Hassan Abbas

AP Photo

November 28, 2007

"New Army Chief Will Focus on Morale, Image"

Magazine or Newspaper Article, Oxford Analytica

By Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

"Kayani's assumption of military leadership leaves a weakened president with even less power. While Kayani is loyal to Musharraf for now, efforts to boost morale and improve public perceptions of the military will take priority over the protection of an unpopular civilian president."

AP Photo

November 26, 2007

"Pakistan Crisis"

Presentation

By Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Barry Newhouse

A discussion of the latest political crisis in Pakistan with VOA correspondent in Islamabad Barry Newhouse and political scientist Hassan Abbas, a Research Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center's Project on Managing the Atom and International Security Program.

AP Photo

November 26, 2007

"Is the NWFP Slipping Out of Pakistan's Control?"

Magazine or Newspaper Article, Terrorism Monitor, issue 22, volume V

By Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

"The NWFP is not likely to physically slip out of Pakistan’s hands.... Religious political forces have lost some of their support base (Daily Times, November 22) due to poor governance ..... Musharraf’s arbitrary imposition of emergency rule (read: martial law) has targeted those very forces which can challenge extremists. Many human rights activists and lawyers in the NWFP were arrested and top judges of the NWFP high court known for their progressive views and integrity have been sent home. Among the militants, however, this action of Musharraf is being interpreted as his weakness, further emboldening their activities...."

November 17, 2007

"The Broken Promises of Military Rule"

Op-Ed, Boston Globe

By Susan Banki and Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

"WHEN TWO of Asia's most prominent female politicians are under house arrest at the same time, it's easy to draw parallels. The scary part: comparing the off and on detention of Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto with the longstanding house arrest of Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma makes Pakistan look good. But in both cases, this is no time for complacency on the part of the international community...."

AP Photo

November 6, 2007

"Pervez Out of Order: Pakistani Strongman Suspends Constitution"

Op-Ed, Boston Herald

By Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

"...Rather than taking responsibility for the deteriorating security situation (as evidenced by suicide bomb attacks) and the increasing Talibanization of the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, Musharraf has blamed the judiciary and media.

Musharraf’s popular support is at its lowest ebb. Pakistan’s armed forces — repeated targets of suicide bombers — have become demoralized. It is difficult to imagine them standing with Musharraf should civil conflict erupt. Nor can a weak, embattled, Musharraf be expected to fight Islamic militancy effectively or bring political stability to Pakistan...."

October 24, 2007

"Who Tried to Kill Benazir Bhutto?"

Magazine or Newspaper Article, Terrorism Focus, issue 34, volume IV

By Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

"Benazir Bhutto, twice-elected prime minister of Pakistan and the first woman head of a Muslim state, decided to terminate her self-exile and return to Pakistan last week. By all accounts, more than a million people (mostly poor and young) welcomed her enthusiastically in the port city of Karachi on October 18. In the midst of the celebration, the political rally was targeted by a series of suicide attacks killing around 140 people. Bhutto and her top party leaders, however, remained unhurt.

Who would have been the potential beneficiary of Bhutto's elimination?"

United States Congress

October 1, 2007

"Should the United States Continue Supporting Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf?"

Presentation

By Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Moeed Yusuf

Pakistan's October 6 presidential elections present a crossroads, with the possibilities of genuine democratic reform or continued military dominance both in sight.

AP Photo

September 27, 2007

"Increasing Talibanization in Pakistan's Seven Tribal Agencies"

Magazine or Newspaper Article, Terrorism Monitor, issue 18, volume V

By Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

"The government of President Pervez Musharraf is facing policy failure in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. Taliban forces and their sympathizers are becoming entrenched in the region and are aggressively expanding their influence and operations (especially in Tank, Dera Ismail Khan and Swat Valley in the North-West Frontier Province). A lethal combination of Musharraf's political predicament and declining public support, a significant rise in suicide attacks targeting the army and the reluctance of soldiers deputed in the area to engage tribal gangs militarily further exacerbates this impasse...."

July 19, 2007

"The Road to Lal Masjid and its Aftermath"

Magazine or Newspaper Article, Terrorism Monitor, issue 14, volume V

By Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs

"It is clear that most Pakistanis wanted Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) leader Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi to be held accountable for his vigilantism and for trying to enforce his extremist version of Islam on society. The public's views have changed, however, now that it has become obvious that the government used indiscriminate force during the operation and since its claims about the presence of foreign militants inside the mosque complex have not been independently verified."

July 10, 2007

"Pakistani Forces Storm Red Mosque, Kill Cleric"

Presentation

By Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and Samina Ahmed, Former Research Fellow, Project on Managing the Atom/Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program, 1998-2002

Hassan Abbas and Samina Ahmed provided the analysis following the news story.