OOTDnews: 10/05/11

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Pakistan and China: Strengthening Ties

by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
The American Spectator

As U.S. military operations in Afghanistan drag on, a strengthening relationship between Pakistan and China has emerged as tensions between the former and the United States continue to grow.

Of particular interest are the trilateral meeting just held between Chinese, Saudi and Pakistani intelligence officials in Islamabad and a two-day visit to Pakistan by the Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Meng Jianzhou. Both of these developments come in the midst of growing concern among U.S. officials about the problem of ISI (Pakistani intelligence) support for a militant group known as the Haqqani Network, which has bases in Pakistan and conducts operations against American and Indian targets in Afghanistan.

For example, the Haqqani Network is widely suspected of being behind the bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul in 2008, and more recently cell phone trails have established that members of the organization were in contact with Pakistani intelligence before and during the assault on the U.S. embassy in the Afghan capital this month.

Pakistan's response, however, has been to deny any links between the ISI and Haqqani Network, while accusing the United States of creating the group in the first place. In fact, Jalaluddin Haqqani, the godfather of the organization, was already a devotee to jihadist ideology by the mid-1970s, aiming back then to overthrow the government of Mohammed Daoud Khan, who had seized power from King Zahir in 1973 and established an Afghan republic.

Thus, the militants behind the Haqqani Network (including some Chechen, Palestinian and Yemeni fellow fighters) were already active well before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the subsequent joint CIA-ISI enterprise of providing support to various mujahideen warriors in their jihad against the Soviet occupation forces in the 1980s.

Although the leadership of the Pakistan Army is now firmly refusing to take any action against the Haqqani Network in the form of a military offensive in North Waziristan, Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik has vowed to attack and pursue Muslim Uighur militants who operate in China's western province of Xinjiang but take refuge and undergo training in Pakistan's border areas with Afghanistan (often in cooperation with al-Qa'ida and other Islamist militant groups that have firm footholds in Pakistan). As Malik himself put it, "We will strike very hard against them [the Uighur militants]. Anybody who is the enemy of China is the enemy of Pakistan."

Strengthening ties extend to the realm of arms deals, and now even entail the deployment of Chinese troops in Pakistani territory. For example, in May, China agreed to provide 50 new JF-17 Thunder multi-role fighter planes to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) "immediately" (a deal had been signed earlier, but during the Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Gilani's visit to China discussion was also raised over the possibility of further Chinese supplies to the PAF of J-20 Stealth and Xiaolong multi-purpose light fighter aircraft). It would appear that as Pakistan increases its military cooperation with China, the country is distancing itself from American military support and aid. Indeed, it is expected that the presence of U.S. military personnel in Pakistan will be halved.

As for the stationing of Chinese troops in Pakistan, it is estimated that there are currently around 11,000 soldiers of the People's Liberation Army in Pakistan's northern province of Gilgit-Baltistan and in Pakistani Kashmir, facilitating the opening of branches of Chinese banks and construction of concrete residential houses for these troops. This development should primarily be understood in light of the fact that engineers are working on a railroad that is intended to extend from the port of Gwadar in the southwestern province of Balochistan (a port that will be very important for future Chinese proximity to the Persian Gulf) all the way into western China.

Once Pakistan's strengthening alliance with China in opposition to what is perceived as a U.S.-India axis is taken into account, the policies of the Pakistani military and intelligence towards the various Islamist militants based or operating in Pakistan become very easy to explain. The inconsistency of refusing to launch an offensive against the Haqqani Network while vowing to hunt down Uighur militants has already been noted.

Beijing certainly has no problem with ISI backing of the Haqqani Network: so long as the group harms Indian influence and interests in Afghanistan, so much the better for China. China, after all, feels the need as an ever growing economic power to compete with India for Afghanistan's vast mineral reserves, having already invested $3 billion in the vast Aynak copper mine.

Now we can also see why the ISI and Pakistan Army safeguard and protect the Taliban Shura and other Islamist militants based or operating in Balochistan (especially in and around the provincial capital of Quetta), for they serve as good proxies against the Baloch nationalist insurgency. The Baloch insurgency not only regards Pakistani rule and the presence of Punjabi settlers as an occupation but also is justifiably outraged at the fact that the indigenous population is largely deprived of income from Balochistan's massive copper reserves, which are being developed and exploited by China and the Pakistani central government.

Pakistan's desire to counter India applies to Punjab province as well, where a host of Islamist militant organizations (e.g. Lashkar-e-Taiba) enjoy the patronage of the ISI and the provincial government headed by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

These groups have often provided safe havens for militants returning from Afghanistan (as well as those in the border regions who have been given escape routes and early warnings by the Pakistani security forces during operations as part of a double game to win American financial support), allowing many Islamist militants to set up their own seminaries in south Punjab. The predictable result of all this has of course been the increasing destabilization of Punjab itself, giving rise to a phenomenon known as the "Punjabi Taliban" that has bombed Sufi shrines, inter alia.

