Current Event Summary 3.1 (South Asia)

There have been few stories coming from the South Asia region. However, what does get through, is of great importance, especially in the context of foreign policy. When the French President Nicolas Sarkozy made his trip to India, his plan was to add substance to their relationship with the country by offering higher economic fruits and lucrative defense deals. The Indo-French relation ship has never had many problems. In fact, India has always considers France to be their most "tried and trusted friend".
However, in the country of Bangladesh, Foreign relations are not as well forged. Unfortunately for Bangladesh, maintaining a delicate balance of relations between China and India is far more difficult that with other regions. If Bangladesh is even on one side slightly more than the other, the other completely misinterprets the situation. Bangladesh in caught in a dead-lock, between India and China, and the country severely needs both of them.
This past month has seen the death of Abu Laith al-Libi, a senior al-Qaeda leader in Afghanistan. There have been rumors that Libi was killed by a US missile strike in Pakistan. However, Pakistan confirm this report. Libi is believed to have behind an attack at an Afghan air base last year while the US vice-president was there.Analysts say Libi's death would make a serious dent into al-Qaeda, both symbolically and operationally.
Foreign Office (FO) spokesman Muhammad Sadiq said that if there was a military strike in Pakistan by the US, or any foreign nation, it would be considered an act of war and dealt with as such. Condoleezza Rice and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband made their surprise visit Afghanistan to amid heated debate among NATO nations about their mission to push for more troops for Afghanistan. Rice and Miliband met around 200 soldiers at a major NATO airbase in southern Kandahar province.
Benazir Bhutto was buried the day after her assassination on December 27. The traditional 40 days of mourning has reached it's end for the former premier. During the ceremony, her husband told them he would risk death himself to fulfill what he called her campaign for democracy at the elections on February 18. Interior Ministry spokesman Brigadier, Javed Cheema told the press, I can confirm two people have been arrested in connection with the probe into Bhutto's murder and they are being interrogated by the joint investigation team."