WATANDOST: A Blog About Pakistan and its Neighborhood

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-115478402012-02-02T02:14:34.647-05:00WATANDOST: A Blog About Pakistan and its NeighborhoodWatandost in Urdu, Turkish and Farsi means "friend of the country". The blog contains news and views about Pakistan (and its neighbors) that are insightful but are often not part of the headlines. It also covers issues related to "Islam in the West" and the U.S. Relations with the Muslim World.Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.comBlogger42301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-71773869741920338692012-01-31T15:45:00.000-05:002012-01-31T15:45:28.439-05:00A Review of Nine New Books on Afghanistan

Afghanistan: The Best Way to Peace Anatol Lieven, New York Review of Books, February 9, 2012 The United States and its allies today find themselves in a position in Afghanistan similar to that of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s, after Mikhail Gorbachev decided on military withdrawal by a fixed deadline. They are in a race against the clock to build up a regime and army that will survive their

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-35485327770224882542012-01-29T01:55:00.002-05:002012-01-29T01:55:33.167-05:00Well Done Todd Shea

'We show up with medicines, not guns' Hani Taha, Express Tribune, Jan 29, 2012 LAHORE: Musician Todd Shea has developed a reputation for being the ‘go-to guy for relief’, an accolade that has come with his unique dedication for helping out with disasters around the world from places like Sri Lanka and India to Japan and Pakistan. His life and work make for a great narrative as he traipses

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-24855644765126088082012-01-27T14:45:00.000-05:002012-01-30T15:14:30.493-05:00"Dealing with Pakistan's fears on water" - An Indian Perspective

Dealing with Pakistan's fears on water Ramaswamy R. Iyer , The Hindu, Jan 28, 2011 The best reassurance that Pakistan can have is full Indian compliance with the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty. This article is not about the complex political or strategic reasons that the water establishment in the government and/or the army in Pakistan may have for projecting water as a new core issue

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-12530232137440412062012-01-20T15:51:00.000-05:002012-01-20T15:51:35.372-05:00Civil - Military Tension in Pakistan and Memogate

Pakistan's "Memogate"By Tim Lister, CNN.com, Jan 19, 2012 Pakistan once more finds itself enveloped in overlapping crises. Daggers are drawn between the civilian government and the military brass; the Supreme Court is reviving corruption allegations against President Asif Ali Zardari; the Taliban and other militant groups continue to carry out suicide bombings and assassinations at will; and the

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-29026731770523440832012-01-17T00:01:00.002-05:002012-01-17T00:01:51.172-05:00Iran and the Nuclear Crisis

Preventing a Nuclear Iran, PeacefullyBy Shibley Telhami and Steven Kull New York Times, Jan 16, 2012 THE debate over how to handle Iran’s nuclear program is notable for its gloom and doom. Many people assume that Israel must choose between letting Iran develop nuclear weapons or attacking before it gets the bomb. But this is a false choice. There is a third option: working toward a nuclear

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-27835570119619115372012-01-15T11:56:00.003-05:002012-01-15T11:56:35.948-05:00The Unending Crisis in Baluchistan

Is Pakistan Heading for Disaster in Baluchistan? Pakistan must end its policy of killings and kidnappings of Baloch people and recognise the importance of the region Akbar Ahmed, Aljazeera.com Washington, DC - The behaviour of the powerful elite of Islamabad reminds me of the captain and crew of the RMS Titanic sailing into the night, heading straight towards an iceberg. The civilian, military

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-87642034201999162642012-01-10T12:12:00.001-05:002012-01-10T12:15:14.009-05:00English Vs. Urdu in Pakistan

Pakistan ruined by language myth Effective teaching of English is the preserve of an elite leaving the rest of the country to linguistic confusion and educational failure Zubeida Mustafa; guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 10 January 2012 Last year I wrote a book highlighting the crisis in Pakistan's education system caused by the way languages are used and taught. Its publication prompted one critic

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-22951604707779593812012-01-05T05:21:00.000-05:002012-01-10T11:43:27.014-05:00Negotiations with Taliban - Myth and Reality

The Taliban come to roost in Qatar By M K Bhadrakumar, Rediff Blog, January 3, 2011 The Taliban have reportedly agreed to open a representative office in Qatar. What is unclear is who are these ‘Taliban’. There is deafening silence in Pakistan, which should have been bestir with excitement that a defining moment has been reached in the Afghan endgame. The silence needs to be interpreted.

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-33690223317451064082011-12-31T05:06:00.001-05:002011-12-31T05:06:13.120-05:00Understanding the 'New' Egypt

The real questions for Egypt In an interview with Ezzat Ibrahim, John L. Esposito*, a leading American scholar of Islamic affairs, examines the aftermath of the upheavals of the Arab Spring and the rise of the Islamists in Egypt and Tunisia Al-Ahram, 29 December 2011 - 4 January 2012; Issue No. 1078What was your reading of the results of the first rounds of the Egyptian parliamentary elections?

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-2909279059377978792011-12-22T13:01:00.001-05:002011-12-22T13:01:37.029-05:00How Obama Can Fix U.S.- Pakistani Relations - Foreign Affairs

How Obama Can Fix U.S.-Pakistani RelationsHelping Islamabad Through The Democratic Transition Hassan Abbas; Foreign Affairs; December 21, 2011 The U.S.-Pakistani relationship has become defined by mutual dissatisfaction and by impatience on both sides. The November 26 NATO operation in Pakistan's northwestern tribal area, which led to the deaths of more than two dozen Pakistani soldiers

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-39228899542692026952011-12-18T00:59:00.001-05:002011-12-19T16:16:25.813-05:00Belfer Centre Policy Paper: "The Exaggerated Threat of American Muslim "Homegrown" Terrorism"

"The Exaggerated Threat of American Muslim "Homegrown" Terrorism" Policy Brief, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School; December 14, 2011; Author: Risa Brooks This policy brief is based on "Muslim 'Homegrown' Terrorism in the United States: How Serious Is the Threat?" which appears in the fall 2011 issue ofInternational Security. BOTTOM LINES A Common

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-50448749828429664402011-12-16T01:13:00.000-05:002011-12-19T15:49:01.722-05:00The Myth and Reality of Musharraf - Benazir Deal in 2007

Rice reveals all about Benazir-Musharraf NRO deal Says Musharraf was imposing martial Shaheen Sehbai, The News, December 15, 2011 WASHINGTON: The big official secret of the NRO deal, brokered by the United States between then President Pervez Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto, has been revealed in full detail by its sponsor, the former US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, in her

