Pakistani Militants Allegedly Recruiting Indians; Afghanistan to Release Prisoners; Musharraf Exempted from Court

• BY SHRUTI JAGIRDAR, ANA SWANSON, BAILEY CAHALL
• JANUARY 7, 2014
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The Delhi Police's Special Cell has claimed it has evidence that Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is attempting to recruit operatives in the riot-hit district of Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh (The Hindu, Indian Express). The Delhi police have arrested two men, Mohd Rashid and Mohd Shahid, from Mewat, Haryana after two Muzaffarnagar locals alleged Rashid and Shahid had approached them to discuss carrying out kidnappings and other nefarious activities (NDTV). India's Intelligence Bureau had been tracking the duo's movements and alleged that they had visited Muzaffarnagar and its neighboring district, at the behest of LeT leader Abdul Subhan, six times since the riots ended in September 2013. However, India's Home Ministry is not entirely convinced by the assertions and has asked for more evidence. Spokespeople from the Congress Party have been using the Delhi Police's move to vindicate Rahul Gandhi's controversial assertion that members of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency had also begun recruiting in the region after riots ended (Times of India). 

Clashes and boycott mar Bangladesh election

The BBC's Mahfuz Sadique says turnout appeared very low

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There have been violent clashes between opposition activists and police during Bangladesh's general election, amid a boycott by the opposition.

At least 18 people were killed during Sunday's polling. Dozens have died in the run-up to the election.

Afghanistan to release scores of Taliban prisoners

Afghan authorities took over running Bagram jail in March last year

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Taliban Conflict

• Loya Jirga: Q&A
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Afghanistan will release scores of prisoners considered by the US to be a security threat, President Hamid Karzai's office has said.

A statement said there was not enough evidence against 72 out of 88 prisoners previously held by US forces.

Washington expressed concern over the planned releases, saying it regarded the 72 as "dangerous criminals".

The two countries have been at loggerheads over Mr Karzai's refusal to sign a security deal with Washington.

Still Time to Attack Iran

The Illusion of a Comprehensive Nuclear Deal

By Matthew Kroenig

JANUARY 7, 2014

Iranian missiles at a military exhibition in Tehran in 2010 (Courtesy Reuters)

Much has changed in the two years since I wrote “Time to Attack Iran,” but one basic fact hasn’t: diplomacy remains unlikely to neutralize the threat from Iran’s nuclear program. A truly comprehensive diplomatic settlement between Iran and the West is still the best possible outcome, but there is little reason to believe that one can be achieved. And that means the United States may still have to choose between bombing Iran and allowing it to acquire a nuclear bomb. That would be an awful dilemma. But a limited bombing campaign on Iran’s nuclear facilities would certainly be preferable to any attempt to contain a nuclear-armed Iran.