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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 1-Aug-2010
1-Aug-10 News -- Pakistan cancels intelligence sharing mission with UK

Web Log - August, 2010

1-Aug-10 News -- Pakistan cancels intelligence sharing mission with UK

Violence in Kashmir is escalating

Pakistan cancels intelligence sharing mission with UK

British Prime Minister David Cameron's remarks earlier this week, accusing Pakistan of supporting terrorist activities in India and Afghanistan, have exposed several rifts among different entities.

In Pakistan itself, Gen. Ahmed Shujaa Pasha, the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, has canceled a long-planned visit to London, according to CNN. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss intelligence sharing for the war on terror, but right at the moment, the entire intelligence sharing arrangement is in doubt.

On the other hand, Pakistan's president Asif Ali Zardari has a separately scheduled meeting in London next week, and different news reports are saying different things about whether that meeting too will be canceled. Apparently the planned meeting with David Cameron is on, according to Associated Press of Pakistan. At a news conference, Pakistan's Information Minister said that Cameron's remarks were not in "good taste," but that Zardari would attempt to convince Cameron of the importance of Pakistan's role in the war on terror.

The confused response by different officials in Pakistan's government exposes a division within the government, according to Dawn.

From the point of the view of Generational Dynamics, the long-term trends are consistent with this division in Pakistan's government.

The ISI is a largely Sunni Muslim organization, with people mostly from the Punjab region. Zardari is Shia Muslim, and became President as a consequence of the assassination of his wife, Benazir Bhutto, who was from a prominent Shia family.

Historically, Shia Muslims have been allied with Hindus against Sunni Muslims, and so it stands to reason that Zardari and Pasha see things a bit differently, especially since the long-term trend is for a new war between Pakistan and India.

There are been three major events in the last few weeks that have affected Pakistan's internal and external relations:

India-Pakistan peace talks, the first since the December, 2008, terrorist attack on Mumbai, recently collapse. (See "17-Jul-10 News -- India-Pakistan peace talks collapse in acrimony.")

The Wikileaks dump of thousands of documents contain what many see as ample proof that Pakistan was aiding the Taliban in Afghanistan.

David Cameron's accusations.

These events are triggering changes in public opinion in Pakistan, and from the point of view of Generational Dynamics, those changes could be significant.

Additional Links

The violence in Kashmir is escalating, with six deaths in the last two days. Hindustani Times

A Taliban spokeman announced that the Taliban are poring over the Wikileaks documents to find the names of pro-American Afghans. NY Times

Israel's air force continues to bomb Hamas targets in Gaza for a second day, in retaliation for a Kassam rocked fired into Israel last Saturday. Jerusalem Post

Many indigent refugees who are severely disabled or over the age of 64 will lose all their benefits on October 1. NY Times

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 1-Aug-10 News -- Pakistan cancels intelligence sharing mission with UK thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (1-Aug-2010) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 1-Aug-2010 1-Aug-10 News -- Pakistan cancels intelligence sharing mission with UK

Pakistan cancels intelligence sharing mission with UK

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 1-Aug-2010
1-Aug-10 News -- Pakistan cancels intelligence sharing mission with UK