tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840Fri, 01 May 2026 07:04:46 +0000Pakistan - TerrorismWatandost means "friend of the nation or country". The blog contains news and views that are insightful but are often not part of the headlines. It also covers major debates in Muslim societies across the world including in the West. An earlier focus of the blog was on 'Pakistan and and its neighborhood' (2005 - 2017) the record of which is available in blog archive.https://watandost.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)Blogger4377125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-7549461870626679422Sun, 23 Aug 2020 15:27:00 +00002022-05-01T07:25:07.946-04:00Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University - August 2020In the fifth segment of NESA South Asia Interview Series, Professor Hassan Abbas interviews Professor Qamar-ul Huda who is a non-resident fellow at The Atlantic Council in Washington, D.C and an adjunct associate professor at Georgetown University. He formerly worked as a senior policy advisor to the U.S. https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-politics-of-countering-violent.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-1279740594789207033Fri, 17 Jul 2020 16:44:00 +00002022-05-01T07:06:38.240-04:00Policing the Pandemic Worldwide: Best Practices for Law Enforcement Agencies Center for Global Policy, July 16, 2020 by Hassan AbbasThe unprecedented global challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic is testing the resources and capabilities of government services. Law enforcement personnel, who are at the forefront in the fight against the disease and are among those at a high risk of https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-role-of-police-during-pandemic-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-3577837754691584144Fri, 17 Jul 2020 16:12:00 +00002022-05-01T07:22:08.074-04:00Peace, Taliban and Cricket in Afghanistan: A Conversation with Afghan Leader and Diplomat Dr. Omar ZakhilwalNear East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, July 2020The third installment of the NESA South Asia Interview Series is with Dr. Omar Zakhilwal hailing from Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province served as finance minister (2009-2014) under President Hamid Karzai and later was appointed as https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/07/have-taliban-changed-ideologically.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-4990557371505092122Mon, 13 Jul 2020 05:12:00 +00002020-07-13T01:12:28.377-04:00Inside India Today: Politics, Security and the Rivalry with China – An Interview with Professor Christophe JaffrelotNESA South Asia Interview Series # 2 (June 27 2020)This is the second engagement of NESA’s South Asia Interview series. NESA Distinguished Professor Hassan Abbas interviews Christophe Jaffrelot who is Avantha Chair and Professor of Indian Politics and Sociology at the King’s India https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/07/inside-india-today-politics-security.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-6055798794138326386Mon, 06 Jul 2020 22:09:00 +00002022-05-01T07:15:06.685-04:00Afghanistan Between Negotiations: How the Doha Agreement Will Affect Intra-Afghan PeaceBy Andrew Quilty Sunday, July 5, 2020, LAWFARE BlogExcerptsTrump entered office promising to end the war in Afghanistan, but former military generals serving on his national security team convinced him to change course. In his August 2017 South Asia Strategy, he vowed to throw the full weight of U.S. military, https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-making-of-doha-deal-with-taliban.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-4746584791926403627Mon, 06 Jul 2020 21:35:00 +00002020-07-06T17:35:32.953-04:00GOVERNANCE, COUNTER TERRORISM AND POLICING IN PAKISTAN – A CONVERSATION WITH AZHAR NADEEM, INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE (RETIRED)Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University, Washington DC - June 2020Welcome to the first installment of NESA’s South Asia Interview series with NESA Distinguished Professor Hassan Abbas. We will interview practitioners, politicians, https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/07/governance-counter-terrorism-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-3327399976639976226Mon, 06 Jul 2020 20:53:00 +00002022-05-01T07:10:53.173-04:00https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/07/roundtable-on-advocacy-for-police.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-8006170705095742222Mon, 06 Jul 2020 20:50:00 +00002022-05-01T07:21:49.570-04:00https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/07/need-for-global-police-reforms-agenda.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-1305454969613637163Tue, 09 Jun 2020 04:09:00 +00002020-06-09T00:09:02.987-04:00When police officers are told they’re in a war, they act like itA CIA officer turned cop speaks out.By Ezra Klein@ezraklein Jun 2, 2020, Vox Patrick Skinner spent a decade running counterterrorism operations overseas for the CIA. He worked in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Jordan; met with kings and presidents; rose through the ranks. But he came to believe he was part of the problem, that the very https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/06/how-to-reform-policing-in-america.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-4955015402075402655Tue, 09 Jun 2020 03:39:00 +00002020-06-08T23:39:55.600-04:00 Protests and Policing in America Today: Five Critical Lessons By Hassan Abbas Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies, National Defense University Washington DC June 5, 2020 The widespread protests across the United States in the aftermath of the tragic killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American, at the hands of a police officer raises important questions about https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/06/protests-and-policing-in-america-today.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-8061091955571626104Wed, 20 May 2020 19:48:00 +00002020-05-20T15:48:30.430-04:00 Afghan Taliban leader says committed to deal with the US In Eid message Haibatullah Akhunzada asks US 'not to waste' the opportunity offered by the deal to end 19-year-old war.May 20, 2020, Aljazeera The leader of the Taliban said on Wednesday that his group was committed to a landmark deal with the US, despite being accused of carrying out hundreds of attacks in Afghanistan since it was https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/05/updates-what-are-taliban-up-to.