Today's AfPak round-up:
Petraeus, Karzai clash over village militias. Gen. David Petraeus, hoping to replicate Iraqi militias' success in curbing that country's insurgency, is pressing Afghan President Hamid Karzai to allow him to create local militias to remote areas of Afghanistan, where the Afghan police either cannot or will not go. However, Karzai argues that in the long run, independent local militias will destabilize the country, empowering local warlords who will subsequently engage in civil war to expand and maintain their fiefdoms. The two are expected to meet Tuesday, when they will discuss a compromise plan that places local militias under the authority of the Afghan government. [NYT]
Taliban make a killing off U.S.-built power plant. The Taliban make at least $4 million a year billing Afghans under their control for electricity—electricity generated by a $100 million power plant financed by the United States. U.S. officials say it is impossible to isolate and cut off the Taliban's power supply because the Taliban do not control one large area of the country, but rather many small pockets interspersed with government-controlled areas. They also believe the benefits the plant gives NATO a credibility boost in Afghan urban centers that outweighs the financial benefits it has created for the Taliban. [WSJ]
UN: 10 could be removed from terror blacklist. The UN's top official in Afghanistan, Staffan De Mistura, made the statement after calls by the Afghan government for the UN to remove up to 50 Taliban-linked individuals and entities from the list, which bans travel and freezes foreign assets, to encourage an Afghan peace settlement. De Mistura said the UN could place more names under consideration before the end of the month, and that the UN Security Council would have final say over which names will be removed from the list. [AP]
Petraeus makes surprise visit to Pakistan. After meeting with Pakistani officials, Gen. David Petraeus praised their efforts to battle extremists, but avoided mention of ongoing tensions between the United States and Pakistan over the latter's refusal to strike against Taliban militants in North Waziristan. Observers say Pakistan's military covertly supports the Afghan Taliban who reside there in the belief that they will further Pakistan's interests in Kabul after NATO troops leave and they take over. [AP]