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-53006030642425025382011-12-16T00:48:00.000-05:002011-12-16T00:48:51.993-05:00A Good Primer on Islamic Political Parties of Pakistan

Islamic Parties in Pakistan Asia Report N°21612 Dec 2011 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS The ability of Pakistan’s radical Islamic parties to mount limited but potentially violent opposition to the government has made democratic reform, and by extension the reduction of religious extremism and development of a more peaceful and stable society, more challenging. This is a reflection

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-34410531746004080932011-12-11T16:56:00.001-05:002012-01-05T15:21:02.614-05:00The Global Message of Karbala

History Lessons From Karbala By Dr. Hassan Abbas, AfPak Channel at Foreign Policy, Sunday, December 11, 2011; Asia Society, Monday, December 12, 2011 The idea of defiance against tyranny and oppression owes a great deal to Hussain ibne Ali, the hero of the battle of Karbala in 680 AD. With just 72 valiant followers and family members, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad faced the military might

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-41556363579802555912011-12-02T02:46:00.001-05:002011-12-02T02:53:02.761-05:00U.S. Aid to Pakistan: Is it producing desired results?

Why Pakistan still needs U.S. assistance By Jane Harman and and Robert M. Hathaway, Washington Post, December 1, 2011 Pakistan will soon have the fifth-largest population in the world. It already has the seventh-largest army and is close to overtaking Britain as the fifth-largest nuclear power. The country’s location, demographic heft, military might, nuclear weapons capability and links to

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-89379160085607221302011-11-28T19:59:00.001-05:002011-12-11T21:17:20.913-05:00America's Strategic Error ?

Pakistan has had enoughThe assumption that it has no choice but to obey America may turn out to be a dire strategic error Simon Tisdall, guardian.co.uk, Sunday 27 November 2011 Readers of Dawn newspaper, commenting online, were in no doubt how the Pakistani government should respond to Saturday's killing by US forces of 24 soldiers on Pakistan's side of the Afghan

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-84292363229449441552011-11-27T16:20:00.001-05:002011-11-27T16:31:07.763-05:00Rupture in the US-Pakistan Relations

Tensions Flare Between U.S. and Pakistan After Strike By SALMAN MASOOD and ERIC SCHMITT, New York Times, Nov 27, 2011 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistani officials said on Saturday that NATO aircraft had killed at least 25 soldiers in strikes against two military posts at the northwestern border with Afghanistan, and the country’s supreme army commander called them unprovoked acts of aggression

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-4339313983544507602011-11-24T21:01:00.001-05:002011-11-24T21:03:02.326-05:00Pakistan: Where Nonsense has a life of its own

Where nonsense has a life of its own Ayaz Amir, The News, November 25, 2011 Ours must be the most insecure country in the world, and the most paranoid. We are terrified not just by our nightmares but our very shadows. And judging by our behaviour we seem to think that the rest of the world has nothing else on its mind but how to undermine the Islamic Republic’s impregnable foundations.Husain

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-425941478520301742011-11-24T15:06:00.001-05:002011-11-24T15:18:38.651-05:00Profile of Sherry Rahman - Pakistan's New Ambassador to the U.S.

Challenges for Pakistan's New Ambassador to the US By Nadia Rasul, Asia Society, November 23rd, 2011 Pakistan has appointed former Minister for Information Sherry Rehman as its new ambassador to the United States, following a controversy surrounding a mysterious memo that forced the country's previous representative, Ambassador Husain Haqqani, to resign. Asia Society's experts believe that

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-78670392933341811512011-11-24T14:50:00.001-05:002011-11-24T14:58:11.055-05:00What the U.S. Intel Thinks about the Future of Afghanistan?

Let’s Hear from the Spies Posted by Steve Coll, New Yorker, November 24, 2011 In late 2008, the United States intelligence community produced a classified National Intelligence Estimate on the war in Afghanistan that has never been released to the public. The N.I.E. described a “grim situation” overall, according to an intelligence officer’s private briefing for NATO ambassadors. In

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-30541354646263653282011-11-22T15:32:00.001-05:002011-11-22T15:57:12.086-05:00Memogate: Pakistan's Ambassador to the U.S. Resigns

Memogate: Pakistan's Ambassador to the U.S. Resigns, Twitter Reacts Asia Society, November 22nd, 2011 by Annie Ali Khan Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani announced from his Twitter account (@husainhaqqani) this morning that he asked Prime Minster Yousaf Raza Gillani to accept his resignation. The resignation has been accepted. Haqqani had earlier tendered a formal

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-54649656243373296622011-11-21T13:02:00.001-05:002011-11-21T13:17:35.152-05:00Asia Foundation's Survey of the Afghan People 2011

To download the complete report (pdf), click here Asia Foundation Afghan poll reveals increased pessimism BBC, Nov 15, 2011 More Afghans than at any time since 2004 believe their country is moving in the wrong direction, an annual poll by US group The Asia Foundation reveals. While 46% think their country is moving in the right direction, 35% disagreed, an 8% jump compared with

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-86596259544762862832011-11-18T08:44:00.001-05:002011-11-18T08:57:50.679-05:00The 'Memogate' Mystery

From The News, November 18, 2011 CONFIDENTIAL MEMORANDUM BRIEFING FOR ADM. MIKE MULLEN, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFFDuring the past 72 hours since a meeting was held between the president, the prime minister and the chief of army staff, there has seen a significant deterioration in Pakistan's political atmosphere. Increasingly desperate efforts by the various agencies and factions within

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-54084835215829606362011-11-13T23:06:00.001-05:002011-11-13T23:17:32.250-05:00Where Football Meets the Hijab

Reality TV Goes Where Football Meets the Hijab New York Times, November 10, 2011 By POROCHISTA KHAKPOUR IF anything made me an American, it was television. I learned English from soap operas — after kindergarten, curled up Mommy-side — and then beyond, the many hours she abandoned the sofa for the kitchen when I alternated between after-school cartoons and adult crime dramas. English came to

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-76826973442159207882011-11-13T22:38:00.001-05:002011-11-13T22:53:46.792-05:00India-Pakistan Peace Process - Positive Signs

Pakistan Army on board peace talks: Singh Express Tribune, November 14, 2011 Two days after he and his Pakistani counterpart resolved to write a ‘new chapter’ in relations between their countries, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday that Pakistan’s powerful military was fully on board in carrying forward the peace process, reports The Economic Times. “I did discuss with Prime

