INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND DEFENSE
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?"
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/August 2007
"The Khan Job"
Magazine or Newspaper Article, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, issue 4, volume 63
By Tom Bielefeld, Associate, Project on Managing the Atom and Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Tom Bielefeld and Hassan Abbas review Der Physiker der Mullahs (The Mullah's Physicist), a film by Egmont R. Koch, broadcast on German Public Television (WDR) on February 22, 2007.
June 26, 2007
"NATO Strikes Taliban Militants in Pakistani Territory"
Magazine or Newspaper Article, Terrorism Focus, issue 20, volume IV
By Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
The covert understanding between the Pakistani government and NATO/ISAF in Afghanistan regarding direct U.S. military action in Pakistan's tribal areas is hardly a secret anymore.
June 11, 2007
"Musharraf's Party is Over"
Op-Ed, National Interest
By Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
The hundreds of thousands of ordinary Pakistanis euphorically chanting in the streets in support of Iftikhar Chaudhry, the suspended chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, demonstrate that Pakistan has outgrown Pervez Musharraf’s transitional leadership....
May 10, 2007
"South Waziristan's Maulvi Nazir: The New Face of the Taliban"
Magazine or Newspaper Article, Terrorism Monitor, issue 9, volume V
By Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"Pakistan is experimenting with the Taliban yet again. The primary focus of the effort is to de-link the Taliban from al-Qaeda and bring them back into the Pakistani sphere of influence."
March 30, 2007
"Transforming Pakistan's Frontier Corps"
Magazine or Newspaper Article, Terrorism Monitor, issue 6, volume V
By Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"While the jury is still out on whether General Pervez Musharraf's limitations in overpowering the Taliban in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border areas are primarily an outcome of "incapacity" or "unwillingness" (or both), the United States has committed itself to helping Pakistan transform its Frontier Corps into an effective fighting force....Pakistan has received billions of dollars from various international donor agencies over the years for different development projects, yet sadly, in many cases, a major chunk of the funds evaporate through corruption and mismanagement. This analysis attempts to understand the structure, strengths and potential of the Frontier Corps through the lens of its history and the political dynamics of the region. It also proposes some ideas for reform of the institution and better utilization of U.S. funds."
February 1, 2007
Asfandyar Wali: Profile of Pakistan's Progressive Pashtun Politician
Magazine or Newspaper Article, Terrorism Monitor, issue 2, volume V
By Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
November 30, 2006
"The Black-Turbaned Brigade: The Rise of TNSM in Pakistan"
Magazine or Newspaper Article, Terrorism Monitor, issue 23, volume IV
By Hassan Abbas, Former Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
"TNSM's extremist ideological roots, violent behavior since the mid-1990s, collaboration with criminal elements and terrorist tactics were sufficient warning signals for Pakistan's government to curb its activities effectively and pursue criminal cases against its top leaders (The News, October 18, 2004; Daily Times, May 15, 2005). This did not occur, however, and the pursuant mayhem was predictable. The recent targeted killings of TNSM leaders are unlikely to resolve the crisis. The religious seminaries that put a premium on bigotry and propagate hatred should be closed down. Equally important is the establishment of modern schools as an alternative to their more radical ideology. The "Enlightened Moderation" of Musharraf is failing because he is using it merely as a slogan and little is being done on the ground."