The emerging picture is clearly one of a Sino-Pakistani partnership aligned against what is seen as a U.S.-India axis designed to limit Pakistan's assertion of its interests in Afghanistan, Kashmir and parts of India on account of an expansionist policy known as "strategic depth," which has always been espoused by the Pakistani military and intelligence and is rooted in Pakistan's perception of its identity as an Islamic state.

These developments could well lead to what some analysts have termed a "looming superpower clash" between the United States and China over Afghanistan and the wider region, triggered by Pakistan.

Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi is a student at Brasenose College, Oxford University, and an intern at the Middle East Forum.

Palestinian Protesters Confront U.S. Delegation in West Bank

From: foxnews.com

RAMALLAH, West Bank – A small crowd of Palestinian protesters accosted an American diplomatic delegation visiting the West Bank Tuesday, blocking a convoy of vehicles, chanting "shame on you" and hurling a shoe -- a deeply insulting gesture in Arab culture.

The Americans, including employees of the consulate in Jerusalem, were on their way to a U.S. reception in town of Ramallah meant to reaffirm cultural and educational ties with the Palestinians.

But relations have grown strained recently, with Palestinians disappointed over President Barack Obama's handling of Mideast peace efforts. They say he is not tough enough on Israel and are also upset over U.S. vows to block their attempt to receive full membership at the United Nations.

Members of Congress have already put a hold on $200 million in economic assistance to the Palestinians to dissuade them from pushing forward with the U.N. request. Officials have also hinted that aid could be cut altogether if the Palestinians proceed with their plans. The U.S. provides some $500 million a year to the Palestinians.

The activists involved in the demonstration, which was organized on Facebook, called for a boycott of the U.S. reception. They held banners reading, "No for the American funds," "Veto America" and "Obama, your vision is shortsighted."

One man, dressed in a tie and sunglasses, spewed an English-language expletive at the convoy.

A State Department official said employees of the American consulate in Jerusalem were among those caught up in the protest.

After a short delay, Palestinian police cleared a path for the American convoy to enter the resort where the reception took place. But several Palestinian invitees said they were intimidated by the protesters and backed out of the event at the last moment.

Tami Rafedi, a 35-year-old Palestinian activist pursuing a Ph.D in Florida on a U.S. scholarship, said the action was meant to "send a message to America."

"You cannot stand against our national aspirations and you cannot blackmail us with your money," she said.

The U.S. is committed to Palestinian independence, but like Israel, it says the United Nations is not the proper place to achieve statehood, and that peace can only come about through negotiations.

With peace talks stalled for most of the past three years, the Palestinians have said they have little choice but to turn to the U.N.

They refuse to negotiate with Israel while it continues to build in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, saying the construction is a sign of bad faith. The Palestinians have expressed disappointment over Obama's failure to halt settlement construction, after harshly condemning the practice upon taking office.

Russia, China Veto U.N. Resolution to Condemn Syria for Crackdown

From: foxnews

UNITED NATIONS – Russia and China vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution Tuesday that threatened sanctions against Syria if it didn't immediately halt its military crackdown against civilians.

European members of the Security Council tried to avoid a veto by watering down the language on sanctions three times, but they failed.

The vote was 9-2 with four abstentions -- India, South Africa, Brazil and Lebanon.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told the council after the vote that his country did not support Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime or the violence but opposed the resolution because it was "based on a philosophy of confrontation," contained "an ultimatum of sanctions," and was against a peaceful settlement of a crisis.

China's Ambassador Li Bandong said his country is concerned about the ongoing violence and wants to see speedy reforms but opposed the resolution because "sanctions, or threat of sanctions, do not help the sitiuation in Syria but rather complicates the situation."

France's U.N. Ambassador Gerard Araud denounced the veto, saying it "goes against the sense of history that is under way in the region."

"I would like to commend all of those who fight against the bloodthirsty crackdown in Syria," he said.

The Security Council has been divided over a response to the violence, with Western nations and some supporters in Africa and Latin America pressing for tough action against Syria while Russia, China and other members opposed even mentioning the threat of sanctions.

If the resolution had been approved, it would have been the first by the Security Council against Syria since Assad's military began its crackdown against protesters in mid-March.

Violence injures 14; Saudis promise 'iron fist' against 'instigators'

From Mohammed Jamjoom, CNN

(CNN) -- Security forces in eastern Saudi Arabia clashed with armed people provoked by a "foreign country," the Saudi Press Agency said Tuesday, citing an official source at the Interior Ministry.

The incident occurred Monday night in Awamiyya, in the Qatif region of Eastern province, where many Shiites in the predominantly Sunni country live. At least 14 people were wounded.

"A group of instigators" congregated in the town's roundabout and "used motorcycles and Molotov cocktails to undermine security and interfere in national sovereignty," according to the report.

"As security forces managed to disperse them, the group fired with automatic weapons at the security forces from a nearby neighborhood which resulted in the injury of 11 security forces, nine of them from gunshots and two from Molotov cocktails. In addition, a civilian and two women were wounded from gunshots in a nearby building. All were taken to a hospital," the report said.