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-3864248584064538202011-11-07T17:01:00.002-05:002011-11-07T17:04:51.376-05:00Muslims and the US - Changing Dynamics

Members of the Muslim Brotherhood at prayer, while protesting for the ouster of Mubarak Political Islam and the US Can the Muslim Brotherhood and the United States become friends? In the wake of the Arab Spring, the US must deal with Islamist groups like Ennahdha and the Muslim Brotherhood. What challenges and opportunities are presented by formal diplomatic relations? Joyce

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-3888046391928606912011-10-31T02:05:00.001-04:002011-10-31T02:05:19.084-04:00Political Shift in Pakistan: Prospects of Imran Khan's Justice Party

Political Shift Seen in Rally in Pakistan By SALMAN MASOOD, New York Times, October 31, 2011 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — An antigovernment rally in Lahore, led by the former cricket star Imran Khan, attracted a huge crowd estimated at more than 100,000 people on Sunday evening. The rally represented what supporters and some political analysts said was Mr. Khan’s emergence as a serious challenger to

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-71850270930612557642011-10-31T01:50:00.002-04:002011-10-31T02:17:55.894-04:00Kids, Kashmir and 'Controlled Chaos'

Mohsin Din on Kids, Kashmir and 'Controlled Chaos' Asia Society, October 18, 2011- Annie Ali Khan Teaching ten-year-olds in Kashmir film, photography and music via a series of workshops called the "Lollipops Crown Project" is an initiative led by American-Kashmiri artist and Fulbright scholar Mohsin Din to empower disadvantaged youth in the Muslim world through the arts. "There is a lot of

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-86641021374813487422011-10-31T01:38:00.001-04:002011-10-31T02:24:11.897-04:00Rediscover Swat - By Madiha Ahmed

The Hidden Jewel By Madiha Ahmed, madstickynotes When I was applying, the internship’s job description said something about helping out with an on-going promotional campaign in Swat. Um, what? Does anyone even go to Swat, anymore, except the people who live there? I dismissed it as a theoretical effort. One of the many. I mean, everyone says that tourism needs to be promoted and militancy in

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-31889202311895232822011-10-24T00:59:00.000-04:002011-10-24T01:01:16.527-04:00Secretary Clinton's Message to Pakistan: Help us Negotiate with Taliban and Haqqani Group

Clinton Pressing Pakistan for Joint Covert Action on Islamic Insurgents By Indira A.R. Lakshmanan, Bloomberg, Oct 24, 2011 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Pakistan will suffer “dire consequences” if it fails to“contain” terrorists operating from its soil, and it needs the U.S. and Afghanistan to help get the job done. The Obama administration isn’t asking Pakistan’s

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-28374710202712161122011-10-21T00:15:00.003-04:002011-10-21T00:16:54.068-04:00Pakistan: An Anti-Insurgency Report Card

Anti-insurgency report card By Khalid Aziz, Dawn, October 21, 2011 THOSE who work in development have an accepted practice for evaluating the performance of a project: after polling stakeholder perceptions, a `report card` is issued classifying success or failure against measurable indicators. It is a pity Pakistan has no such document to show how it has fared in countering insurgents since

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-21965996792172627592011-10-20T23:55:00.001-04:002011-10-20T23:55:05.546-04:00India - Pakistan: Wars and Peace

Asghar Khan claims Pakistan attacked India four times since 1947 Mumtaz Alvi, The NewsFriday, October 21, 2011 Air Marshal (r) Asghar Khan here on Thursday revealed it was Pakistan that attacked India four times since 1947, whereas the neighbouring country did not do so even a single time.“In the last over 60 years, India has never attacked Pakistan, as it can’t afford it. Indians know well, if

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-49533665255688027272011-10-20T10:21:00.001-04:002011-10-31T02:30:07.680-04:00Who Will Define the Future of Pakistan?

Hassan Abbas presents "Who Will Define the Future of Pakistan - Extremists, Liberals or the Military?" Mason Hall, Edwin Meese III Conference Room George Mason University, Washington DC October 20, 2011, 1:00 PM to 2:45 PM Join us for a lecture about the different dynamics and forces shaping Pakistan's future. Hassan Abbas is Professor of International Security Studies at National Defense

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-40744041966736683802011-10-17T17:31:00.000-04:002011-10-17T17:31:56.170-04:00The Widening Pakistan-Afghan Rift

US troop withdrawal leaves Pakistan vulnerable to attack by insurgentsTaliban exploiting a security vacuum in the wake of American forces departing from eastern Afghanistan Declan Walsh in Chitral and Jon Boone in Jalalabad, guardian.co.uk, Monday 17 October 2011 Pakistani militants are exploiting a security vacuum left by the departure of US troops from a swath of eastern Afghanistan to mount

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-63021324921333412582011-10-11T17:10:00.003-04:002011-10-11T17:11:08.900-04:00Kashmir Today

Keeping Kashmir Alive Farhana Qazi, Dawn blog, October 10, 2011 Farhana Qazi is a senior lecturer on Pakistan and Islam for the US government. She publishes widely on conflicts in the Islamic world, including Kashmir. She can be reached at farhana331@gmail.com and www.farhanaqazi.com The arrest of US-radio journalist David Barsamian at the New Delhi airport in late September 2011 had a chilling

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-33835191485972160802011-10-02T02:13:00.000-04:002011-10-02T02:13:24.498-04:00What’s behind the U.S.-Pakistan rift - An Unverified Intelligence Assessment?

