloch Liberation Army
(BLA) claimed responsibility for the killings.
Three
Security Force (SF) personnel were killed when unidentified
assailants opened fire on them at a checkpost near
Chaki Shawani area of Saryab in Quetta on August 13.
Dawn;
Daily
Times; The
News, August 10-16, 2010.
16
militants and three SFs among 20 persons killed during
the week in FATA: At
least 13 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants,
including a ‘commander’, were killed and six others
injured when a US drone struck a compound in Eisori
village near Mirali, a town in North Waziristan Agency
of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (AFAT) on August
14.
Six
persons, including three Security Force (SF) personnel
and as many militants, were killed and seven others
injured in two separate incidents of violence in Sagi
area of Mohmand Agency on August 10. Dawn;
Daily
Times; The
News, August 10-16, 2010.
LeT
in five 'most dangerous bad guy' groups, says US special
representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard
Holbrooke:
Five Pakistan-based "most dangerous bad guy groups",
including Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), pose a critical threat
in war-torn Afghanistan, said US special representative
for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke on
August 13.
Times
of India, August 14, 2010.
Pakistan
Army will not change its India-centric policy, says
former ISI chief Hamid Gul: Hamid
Gul, former Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) chief
credited with helping in creation of Afghan Taliban,
on August 12 said his country's Army would not change
its India-centric policy, unless the Kashmir issue
is resolved. "The kind of terrorism which is going
on in Pakistan is due to Kashmir issue," said Hamid
Gul who is also believed to have created Kashmiri
militants groups claimed in the CNN's "Connect
the World" programme.
Earlier,
on August 8, backing the Pakistani military line on
the Afghanistan issue he claimed that it’s only Taliban
and its ‘chief’ Mulla Omar who can guarantee that
there would be no threat to the US from this part
of the world.
Indian Express, August 10-13,
2010.
ISI
has relationship with Taliban, says former US Deputy
Secretary of State Richard Armitage: Against
the backdrop of the WikiLeaks disclosure about
Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) double-game in Afghanistan,
former US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage
on August 10 said the Pakistani spy agency has a relationship
with the Taliban.
Indian Express, August 11,
2010.
Conspiracy
to destabilise Karachi: There
is a massive conspiracy to destabilise Karachi, the
economic hub, by jihadi outfits which only
recently decided to regroup and reorganise themselves
to launch a series of high-profile killings and bomb
blasts. Daily
Times, August 14, 2010.
United
Nations aid envoy to flood-stricken Pakistan warns
of militant threat: Jean-Maurice
Ripert, the United Nations aid envoy to flood-stricken
Pakistan, warned on August 11 that armed militants
could take advantage of the country's worst humanitarian
disaster by operating among its displaced victims.
"We all hope that militants will not take advantage
of the circumstances to score points" by exploiting
people driven from their homes by the floods, he added.
Earlier,
on August 10, the White House Deputy Press Secretary
Bill Burton told that the extremists may take advantage
of flood-situation in Pakistan.
Dawn;
Indian Express, August 11-12,
2010.
Balochistan
Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani for mandate to
talk with militants: Balochistan
Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani said on August
8 that he could bring the resistance forces in Balochistan
to the table for talks if the Federal Government and
other quarters concerned gave him the mandate to do
this.
Dawn,
August 10, 2010.
SRI LANKA
Pro-LTTE
elements still collecting funds from Diaspora, says
former Sri Lanka Peace Secretariat head:
Bernard Goonetilleke, the former head of Sri Lanka's
now defunct Peace Secretariat, said on August 10 that
pro-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) elements
were involved in collecting funds from the Tamil Diaspora
even after the war.
Colombo Page, August 12, 2010.
Government
responds to US report on war crimes issues: Sri
Lankan Government has issued a response to a report
submitted on August 12 by the United States Department
of State to the Congress. The Sri Lankan Government
said that it has received the text of the report by
Stephen Rapp, Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues
of the US State Department to the Congress titled
"Report to Congress on measures taken by the Government
of Sri Lanka and International Bodies to investigate
incidents during the recent conflict in Sri Lanka,
and evaluating the effectiveness of such efforts".
Colombo
Page, August 13, 2010.
War
probe panel opens in Colombo: A
Government-appointed panel tasked with investigating
the final years of Sri Lanka's civil war opened in
Colombo on August 11. The eight-member panel will
hear testimony on five separate days in the capital
Colombo and two days in Vavuniya, near the former
war zone.
Colombo
Page, August 12, 2010.
The South
Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) is a weekly service that
brings you regular data, assessments and news briefs on
terrorism, insurgencies and sub-conventional warfare, on
counter-terrorism responses and policies, as well as on
related economic, political, and social issues, in the South
Asian region.
SAIR is a project
of the Institute
for Conflict Management
and the
South
Asia Terrorism Portal.
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