IRAN
Iran president urges Arab leaders to accept reform
AFP- July 12, 2011
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged Arab governments to heed popular demands for reform at a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, the presidential website said on Tuesday.
Iranian FM agrees to talk about nuclear program
Xinhua- July 12, 2011
Iran has agreed on new talks with reservations on its disputed nuclear program and alleged nuclear weapons studies, the country’s Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said Thursday.
PAKISTAN
US decision to withold military aid to Pakistan could backfire, experts say
Alex Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times- July 12, 2011
Experts say the decision to hold back $800 million won’t necessarily force Pakistan to clamp down on militancy. The move could instead reinforce a growing sentiment within Pakistan that the country needs to reduce its dependence on the United States.
Pakistan hesitates to eradicate US-mapped militant camps
Rowan Scarborough, Washington Times- July 11, 2011
The U.S. has compiled a wide body of intelligence on the locations of militant training camps in Pakistan, but has been unable to persuade Islamabad to shut them down, current and former officials say.
Pakistan’s nuclear-bomb maker says North Korea paid bribes for know-how
Rob Crilly,Telegraph- July 12, 2011
Pakistan has warned it will withdraw troops from the Afghan border where they are fighting Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked insurgents if the US does not reinstate $800m in military assistance which has been suspended amid a worsening diplomatic row.
AFGHANISTAN
Afghan Villagers Flee Border Shelling
Maria Abi-Habib, Wall STreet Journal- July 12, 2011
As many as 12,000 Afghan civilians have fled villages along the border with Pakistan since mid-June, seeking refuge from frequent artillery barrages fired by Pakistani security forces, displaced families and the United Nations say.
Afghan presiden’t half brother killed in south
Mirwais Kahn, Associated Press- July 12, 2011
President Hamid Karzai’s half brother, the most powerful man in southern Afghanistan and a lightning rod for criticism of corruption in the government, was assassinated Tuesday by a close associate. His death leaves a dangerous power vacuum in the south just as the government has begun peace talks with insurgents ahead of a U.S. withdrawal.
CHINA
China, US military leaders spar over sea disputes
Jeremy Page, Wall Street Journal- July 12, 2011
Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, sparred publicly with his Chinese counterpart on the issue of the South China Sea after a meeting in which they appeared to have made little progress toward preventing or defusing future confrontations in its disputed waters.