What’s behind the U.S.-Pakistan rift By David Ignatius, Washington Post, September 29 Beyond the recent verbal confrontation between U.S. and Pakistani officials about the Haqqani network lies a delicate political-military effort to draw the Haqqanis into an end-game strategy for the war in Afghanistan. Adm. Mike Mullen, the departing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, rebuked the

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-63507024608619588412011-09-26T00:25:00.000-04:002011-10-02T02:16:40.163-04:00Inside Haqqani Network

Brutal Haqqani Crime Clan Bedevils U.S. in Afghanistan By MARK MAZZETTI, SCOTT SHANE and ALISSA J. RUBIN New York Times, September 25, 2011 WASHINGTON — They are the Sopranos of the Afghanistan war, a ruthless crime family that built an empire out of kidnapping, extortion, smuggling, even trucking. They have trafficked in precious gems, stolen lumber and demanded protection money from

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-4355311943459565972011-09-25T16:27:00.000-04:002011-09-25T17:13:32.348-04:00Deteriorating U.S - Pakistan Relations

Pakistan's generals meet as relations with US hit new low Pakistani military join scramble to tackle crisis as tensions with US escalate, raising likelihood of more drone strikes Declan Walsh, Guardian, September 25, 2011 Pakistan's army chief has gathered his generals to discuss the escalating war of words with the US over the Haqqani insurgent network amid a deep sense of foreboding across

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-21303098815591859612011-09-21T13:55:00.000-04:002011-09-21T13:59:20.962-04:00Bangladesh's Potential

Bangladesh's Economic Progress and Potential Full Text of Speech by Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Delivered September 20, 2011 at Asia Society in New York Mr. Chairman, Trustees and Members of the Asia Society, Distinguished Leaders of the USA’s Commerce and Industry, Ladies and Gentlemen, Assalamu Alaikum and Good Afternoon to you all. Thank you for inviting me to

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-8850673587244996962011-09-20T21:51:00.003-04:002011-09-20T21:56:20.500-04:00Who Killed Burhanuddin Rabbani ?

Source: MSNBC Afghan Peace Council Head Killed in Kabul By Mirwais Harooni and Hamid Shalizi Reuters, September 20, 2011 KABUL (Reuters) - A Taliban suicide bomber on Tuesday killed Burhanuddin Rabbani, former Afghan president and head of the government's peace council, a dramatic show of insurgent reach and a heavy blow to hopes of reaching a political end to the war. The killing was

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-68796448487114062062011-09-20T10:59:00.000-04:002011-12-17T23:44:15.326-05:00US and Pakistan Look Forward....

Dr. Rajiv Shah (L) and Ambassador Cameron Munter (R) speak with moderator Hassan Abbas. (Suzanna Finley) After Challenging Year, US and Pakistan Look Forward: U.S. Ambassador Munter gives himself a "C or D" grade September 19, 2011, Asia Society New York For Complete Video of the Event Click Here NEW YORK, September 19, 2011 — In the decade since the United States first helped launch

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-28508167093307951452011-09-18T00:55:00.001-04:002011-12-17T23:52:10.163-05:00Asia Society Event - Development and Diplomacy: A Way Forward for U.S.- Pakistan Relations

Development and Diplomacy: A Way Forward for U.S.- Pakistan Relations September 19, 2011 - 9:00am - 10:15am Asia Society and Museum, 725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street), New York, NY USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah and U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter will share insights on U.S. diplomatic and civilian assistance efforts in Pakistan. This public discussion forum will provide a

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-4202335825381026372011-09-14T21:45:00.001-04:002011-09-14T21:45:30.915-04:00'India cannot always be at odds with Pakistan' - Kuldip Nayar

India cannot always be at odds with Pakistan By Kuldip Nayar September 14, 2011, Express Tribune Former national security adviser MK Narayanan, now the governor of West Bengal, has always been a hawk. That he differed with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on improving relations with Pakistan, does not come as a surprise to those who have followed his career from the days of his service in the

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-31655559210581813392011-09-14T00:19:00.001-04:002011-09-14T00:19:46.971-04:00Latest Developments in Afghanistan

U.S. cutting funds for Afghan forces' training Reuters, September 14, 2011 (Reuters) - A Senate panel on Tuesday approved a $1.6 billion cut in projected U.S. funding for Afghan security forces, part of a significant reduction in outlays for training and equipping Afghan army and police expected in the coming years. The United States started withdrawing its forces from Afghanistan in July

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-28978604725571822462011-09-13T19:08:00.001-04:002011-09-13T19:08:26.928-04:00American Jihad!

An American jihad Sunday Magazine Feature By Muhammad Bilal Lakhani, Express Tribune, September 11, 2011 Despite everything she had been through in the last ten years, Talat Hamdani, a Pakistani-American substitute teacher in New York City, was still caught off guard when her 7th grade student called her a terrorist. “Why did you call me a terrorist?” asked Talat. “Because you guys

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-47009782713031266122011-09-11T04:10:00.000-04:002011-09-11T04:10:06.650-04:00Ten Years after 9/11 Tragedy - American AND International Perspectives

The Reckoning: America and the World A Decade after 9/11 - New York Times And Hate Begat Hate - By Ahmed Rashid, NYT Two very different 9/11 Pentagon tales of fate By David Martin, CBS, September 11, 2011 (CBS News) On Sept. 11th, 125 people who worked at the Pentagon were killed when a hijacked jetliner rammed into the building. And, as CBS News national security correspondent

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-60828689467472087742011-09-10T20:42:00.001-04:002011-09-10T20:42:24.111-04:00The Roots of the Islamophobia - An Interesting Perspective

Fear, Inc.: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America By Wajahat Ali, Eli Clifton, Matthew Duss, Lee Fan , Scott Keyes, Faiz Shakir |August 26, 2011, Centre for American Progress On July 22, a man planted a bomb in an Oslo government building that killed eight people. A few hours after the explosion, he shot and killed 68 people, mostly

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-891197436250103682011-09-02T13:50:00.000-04:002011-09-02T13:54:04.241-04:00'Another Pakistan' - Christopher Lydon

Radio Open Source: arts, ideas and politics with Christopher Lydon Lydon at large in Lahore, by the gun where Kipling’s Kim held forth: Another Pakistan We’re in Pakistan at mid-summer 2011 — “the country that could kill the world,” in a native line that lingers. Or maybe the new normal. Think of Pakistan, we’re told by Pakistanis, as a model or perhaps a warning of the rising,

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-37938507618323279072011-09-01T13:29:00.001-04:002011-09-01T13:30:11.921-04:00Sectarian Conflict in Kurram Agency - An Unending Tragedy

'Clearing' Kurram By Daud Khattak, August 25, 2011, AfPak Channel, Foreign Policy On Aug. 18, Pakistan's most powerful man, Army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, secretly flew to Kurram agency in the country's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and declared it free of "miscreants." No doubt the Pakistani Army did a great job clearing militants from Central Kurram, the focus of the

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-85831848751213981202011-09-01T01:34:00.004-04:002011-09-01T01:39:57.290-04:00'The Informants': Counterterrorism in the US

The Informants Mother Jones, September/October IssueThe FBI has built a massive network of spies to prevent another domestic attack. But are they busting terrorist plots—or leading them? —By Trevor Aaronson James Cromitie was a man of bluster and bigotry. He made up wild stories about his supposed exploits, like the one about firing gas bombs into police precincts using a flare gun, and he

