Atlantic Council

A US drone fired missiles at a suspected militant training camp in north-west Pakistan killing at least five people. Officials told the BBC that missiles struck the village of Baghar in South Waziristan, close to the border with Afghanistan. Observers have suggested that the attack is a signal to Pakistan that while US ground assaults have been haulted, drone attacks will continue. On Wednesday US Adm Mike Mullen met with Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in an effort to defuse tension between the two countries.

US military commander Adm Mike Mullen has met with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani "to defuse tension" over the issue of the border with Afghanistan. State news agency, APP reports that Mullen reiterated the US commitment to respect Pakistan’s sovereignty and pledged to cooperate with the government on matters of security. Recent US attacks on Pakistani territory have led to tension in the area.

Meanwhile the British Justice Secretary, Jack Straw, who is also in Islamabad, told the BBC that Pakistani sovereignty must be respected and that "these matters have to be subject to consent of the Pakistan government."

Pakistani soldiers protecting the border with Afghanistan have fired warning shots into the air in an effort to dissuade US forces from entering their territory.  The BBC reported today that seven US helicopters carrying troops landed on the Afghan side of the border in the South Waziristan region, before US troops attempted to deploy across the border into Pakistan.  However they decided to turn back when Pakistani troops fired warning shots into the air.

Relations have been increasingly tense since the US ground assault inside Pakistan on September 3.  The US claims Islamabad is not doing enough to counter the insurgent threat, while Pakistan protests that its sovereignty must not be violated by the US for any reason.

 

12 Taleban insurgents have been killed in a missile fired from a US drone in north-west Pakistan, reports BBC.  The missile struck its target near Miransha in the North Waziristan region this morning.  Tensions have been rising in the volatile border region, with the US increasingly taking a unilateral approach to eliminate militant bases inside Pakistan.  The US accuses Pakistan of not doing enough to combat insurgents, although the Pakistani army claims to have killed 28 militants in the north-west of the country today.

BBC reports that the US has imposed sanctions on an Iranian shipping company and its affiliates.  The Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) has been accused by Washington of providing logistical support to the Iranian defence ministry in relation to Tehran's nuclear programme. Iran insists that its nuclear ambitions are aimed towards peaceful energy development, but the US treasury accused IRISL, a global operator, of shipping "military-related cargo" and lying about its activities.

Stuart Levey, US Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said: "IRISL's actions are part of a broader pattern of deception and fabrication that Iran uses to advance its nuclear and missile programs."  Under the terms of the sanctions, the companies' bank accounts will be frozen.

Russia and Venezuela may stage joint naval exercises around Venezuelan territorial waters this November when four Russian warships arrive in the Caribbean, according to BBC reports.  Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has welcomed news of the Russian fleet's proposed visit, dismissing US concerns about Russian enroachment in the area.  Mr Chavez said: "Russia's naval fleet is welcome here. If it's possible, we'll stage an exercise in our Caribbean waters."  It will be the first time such an exercise has been undertaken in the Americas.

Despite American concerns, Russian foreign ministry spokesman, Andrei Nesterenko, inisisted the move had no connection to events in Georgia, and was in no way directed against any third country. President Chavez, who has already called for a strategic alliance between Venezuela and the Kremlin, supported the Russian intervention in Georgia, and has accused the US of being scared of Moscow's "new world potential."

The U.S. would profit globally from a failed Obama presidency more than it would from a successful McCain presidency. That's the sort of provocative, but plausible, statement that lies at the heart of the famous Oxford Union debates. Disagree?

NATO is winning most battles in Afghanistan, but the international community is losing the war.That has consequences far beyond Afghanistan if the U.S., Europe and its friends don't change course fast.

It's good and bad that the issue of sovereign wealth funds has entered the U.S. presidential debate. What's positive is that the candidates have the chance to educate the American electorate during a moment of mounting economic gloom -- and while people are paying attention -- about the increased role that foreign capital plays in creating U.S. jobs and growth.