The ministry said that it "will not tolerate any threat to the security and stability of the homeland and its citizens, and will respond with an iron fist."

The Interior Ministry source was quoted as saying the "group was incited by a foreign country that seeks to extend its influence outside its circle and to undermine the security of the homeland." It didn't name the country.

There have been street disturbances in the predominantly Shiite country of Bahrain nearby, ruled by a Sunni monarchy. And there has been tension between Iran, a predominantly Shiite nation, and the Sunni world.

This year, Shiite protesters in Qatif city and Awamiyya urged the government to release Shiite prisoners and grant more rights. Those protests, which were peaceful, also urged the withdrawal of regional forces from neighboring Bahrain.

U.N.: 'Scores' dead in Somalia bombing

From David McKenzie, CNN

(CNN) -- A truck filled with explosives barreled into a government complex in the heart of Somalia's restive capital Tuesday, a brazen strike killing dozens of people, including students registering for an education program.

The U.N. Political Office for Somalia labeled the strike as a "vehicle-borne suicide bomb attack" that left "scores" of people dead and many others wounded.

"This is a carnage," said Col. Abdullahi Barise, a Somali police spokesman.

Al-Shabaab, an Islamist movement that has links to al Qaeda, claimed responsibility, said Somali President Sharif Ahmed, who deplored the strike and said more than 70 people were killed and 150 people were injured -- most of whom were young students.

He said "Al-Shabaab/al Qaeda" is an "enemy of the Somali people" intent "on destroying the country and any hope for its people's future." A claim of responsibility was spotted on a militant website as well.

One local journalist, Hasan Osman Abdi, who visited the scene, said he believes he saw about 100 dead. He spoke with wounded victims and other eyewitnesses who also said they believed around 100 died. Seriously injured people were being taken out of Mogadishu for treatment, a hospital official told Abdi.

Lt. Col. Paddy Nkunda, an African Union forces spokesman, initially said more than 30 people were killed. Along with the students and parents, casualties included several federal government soldiers, the African Union forces said.

Nkunda said the truck slammed into the gate of a complex containing several government ministries, including the Education Ministry, and a number of the buildings collapsed.

He said that most of those killed were students and their parents who were registering for a Turkish education program. The Somali government, which condemned the attack, said the people were waiting "for results of scholarships." It said no senior government official was hurt.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said more than 90 people injured in the blast were admitted to the city's Medina Hospital.

U.N. officials condemned the attack. "These actions are unacceptable. The murder of ordinary Somalis can not be justified for any reason," said Augustine P. Mahiga, U.N. special representative for Somalia.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was "appalled by the vicious suicide bomb attack targeting government offices and ministries, including students at the education ministry."

"It is incomprehensible that innocents are being senselessly targeted," he said. "The attack is all the more abhorrent coming at a time when Somali political leaders, through efforts such as the recent Mogadishu conference, have been working together to chart a peaceful political future for Somalia."

Al-Shabaab is a group in Somalia that was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States government in March 2008. It is waging a war against Somalia's government to implement a stricter form of Islamic law, or Sharia.

Federal and African Union forces in the impoverished and chaotic nation have battled the group for years. Many analysts believe that Al-Shabaab has been severely weakened by the African Union Mission in Somalia, targeted strikes against foreign members and the weakening of al Qaeda.

Al-Shabaab said in August that it was withdrawing from Mogadishu, and the Transitional Federal Government, backed by African Union peacekeepers, now control most districts of the capital city, the United Nations office said.

Nkunda said forces have pushed Al-Shabaab outside most of Mogadishu, but the group is still a major threat.

"They left the city, but they are now moving into asymmetrical attacks -- suicide bombings, snipers, and kidnapping and other nonconventional means," he said. "We are here to stop Al-Shabaab, so we are very concerned and we condemn this barbaric attack on innocent students and their parents."

Suicide attacks were unheard of in Somalia before 2007, but security analysts believe the attacks emerged because of the influence of foreign fighters.

Militants targeted students in December 2009, when a male suicide bomber dressed in women's clothing attacked a medical school graduation ceremony in Mogadishu.

The troubled Horn of Africa nation has been beset by human rights abuses, drought and famine, as well as fighting across the country. More than 300,000 people have been forced to flee Somalia, with many headed to refugee camps in Kenya, the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said Tuesday.
The refugee agency said it is "very concerned" about fighting on the Somalia-Kenya border, where there have been reports of clashes between Al-Shabaab and federal forces.

Violence has occurred around the Somalia town of Dobley, a main transit point for Somalis heading to the Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya.

Mahiga also condemned Al-Shabaab's raid on Dhusamareb in central Somalia on Monday night, as well as its attack on Dobley in Lower Juba near Somalia's border with Kenya.

"Although the extremists have left the capital, it is very difficult to prevent these types of terrorist attacks, which we have consistently warned are likely to be on the increase," Mahiga said.