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-82452301155491150022011-08-30T21:13:00.001-04:002011-08-30T21:15:03.853-04:00Controversy: MQM Leader's Letter to British Prime Minister - 'Disband ISI'

Source: Click BBC

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-13352092326177898412011-08-29T02:52:00.002-04:002011-08-29T02:57:13.282-04:00A New Political Storm in Pakistan

Excerpts That’s what he said: Zulfiqar Mirza lets it all out - By Salman Siddiqui, Express Tribune, August 29, 2011 In an explosive press conference on Sunday, senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Dr Zulfiqar Mirza not only announced his resignation from key posts within the party and the Sindh government, but also made some extraordinary allegations against his old nemesis, the Muttahida

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-35200539182915943222011-08-26T01:21:00.002-04:002011-08-26T01:33:02.224-04:00Mass Graves in Kashmir

Mass Graves Hold Thousands, Kashmir Inquiry Finds By LYDIA POLGREEN, New York Times, August 22, 2011 NEW DELHI — Thousands of bullet-riddled bodies are buried in dozens of unmarked graves across Kashmir, a state human rights commission inquiry has concluded, many of them likely to be those of civilians who disappeared more than a decade ago in a brutal insurgency. The inquiry, the result

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-32760148733996316922011-08-22T16:58:00.002-04:002011-08-24T01:50:45.736-04:00Resolving Conflict in Karachi?

Crisis in Karachi Asia Society, August 23, 2011 “Karachi, Pakistan's port city which generates 70 percent of the country's revenue, is in the grip of a serious multidimensional crisis,” says Asia Society Bernard Schwartz Fellow Hassan Abbas, of the violent unrest that has gripped the city. “More than 100 people have been killed -- many of them tortured to death -- in the last week or so.

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-49144835626928185752011-08-14T22:43:00.000-04:002011-08-14T22:43:41.405-04:00The Missing Martyrs: Why Aren't There More Muslim Terrorists?

Why Aren't There More Muslim Terrorists? — By Aaron Ross, Mother Jones, August 1, 2011 Immediately after last month's terror attacks in Norway, Islamic extremism shot to the top of almost every list of suspected culprits. Among the soothsayers of creeping Shariah, there was never any doubt who was responsible. Others' more rational, if hasty, assessments of Norway's threat matrix pointed to the

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-19393149048220897032011-08-14T01:06:00.000-04:002011-08-14T01:06:32.112-04:007 Mystical Poems - By Akbar S Ahmed

7 Mystical Love Poems to God Akbar S Ahmed Huffington Post, August 12, 2011 The month of Ramadan, in which millions of Muslims are fasting throughout the world, reminds us of our need to reach out to the divine with compassion and love in our hearts. We want to love God and be loved by Him. But by creating a relationship in love, we are also able to love others whatever their religion or

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-46662963599676377192011-08-03T12:59:00.004-04:002011-08-03T13:04:33.629-04:00Pakistan-India Relations: From 'Bombs' to 'Bombshells'?

Pakistan-India Relations Moving from 'Bombs' to 'Bombshells'? Hassan Abbas, Asia Society, August 3, 2011 While the mysteries surrounding interactions between the CIA and Pakistan’s ISI intelligence agency continue to be partly entertaining and partly amazing, the situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating — complicating U.S. withdrawal plans. While it is indeed debatable whether the Taliban

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-681136714174847132011-08-02T15:11:00.005-04:002011-08-02T18:46:42.655-04:00Celebrating Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan

BUDDHIST HERITAGE OF PAKISTAN -- NEW EXHIBITION OPENS AUGUST 9 Asia Society in New York Melissa Chiu Beginning August 9, Asia Society Museum presents a landmark exhibition of Buddhist sculptures, architectural reliefs and works of gold and bronze from the Gandhara region of Pakistan, most never exhibited before in the United States. “Against a backdrop of political turmoil and tensions

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-287797789349105172011-08-02T13:20:00.006-04:002011-08-02T13:25:54.590-04:00Park 51: A Vibrant Islamic Community Centre in the Making

Developers of Islamic Center Try a New Strategy By ANNE BARNARD, New York Times, August 1, 2011 A year after controversy engulfed plans to build a Muslim community center and mosque in Lower Manhattan, the project’s developers are quietly moving ahead: In recent months they have hired a paid staff, started fund-raising drives and continued holding prayers and cultural events in their existing

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-71992705055956457802011-07-29T17:32:00.001-04:002011-07-29T17:34:05.181-04:00Pakistan's ISI from the Inside!

Pakistan's ISI from the Inside Steve Clemons, Atlantic Monthly, July 25, 2011 The best places to meet the world's most interesting national security and foreign policy personalities are no longer Washington or London or Paris. Rather, highest on the list are Beijing, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha. Many years ago, I met Lt. General Asad Durrani in Beijing thanks to a conference organized by

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-10340465632940954082011-07-28T18:54:00.001-04:002011-07-28T18:56:08.538-04:00Directionless Policing in Pakistan

Repeal of the Police Act: Sindh steps back to 19th Century Tariq Khosa, The News, July 15, 2011 With one thoughtless and reckless stroke of pen the PPP-led Sindh Government has repealed the police law of 2002, thus reviving Police Act of 1861. This is a huge leap backwards that revives military model of Irish constabulary as well as bureaucratic control of the police. The so-called

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-7553917324779396592011-07-21T14:58:00.003-04:002011-08-22T17:03:01.713-04:00The Future of U.S. - India Relations

Hillary gives India points to ponder Deccan Chronicle, July 21, 2011 U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton’s speech in Chennai on Wednesday, just a day after she held the second India-US strategic dialogue in New Delhi, was absorbing in a way that the official talks were not. Indeed, if the secretary of state had done no more than dwell at some length on the key points she made in Chennai,

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-47075944543060652002011-07-15T04:55:00.002-04:002011-07-15T05:02:38.533-04:00Human Rights Situation in Balochistan

Pakistan: Upsurge in Killings in Balochistan Hold Military, Paramilitary Troops Accountable for Abuses Human Rights Watch, July 13, 2011 (New York) - Pakistan's government should immediately act to end the epidemic of killings of suspected Baloch militants and opposition activists by the military, intelligence agencies, and the paramilitary Frontier Corps in the southwestern province of

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-75991668298819041382011-07-12T04:44:00.004-04:002011-07-15T04:57:21.153-04:00IS U.S. Military Aid to Pakistan in Doldrums ?

