Top of the Agenda: China Border Attack

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

– China border attack in Xinjiang highlights Olympic terror threat.
– Zawahiri rumors swirl; Pakistani Taliban denies reports.
– Zuma hearings open in South Africa.
– Attacks in Mogadishu break fragile calm.
Top of the Agenda: China Border Attack

Chinese state media report this morning that sixteen policemen have been killed in an attack on an outpost (Xinhua) in Xinjiang province in western China. Officials billed the incident, in which two assailants reportedly used grenades and knives, as a terrorist attack (BBC).

The attack highlights unrest in Xinjiang province, where some in the large Uighur Muslim community accuse the Chinese government of imperialist governance. A new CFR.org Backgrounder gives an in-depth look at political tensions in the province.

The incident also raises concerns about disruptions to the Beijing Olympic Games, which begin in four days. Local activist groups and Western human rights watchdogs have seized on the games to protest Chinese government positions on an array of issues, from the Tibet region to Chinese business interests with a Sudanese regime accused of rampant abuses in Darfur. The Guardian reports on a blog that Chinese officials are increasing security measures ahead of the games. The New York Times surveys the views of experts on the terrorist threat posed by various groups during the Olympics.

Background:

– This Backgrounder profiles the main Islamist separatist group in China’s Xinjiang region, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement.

– This Backgrounder looks at the many issues on which activist groups have used the Olympics to apply pressure to the Chinese government.