Daily brief: Pentagon inquiry clears McChrystal, aides over article

Wonk Watch: Andrew Kuchins, "A truly regional economic strategy for Afghanistan," The Washington Quarterly. 

Hot water 

A Pentagon inquiry into last summer’s Rolling Stone profile "The Runaway General" that led to the sacking of then-top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan Gen. Stanley McChrystal has found "no proof of wrongdoing" by the general or his military and civilian advisers, and disputed several incidents and comments reported in the article (NYT, AFP, Tel, Guardian). Read the inspector general’s report here (pdf) and Rolling Stone’s response here.  

Following a 60 Minutes investigation into the best-selling Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools that called into question key parts of the books, the publisher is reviewing the contents with author Greg Mortenson, who may be sued for defamation by Mansur Khan Mahsud, the head of a Pakistani think tank whom Mortenson called Taliban and claimed kidnapped him in Waziristan in 1996 (CBS, CNN, NYT, Tel, Guardian). Mortenson gave an extended interview to Outside Online, admitting to "discrepancies" in the timing of events in the books while describing his co-author’s ‘literary compression,’ and commenting about his alleged kidnappers, "They didn’t call themselves ‘Taliban,’ and maybe they were and maybe they weren’t" (Outside Online). Mountaineer and author Jon Krakauer has published an account of Mortenson’s story that claims he made up large chunks of the books, called "Three Cups of Deceit," available here (pdf). 

Last month, formal talks on a long-term agreement for a U.S. presence in Afghanistan after 2014 reportedly began under Obama administration envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Marc Grossman, alarming leaders from Iran and Russia (NYT). Diplomats say U.S. negotiators are hoping to reach an agreement on the ‘Strategic Partnership Declaration’ by July, when the first U.S. troops are scheduled to withdraw from Afghanistan.  

Yesterday in the capital of Parwan province north of Kabul, one person was killed and ten injured when shooting broke out during a protest against the continued detention of an alleged insurgent by NATO and Afghan forces (AFP). Also yesterday, 12 Iranian and five Afghan engineers were kidnapped by gunmen in Farah province, which borders Iran (AFP).  

Comings and goings

U.S. Speaker John Boehner made his first trip to Pakistan since the Republican party took over the House last year and met with top Pakistani officials, including prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani (The News, AFP). After the meetings in Islamabad, Gilani told Pakistan’s parliament that he had told Boehner the U.S. should give Pakistan drone technology and refrain from carrying out drone strikes in the country’s northwest. Pakistani foreign secretary Salman Bashir is headed to Washington tomorrow, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen is reportedly visiting Islamabad this week (ET). 

Pakistan’s military announced that it has test fired the Hatf-9, a short range nuclear capable missile (AP). The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed to be running three training camps for suicide bombers in Waziristan (ET). A car bombing in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan, injured two women outside the offices of a local charity, and targeted killings continue in Karachi, as six people were killed today and three yesterday (AFP, ET, DT, Dawn, The News). The Express Tribune assesses that emerging trends in these targeted killings suggest an "increasing overlap in political and sectarian violence" (ET).

Fierce competition

Afghanistan finished third in the recently concluded International Invitational Handball Tournament in Punjab, Pakistan (Pajhwok). Two teams from Pakistan took the top slots. 

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