U.S. halt of aid to Pakistan risky By Sebastian Abbot, Associated Press, July 12, 2011 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The decision to suspend more than one-third of American military aid to Pakistan could end up hurting Washington more than Islamabad as the United States seeks to navigate an end to the Afghanistan war and defeat al-Qaeda, former Pakistani officials and analysts warned Monday. Holding

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-64800062986946221382011-07-01T01:56:00.000-04:002011-07-01T01:56:49.816-04:00Defeating Al-Qaeda - Refining U.S. Strategy ?

Obama Adviser Outlines Plans to Defeat Al Qaeda By Eric Schmitt and Mark Mazzetti, New York Times, June 29, 2011 WASHINGTON — A week after President Obama announced the initial drawdown of American troops from Afghanistan, his top counterterrorism adviser described plans to rely more heavily on a largely landestine campaign to destroy Al Qaeda’s network, which he described as already “in its

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-89039020328517600272011-06-28T22:54:00.000-04:002011-06-28T22:54:39.929-04:00Islam and the West - "Religious Variations are Wonderful"

Imam Looks For Common Ground Between Islam And West NPR, June 28, 2011 In late 2010, a debate over a proposed Islamic community center in lower Manhattan left many people angry and confused. Some critics erroneously tagged the community center the "Ground Zero mosque," and to them, it became an intolerable insult to families of 9/11 victims and the United States. Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-52557502871825423252011-06-28T01:22:00.002-04:002011-06-28T01:25:07.118-04:00Highly recommended book - Aboard the Democracy Train By Nafisa Hoodbhoy

Pakistan through a journalist’s lens Reviewed by Zubeida Mustafa, Dawn, June 26, 2011 Aboard the Democracy Train: A Journey through Pakistan’s Last Decade of Democracy By Nafisa Hoodbhoy, Anthem Press, London Aboard the Democracy Train — a title borrowed from Benazir Bhutto’s campaign by train for the 1988 election — is an account of politics in Pakistan through the experiences of a female

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-20185014873067981642011-06-28T01:03:00.000-04:002011-06-28T01:03:56.196-04:00India-Pakistan Peace: Moving towards a dream... slowly

Moving towards a dream... slowly Basharat Peer, The News, June 22, 2011 On May 12, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh travelled to Kabul for the first time since 2005. There, he announced $500 million in Indian aid, raising India’s total contribution to $2 billion for developmental projects for Afghanistan and increasing cooperation on security issues between the two governments. Singh’s

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-15155906285432084312011-06-26T17:54:00.003-04:002011-06-26T19:18:53.242-04:00Inside Parachinar Today

A community under siege in tribal Pakistan As US prepares troop withdrawal, Taliban's strong hold on border regions reveals Pakistan's vulnerability Mujib Mashal , AlJazeera, 25 Jun 2011 Parachinar, in Pakistan's tribal north west, remains under siege. The only road connecting this district bordering Afghanistan to the rest of Pakistan has been blocked by Taliban fighters since 2007. The

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-85013449513431546412011-06-26T00:54:00.001-04:002011-06-26T00:55:52.957-04:00The Future of Afghanistan - And America

In Speech On Afghanistan, Obama Turns To The Battle For America’s Future By MICHAEL SCHERER, TIME, June 22, 2011 President Obama arranged for the television networks to break from local programing Wednesday so he could announce his decision to withdraw 30,000 troops from Afghanistan by next summer, and transition out of combat there by 2014. But the Americans who tuned in got to watch a

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-69786540396393527872011-06-22T19:07:00.000-04:002011-06-22T19:07:02.874-04:00Pakistan Army and Hizb ul Tahrir - Arrest of a Brigadier

Arrest of Pakistani officer revives fears of extremism within military, By Tim Lister and Aliza Kassim, CNN, June 22, 2011 (CNN) -- Brigadier General Ali Khan was close to retiring at the end of a distinguished career in the Pakistani Army when he was detained early in May -- and accused of links with an outlawed Islamist group.His arrest, which became public Tuesday, shocked fellow officers at

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-79020444952121976682011-06-20T00:43:00.001-04:002011-06-20T00:49:59.113-04:00Counterterrorism Strategy of India: Challenges and Potential

NATGRID will prove to be a security nightmare By V Balachandran, The Sunday Guardian, June 20, 2011 This column is about NATGRID (National Intelligence Grid), which is supposed to improve our counter-terrorist capability. But first let me tell you a story. Three years after my retirement, my friend introduced me to a Mumbai bulk garment exporter who had a problem. Once a leading figure in this

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-51668983890735882162011-06-16T13:49:00.000-04:002011-06-16T13:49:59.571-04:00Murshid, Marwa Na Daina by Mohammad Hanif - A Must Read

Murshid, Marwa Na Daina Mohammad Hanif, Newsline, June 2011 What is the last thing you say to your best general when ordering him to conduct a do-or-die mission? A prayer maybe, if you are religiously inclined. A short lecture underlining the importance of the mission if you want to keep it businesslike. Or maybe you just say ‘good luck,’ accompanied by a clicking of the heels and a final salute

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-15353775596095835372011-06-10T17:17:00.003-04:002011-06-10T17:23:54.441-04:00Five Favorite Books on Pakistan

Hassan Abbas on Reform in Pakistan Interview by, Sophie Roell The Browser, Jun 9, 2011 Excerpts Tell me about the book by Muhammad Iqbal, The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. This is an old book, from 1930, before Pakistan’s creation. It’s based on lectures given by Dr Iqbal, the Indian poet-philosopher who initially came up with the idea of Pakistan. He is also officially

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-18104443433896874122011-06-06T18:18:00.000-04:002011-06-06T18:18:04.276-04:00The Future of Al-Qaeda

The future of al-Qaeda By Tariq Parvez and Hassan Abbas, Foreign Policy, AfPak Channel, June 6, 2011 Tariq Parvez, a leading expert on terrorism, is the former director general of Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency and led Pakistan's National Counterterrorism Authority. Hassan Abbas is Quaid-i-Azam professor at Columbia University and author of the Asia Society's recently published "

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-50844699788371153622011-06-06T03:53:00.000-04:002011-06-06T03:53:22.500-04:00Afghan Dynamics: Talks with Taliban, Warlords and NATO

Wedded to the warlords: NATO’s unholy Afghan allianceGRAEME SMITH, From Saturday's Globe and Mail, Jun. 03, 2011 Smoke billows above coils of razor wire after an earth-shaking explosion kills one of Afghanistan’s most powerful generals. The next day, a young officer with a neatly trimmed beard accepts a new job during a brief ceremony in the wood-panelled office of a southern governor. A

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-14105256026535277242011-06-04T03:11:00.001-04:002011-06-04T03:12:13.064-04:00Pakistan's National Budget: Rising Defence Expenditures, Low Growth and Low Revenue Collection...

