SPY EYES

Open secrets

In a rare official discussion of the covert drone program run by the CIA, President Barack Obama defended the United States’ use of drones to strike suspected terrorists in Pakistan and elsewhere yesterday during a Google+ hangout (WSJ, NYT, CNN, LAT,Tel, AJE, BBC). Obama maintained that the drone program has not been responsible for a “huge” number of civilian casualties, and is “kept on a very tight leash” so as to be extremely targeted toward “active terrorists.” The U.S. State Department spokesperson said Monday that the United States is “gratified” that Pakistan granted permission to leave the country to the country’s former ambassador to the U.S. Husain Haqqani, who left for the UAE early Tuesday morning (AFP, ET).

At least ten Pakistani soldiers and 20 insurgents were killed in Pakistan’s Kurram Agency on Tuesday after around 100 militants ambushed a military checkpoint, the second such clash at the same location in a week (AP, CNN, AFP, ET, BBC). A suicide attack in the city of Peshawar on Monday killed Haji Akhonzada, the leader of a pro-government militia called Ansarul Islam, which had supported the Taliban until recently (BBC, Dawn). Encouragingly, Pakistani political parties have begun campaigning in the country’s conflict-ridden tribal belt for the first time, in anticipation of a general election likely to be held in the coming year (McClatchy). President Asif Ali Zardari in August ended a 64-year ban on political activity in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

Human Rights Watch on Tuesday slammed Pakistan’s failure to find journalist Saleem Shahzad’s killers, calling it an example of the impunity enjoyed by the country’s Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) (AFP, ET). And the Post’s Nicolas Brulliard reported Monday on Pakistan’s woeful attempts to woo potential tourists amid sectarian violence and an ongoing insurgency (Post).

In cold blood

An Afghan man and his mother in the northern Afghan province of Kunduz allegedly murdered the man’s wife last week because she bore him a third daughter instead of the son they had wanted (NYT, CNN, AP, Tel, BBC). Meanwhile, two Britons working for a private security firm in Afghanistan are facing weapons charges after being arrested earlier this month allegedly in possession of 30 illegal rifles (BBC).

A United Nations survey released on Tuesday found that under 25 percent of Afghans believe the country’s national police are currently capable of maintaining Afghanistan’s security, though around 75 percent are confident the forces will be ready by the 2014 NATO troop withdrawal deadline (AP). And Reuters reported Monday that many members of Afghanistan’s Hazara community are doubtful that a peace deal can be reached with the Taliban, and fearful that the conflict will devolve into a civil war (Reuters).

Homeward bound

An ancient sculpture looted from Afghanistan around two decades ago was returned to Kabul this week after surfacing in Munich a year ago (Reuters). Various warlords pillaged about 70 percent of Afghanistan’s National Museum in the early 1990s following the Soviet withdrawal, and stolen pieces sold on the black market have appeared all over the world.

Foreign Policy