L.A. Times - Asia

Obama's drone limits may bolster ties with Pakistan

By Alex Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:56:00 PDT

But Islamabad continues to insist the drone campaign does more harm than good and should be shut down.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — President Obama's commitment to scaling back the use of unmanned aircraft to kill suspected terrorists could pave the way for improved relations between the United States and Pakistan, analysts and political leaders said Friday.

Fourth U.S. drone victim influenced by Sept. 11, war

By Shashank Bengali, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:02:00 PDT

Jude Kenan Mohammad's journey from suburban North Carolina to Pakistan is the tale of a young Muslim, disillusioned in America, who became radicalized.

WASHINGTON — In his early teens, Jude Kenan Mohammad was a familiar sight in his middle-class section of Raleigh, N.C., riding around on his bike to deliver groceries to elderly Muslim neighbors.

Obama reveals conflicted thinking on drone strikes

By Kathleen Hennessey and Christi Parsons, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:11:00 PDT

In a major speech, President Obama tries to answer critics of drone strikes but also raises his own questions.

WASHINGTON — At times defensive, solemn, lawyerly and personal, President Obama on Thursday offered a rare glimpse of the burden that the nation's fight against terrorism has placed on the man who leads it.

Obama puts restrictions on drone program

By Ken Dilanian and Christi Parsons, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:07:00 PDT

Setting a new tone on U.S. counter-terrorism policy, he also lifts the ban on sending Guantanamo prisoners home.

WASHINGTON — Reining back the aggressive counter-terrorism strategy he has embraced for five years, President Obama declared clear, public restrictions for the first time on using unmanned aircraft to kill terrorists, a shift likely to significantly reduce U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan and elsewhere.

In Afghanistan, businesswomen must seek a delicate balance

By Alex Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:38:00 PDT

Female entrepreneurs in male-dominated Afghanistan must walk a fine line as they try to raise their profile while staying below the Taliban's radar.

KABUL, Afghanistan — Roya Mahboob navigates the potholes of doing business in Afghanistan like any other entrepreneur. Corruption is rife. Kidnappings are common. Bomb blasts remain an overarching reality.

Fourth American fatality by U.S. drones disclosed

By Ken Dilanian and Shashank Bengali, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:53:00 PDT

The news that the secret program's accidental death toll is higher raises new questions as President Obama prepares to give a major national security speech.

WASHINGTON — As President Obama prepared to deliver a major speech on national security Thursday, his administration acknowledged for the first time that it had killed four U.S. citizens — one more than previously known — in drone missile strikes in Yemen and Pakistan.

Afghan women's rights in peril, group says

By Alex Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:36:00 PDT

The number of women and girls jailed for 'moral crimes' is up 50%, Human Rights Watch notes. It says they are often victims of violence or forced marriages.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The number of women and girls jailed by Afghan authorities for "moral crimes" has risen by 50% in the last year and a half, an alarming statistic that reflects the Afghan government's need to step up efforts to protect women's rights, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday.

North Korea seizes another Chinese fishing boat, crew

By Don Lee and Barbara Demick, Los Angeles Times — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:30:00 PDT

The captors demand a ransom of nearly $100,000 for the boat and 16 Chinese crew members, according to reports.

DALIAN, China — Among fishermen in this historic seaport city, the danger of steering their boats near North Korean waters is well known. North Koreans took three Chinese ships and their crews hostage a year ago, and Chinese maritime officials have repeatedly warned fishing operators over the last several years that they would be slapped with heavy fines if they got too close.

Restraint is the new red in China

By Don Lee, Los Angeles Times — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:38:00 PDT

President Xi Jinping is pressing the Communist Party's elite to cut back on lavish living amid growing public resentment. The economic effect is far-reaching.

BEIJING — Exports of elegant Swiss watches to China have plunged. Sales of Mercedes-Benz and other premium sedans are slowing. And high-end restaurants, coming off their worst Chinese New Year festival in years, are starting to change their menus to lure ordinary families.

More South Koreans support developing nuclear weapons

By Barbara Demick, Los Angeles Times — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:40:00 PDT

Growing concern about North Korea's nuclear program has led many in South Korea to favor the idea of building atomic weapons. Japan too is discussing such a move.

SEOUL — Perhaps it is merely basic human desire to keep up with the neighbors, but an increasing number of South Koreans are saying that they want nuclear weapons too.