A huge disconnect By S. Akbar Zaidi, Dawn, June 4, 2011 Compared to his budget speech last year, the finance minister’s speech yesterday was empty and disappointing. It was devoid of much content or merit and failed to identify or address any of Pakistan’s numerous pressing problems. It is difficult to say what more he would have added had he not faced much of the abuse hurled at the

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-21810156381014385812011-06-03T00:38:00.010-04:002011-06-06T02:20:23.532-04:00Charlie Rose Show: Saleem Shazad's Murder and Pakistan's Security

Charlie Rose show on June 1, 2011: Hassan Abbas, author of a new report, "Pakistan 2020: A Vision for Building a Better Future," Pir Zubair Shah of The New York Times and Shuja Nawaz of Atlantic Council discuss questions about Pakistan's security agencies and relations with the U.S. For complete video of the interview, click here Related: Charlie Rose Preview: Abbas on Pakistan's Security

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-18961170564193967752011-06-01T00:00:00.000-04:002011-06-01T00:00:31.948-04:00The Murder of Journalist Saleem Shahzad - Deplorable and Tragic

Missing Pakistan journalist Saleem Shahzad found dead near IslamabadShahzad's body was discovered less than two days after he was allegedly abducted by ISI, Pakistan's intelligence serviceDeclan Walsh in Islamabad, The Guardian, 1 June 2011 A prominent Pakistani journalist who investigated links between the military and al-Qaida has been found dead, triggering angry accusations against the

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-9620482011000634752011-05-26T13:00:00.001-04:002011-05-26T13:01:35.148-04:00The Israel-Palestine Issue and the US Relations with the Muslim World

Palestine can bridge cultures, experts say Islamic world and the West seen drifting apart in absence of a viable solution By Samir Salama, Gulf News, May 19, 2011 Dubai: As the Arab spring re-energises the Palestinian issue, experts at a regional conference promoting inter-cultural dialogue in Abu Dhabi underscored the fact that unless and until the issue is resolved in a just manner, relations

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-18563103440529484772011-05-25T11:04:00.000-04:002011-05-25T11:04:15.661-04:00Who attacked Karachi Naval Base?

'New kind of militant' behind Pakistan Karachi attack By Syed Shoaib Hasan BBC News, Karachi, May 23, 2011 The deadly 15-hour siege on Pakistan's Mehran naval airbase in Karachi on Monday was carried out by attackers with military-level training, raising suspicions they had inside help. Questions are being asked about the security of Pakistan's vital military installations after a

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-40802564980480248342011-05-24T11:49:00.002-04:002011-05-25T10:47:42.331-04:00Analysing Terrorist attack on Pakistan's Naval Headquarters

No more glory, izzat da tukkar please! By Raza Rumi | Dawn.com Pakistan’s only viable and efficient institution has been attacked. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has accepted the responsibility for intruding into well guarded naval and air force bases; and managed to destroy state of the art equipment – two PC3 Orion aircraft costing millions of dollars – in a long drawn out operation. The

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-36358392168471720532011-05-24T00:42:00.003-04:002011-05-24T00:47:33.832-04:00Testing Times for U.S.-Pakistan Ties

Low in Cycle of U.S.-Pakistan Ties Interviewee: Hassan Abbas, Fellow, Asia Society; Interviewer: Bernard Gwertzman, Consulting Editor, May 23, 2011, Council on Foreign Relations Osama bin Laden's death May 1 during a U.S. raid on his compound in Abottabad, Pakistan, not far from Pakistan's premier military academy, has pushed U.S.-Pakistan relations to a "new low," says Hassan Abbas, author

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-76449057088504490392011-05-24T00:29:00.002-04:002011-05-24T00:48:33.736-04:00Muslims in America by Jessica Stern - National Interest

Muslims in America By Jessica Stern, From the May-June 2011 issue of National Interest ON MARCH 10, Representative Peter King (R-NY), who has alleged that the vast majority of U.S. mosques are run by extremists, held a hearing on radicalization of Muslims in America. The event generated an astonishing reaction—from just about everyone. Demonstrators, both in favor of his position and against,

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-75570274991272676192011-05-22T16:52:00.004-04:002011-05-23T12:30:17.679-04:00New and Explosive Wikileak Disclosures on Pakistan via Dawn.com

Dawn Presents WikiLeaks' Pakistan PapersDawn.com, May 2011 KARACHI: Trawling through the Pakistan Papers re-confirms much of what has been established since the first cache of US diplomatic cables was published last November. The US is neither omnipotent nor omniscient — it often reacts to events in Pakistan rather than dictating outcomes. But the US is a very influential player in Pakistan.

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-14247404130141103312011-05-19T11:20:00.012-04:002011-05-22T18:25:02.230-04:00How to Reform Pakistan?

Read Asia Society's Study group report 'Pakistan 2020: A Vision for Building a Better Future' by clicking here Media commentaries on the report: Policy package to arrest Pakistan decline proposed - By Masood Haider, Dawn, May 19, 2011 US and Pakistani experts lay out road map to establish stability and civilian rule in Pakistan - AFP, Washington Post, May 18, 2011 Experts offer road map for

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-81770013849542068722011-05-17T14:28:00.008-04:002011-05-19T10:52:25.606-04:00After Bin Laden, Don't give up on Pakistan: CNN Opinion article

Don't give up on PakistanBy Hassan Abbas, Special to CNN, May 17, 2011 Editor's note: Hassan Abbas is a fellow at the Asia Society, director of the society's Pakistan 2020 Study Group, and a professor at Columbia University's South Asia Institute in New York. He is also a former senior adviser to the Pakistan government. (CNN) -- In recent years Pakistan has stumbled from one crisis to another.

