Thursday: U.N. Reviewing Taliban Threat; N. Korea’s Kim Jong-Il in China

Pakistani villagers evacuate Sajawal in Sindh province on Thursday. Photo by Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images.

The United Nations says it is reviewing security measures for its aid workers in Pakistan, the BBC reports, after a warning of new threats from the Pakistani Taliban. A U.S. official said the militant group was planning to attack foreigners delivering aid to the millions of people affected by the floods.

The BBC’s Jill McGivering reports:

“The sense from Washington is that this threat is both serious and credible. Tehrik-e Taliban is the most radical and violent militant group in Pakistan, based in the tribal region close to the border with Afghanistan. It’s been associated with a series of attacks in recent years on the Pakistani state and on foreigners, and is closely allied to al-Qaeda.”

Meantime, Pakistani officials are telling people in three southern towns to evacuate immediately as floodwaters broke through a levee. Most of the 400,000 people who live in the area are thought to have left already, but those remaining were warned to evacuate, reports the Associated Press.

North Korea’s Kim Jong-Il Visits China

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il made a surprise trip to China on Thursday, according to multiple news sources, possibly with his son, Kim Jong-Un.

Two South Korean intelligence sources told the New York Times that Kim Jong-Il might be taking his third son with him to formally introduce him to Chinese leaders. It is widely believed that Kim Jong-Un will be handed control of North Korea.

The news comes a day after former President Jimmy Carter arrived in North Korea to try to secure the release of an American who is imprisoned for trespassing in to the country.
Foreign Policy’s Josh Rogin, who has been following Carter’s trip, reports on how it came together.

Chilean Miners Might Not Be Rescued for Months

The 33 Chilean miners trapped underground have been told they may not be rescued for several months. Chile’s health minister, Jaime Manalich, said the miners, who have been trapped below ground since August 5, reacted calmly to the news, Agence France-Presse said. Officials had delayed breaking the news out of concern for their mental well-being.

Report: Karzai Aide at Center of Scandal Linked to CIA

The New York Times is reporting that the aide to Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the center of a politically sensitive corruption investigation is being paid by the CIA. Mohammed Zia Salehi, the chief of administration for the Afghan National Security Council, appears to have been on the payroll for many years, the Times reports.