Security and political developments span Pakistan, the Caribbean, West Bank, Turkey and Asia

Off Leash update 12 Nov

PAKISTAN •The Pakistani Taliban (TTP) belatedly claimed yesterday's courthouse blast in Islamabad and said it was targeting "[j]udges, lawyers and officials who carried out rulings under Pakistan’s un-Islamic laws." •It was the first major attack inside the heavily-guarded Pakistani capital in over 10 years. •Defense Minister Khawaja Asif called it a "wake-up call" to the threat the TTP poses to the country, and declared a "state of war" extending beyond the border areas where the army is already battling the TTP.

VENEZUELA •The U.S. Navy has sent the USS Gerald Ford - its most advanced aircraft carrier - to the Caribbean to join the ongoing mobilization in the seas around Venezuela, cutting its previous mission to the Mediterranean short by several months. •The Ford will add 5,500 troops to the 10,000-strong U.S. force that has Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro worried for his illegitimate regime. •Aware that he's outgunned by a stronger force with superior technology, Maduro is reportedly trying to inspire a guerrilla-style resistance in case of a U.S. land attack. It's unclear how much of his military would stand by him if his rule was threatened and they were no longer being coerced into loyalty. •Separately, CNN reported that the UK disagrees with the extrajudicial strikes the U.S. force has been carrying out against suspected drug trafficking boats in the region, and stopped sharing relevant intelligence with the U.S. soon after the strikes began. That won't hinder U.S. strikes, though: the UK provides only a small slice of the intelligence the U.S. has used in its 19 strikes to date.

WEST BANK •Israeli police arrested four Jewish extremists who attacked Palestinians in the West Bank and then assaulted Israeli soldiers in a nearby industrial zone. •There's been a recent rise in extremist attacks on West Bank Palestinians: the UN logged 264 attacks causing casualties, property damage, or both in October - more than in any other month in almost 20 years. •But yesterday's incidents were unusual in that the perpetrators were arrested and Pres. Herzog publicly condemned the violence for targeting soldiers too: "Such violence against civilians and against IDF soldiers crosses a red line."

TURKEY •Istanbul's chief prosecutor filed a wide-ranging indictment against the city's popular jailed mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, and is seeking an absurd 2,352-year total sentence for Pres. Erdogan's strongest rival. •The indictment accused İmamoğlu of leading a vast criminal network that has squeezed Turkey's commercial capital "like the arms of an octopus." •İmamoğlu's real offense was wresting control of Istanbul from Erdogan's party and preparing to challenge Erdogan for the presidency. The timing of İmamoğlu's detention was deliberate: he was arrested days before his party was due to name him as its candidate to run against Erdogan).

THAILAND •Thailand suspended its truce with Cambodia after four Thai soldiers were injured by a landmine. Both sides seem inclined to avoid war, but tensions remain high.

CHINA •China gave European carmakers some relief by easing restrictions on automotive chip exports to the EU for 12 months. •Analysts point out that the one-year reprieve isn't as much of an EU victory as it might seem. Beijing still bars chip exports for military use, and retained the framework for restoring restrictions on civilian chip exports after the 12-month pause expires.