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-34556048221514220932011-05-16T01:26:00.005-04:002011-05-16T01:34:13.100-04:00Launch of the Asia Society Pakistan 2020 Study Group Report - May 18 in New York

Pakistani students sit on top of an overloaded mini bus as they ride home from school in Lahore (Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images) Pakistan 2020: A Vision for Building a Better Future - Asia Society, May 18, 2011 In recent years, Pakistan has stumbled from one crisis to another. Insurgencies along its northwestern borders, regular terrorist attacks across the country, continued tensions with

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-17746206062296819962011-05-14T02:57:00.003-04:002011-05-14T03:54:49.607-04:00Inside Pakistan's Parliament: ISI Briefing and discussion on US-Pak relations

Denying Links to Militants, Pakistan’s Spy Chief Denounces U.S. Before Parliament By Jane Perlez, New York Times, May 14, 2011 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — In an unusual, and apparently heated, closed-door session of Parliament, Pakistan’s spy chief issued a rousing denunciation of the United States on Friday for its raid that killed Osama bin Laden and denied that Pakistan maintained any links with

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-5151769737416205332011-05-11T15:44:00.001-04:002011-05-11T16:29:26.186-04:00Nawaz terms Abbottabad operation as failure of intelligence

Nawaz terms Abbottabad operation as failure of intelligence The News, May 11, 2011 ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Mian Nawaz Sharif has termed the Abbottabad operation, conducted by US SEALs and killed Osama bin Laden, as failure of intelligence, and demanded of the government to constitute a judicial commission to investigate into the saga, Geo News reported. Addressing a

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-90852780875592892011-05-10T23:03:00.001-04:002011-05-10T23:04:01.150-04:00The Haqqani Network in Kurram Agency in FATA

The Haqqani Network in Kurram: The Regional Implications of a Growing Insurgency Jeffrey Dressler and Reza Jan: May 2011 - A Report by the Institute for the Study of War and AEI’s Critical Threats Project Executive Summary This paper details the expansion of the Haqqani Network in Pakistan’s tribal areas through peace accords signed between rival Sunni and Shia factions in Kurram Agency,

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-33148396356837030622011-05-10T01:04:00.003-04:002011-05-10T01:47:20.208-04:00Unanswered Questions about Bin Laden Operation and its Consequences

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Related Articles: Time for heads to roll - By Babar Sattar, Dawn Pakistan and al-Qaeda’s Future - By Ahmed Rashid, New York Review of Books Punishing Pakistan - By Anatol Lieven, The National Interest The Forgotten History of the U.S. and Bin Ladin - By Paul Pillar, The Natioanl Interest

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-14706820604889852502011-05-09T02:26:00.003-04:002011-05-09T02:56:41.300-04:00Understanding the Sectarian Conflict in Pakistan: Future Prospects

Shiism and Sectarian Conflict in Pakistan: Identity Politics, Iranian Influence, and Tit-for-Tat Violence By Hassan Abbas, May 02, 2011, Combating Terrorism Centre at West Point Executive Summary: Since its founding in 1947, Pakistan has been accustomed to conflict, but in recent years the regime in Islamabad had to contend with new waves of militancy, including violence that directly challenges

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-83739768075289120762011-05-08T02:44:00.003-04:002011-05-08T02:49:47.268-04:00Understanding the Post Bin Laden Scenario - Six Insightful Perspectives

The curious case of Osama bin Laden By Pervez Hoodbhoy, Express Tribune, May 3, 2011 Osama bin Laden, the figurehead king of al Qaeda, is gone. His hosts are still rubbing their eyes and wondering how it all happened. Although scooped up from Pakistani soil, shot in the head and then buried at sea, the event was not announced by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani or by President Asif Ali Zardari.

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-38409746629646845392011-05-07T19:09:00.002-04:002011-05-08T01:14:26.415-04:00The Future of Al-Qaeda after Osama Bin Laden - NBC

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy For more clips of the documentary, click here

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-32999968865321005112011-05-07T02:45:00.003-04:002011-05-07T03:14:06.914-04:00Who visited Osama's compound in Abottabad?

Probing Link to Bin Laden, U.S. Tells Pakistan to Name Agents By HELENE COOPER and ISMAIL KHAN, New York Times, May 7, 2011 WASHINGTON — Pakistani officials say the Obama administration has demanded the identities of some of their top intelligence operatives as the United States tries to determine whether any of them had contact with Osama bin Laden or his agents in the years before the raid

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-9372416977139147502011-05-06T02:45:00.007-04:002011-05-06T03:24:15.784-04:00"Mother of all embarrassments" for Pakistan

Property records suggest another alias for bin Laden aide By Laura Rozen, Yahoo News, May 5, 2011 In the flurry of questions in the aftermath of the U.S. operation that killed Osama bin Laden, one line of inquiry has centered on the compound where bin Laden was found. Who in Pakistan knew he was living there? How did the al Qaeda mastermind spend seven years in safety, less than a mile away from

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-49625818155303363492011-05-04T21:38:00.000-04:002011-05-04T21:38:02.103-04:00After Bin Laden: A Turning Point in U.S.- Muslim World Relations?

Bin Laden and the Arab Spring: A Turning Point in U.S.-Muslim World Relations? Coauthored by John L. Esposito and Sheila B. Lalwani Huffington Post, May 4, 2011 The death of Osama bin Laden like the Arab Spring signals a possible turning point in the Arab and Muslim world and an opportunity to strengthen U.S.-Muslim world relations. The killing of bin Laden in Abbottabad is a major psychological

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-38559076415425664492011-05-02T17:33:00.001-04:002011-05-02T17:34:13.552-04:00End of Al Qaeda? : What all this means for the US-Pakistan Relations

Bin Laden's Death Will Prove 'Demoralizing' to Al Qaeda Hassan Abbas, Asia Society, May 2, 2011 The world is indeed a better place without Osama bin Laden. His elimination is historic without an iota of doubt. There may be a brief upsurge in terrorist activity around the world as a reaction from members of Al Qaeda and its affiliates, but overall his death will prove demoralizing for the

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-53600587762871792562011-05-02T03:26:00.003-04:002011-05-02T04:06:23.823-04:00Latest: How Osama was taken out?

Top US Officials Release Details About Raid WJBF News, May 2, 2011 We are learning new information about the military operation that ultimately killed Osama Bin Laden. During a conference call early Monday morning Michael Vickers, the Assistant Secretary of Defense, said the small U.S. team that carried out the strike spent less that 40 minuets inside the compound where Bin Laden was hiding.

Hassan Abbashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04350767764670393937noreply@blogger.com0