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-2775726229491458132Wed, 20 May 2020 18:38:00 +00002020-05-20T14:38:14.629-04:00 Politics and Security in Iraq Today May 18, 2020 https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/05/politics-and-security-in-iraq-5.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-6820050504986161543Thu, 14 May 2020 06:46:00 +00002020-05-14T02:46:43.461-04:00 IRAQ’S NEW LEADERSHIP: HOPES AND EXPECTATIONSHassan Abbas,  Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies,  May 12, 2020 After a prolonged political deadlock, Iraq finally has a new prime minister: former Iraqi intelligence chief Mustafa al-Kadhimi, an independent candidate. The task before him is gigantic, with challenges ranging from economic crisis due to coronavirus and https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/05/iraq-update-can-new-prime-minister.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-1074614851635954479Thu, 07 May 2020 12:16:00 +00002020-05-07T08:16:01.741-04:00 Modi’s Coronavirus TestThe Pandemic Offers a Struggling India the Chance to ResetBy Anubhav Gupta and Puneet TalwarForeign Affairs, May 04, 2020 The novel coronavirus is an enormous test for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Not only must his government contain the spread of the virus in one of the densest, most populous countries in the world but it must prevent social-distancing measureshttps://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/05/indias-tackling-of-pandemic-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-1519058568531364496Tue, 05 May 2020 05:23:00 +00002020-05-05T01:51:00.712-04:00 Afghanistan – Next Round Afghan Style Hamid Hussain, May 1, 2020 “However tall the mountain is, there is a road to the top of it”.   Afghan Proverb   United States and Taliban signed an agreement in February 2020.  The agreement was to pave the way for withdrawal of US troops and integration of Taliban in Afghan political system. The next step was https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/05/afghanistan-next-round-by-hamid-hussain.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-7327938391834321236Sat, 02 May 2020 07:39:00 +00002020-05-02T03:49:15.024-04:00 Pakistan and the Future of the Taliban: 10 Things to Consider  by  Hassan Abbas  March 30, 2020, Center for Global Policy, Washington DC.  Developing an intra-Afghan understanding is a necessary step for peacebuilding in Afghanistan, but it cannot happen with Afghanistan’s neighbors pulling the various groups in different directions. U.S. Special Representative for https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/05/pakistan-and-future-of-taliban.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-288296618192171596Tue, 28 Apr 2020 10:27:00 +00002020-05-02T03:59:03.036-04:00 The Day After Al-Sistani Hassan Abbas,  Center for Global Policy, February 18, 2020 The world’s most prominent Shiite religious leader, Iraq’s Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, commands a great deal of influence and respect – not just in Iraq, but around the world. Questions about who will succeed the cleric and how the reportedly complicated selection process will unfold are being https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/04/iraqs-grand-ayatollah-sistani-is-he.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-6093577841304720442Tue, 28 Apr 2020 10:20:00 +00002020-04-28T06:21:45.427-04:00 U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Hearing at the U.S. Congress on Protecting Houses of Worship and Holy Sites  October 23, 2019 - Testimony by Dr. Hassan Abbas Introduction: A house of worship is a sanctuary for reflection, spirituality and peace. It is a sacred space. A consistent pattern of attacks targeting these revered spaces across the globe is a highly condemnablehttps://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/04/protecting-houses-of-worship-and-holy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-3242272793592005985Tue, 28 Apr 2020 10:00:00 +00002020-04-28T06:00:01.839-04:00Islam And Liberalism What are the progressive roots within Islam, and can they be strengthened? A roundtable discussion. BY HASSAN ABBAS KEITH ELLISON ASRA Q. NOMANI ANI ZONNEVELD Democracy - A Journal of Ideas, SUMMER 2016, NO. 4 Democracy brought together four prominent Muslim Americans who represent a range of progressive political viewpoints to ask them about the progressive roots of Islam,https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/04/what-are-progressive-roots-within-islam.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-5980904278976379107Sun, 26 Apr 2020 07:58:00 +00002020-04-26T04:34:22.526-04:00  Pakistan's Nuclear Bomb: A Story of Defiance, Deterrence and Deviance Published by Hurst Publishers UK, Oxford University Press, USA and Penguin, India (2018) Book Launch at the National Defense University, Washington DC with Peter Bergen as Discussant - March 6, 2018 Book Endorsements and Reviews: "This is the most comprehensive study to date of why and how Pakistan got the bomb and https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/04/pakistans-nuclear-bomb-story-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-1657296647624292902Sun, 26 Apr 2020 05:32:00 +00002020-04-26T01:32:45.535-04:00 The Myth and Reality of Iraq’s al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces): A Way Forward By Hassan Abbas Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Amman Office September 2017 Amman, Jordan The contrast was unforgettably awe-invoking: the spontaneous, unpredictable, revolutionary move, entrenched within the gentle, soulful aura of the city’s holiness. The glaring desert sun of Iraq was blazing with https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-myth-and-reality-of-iraqs-al-hashd.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-3135304510005985057Sun, 26 Apr 2020 05:10:00 +00002020-04-26T01:25:49.198-04:00 Before the United States House of Representatives, March 22, 2016 Hearing: Women Fighting for Peace: Lessons for Today’s Conflicts Testimony by Hassan Abbas, Professor National Defense University, Washington DC Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, and Members of the Committee: Thank you for inviting me to testify about the role of women in resolving conflict and securing peace. It is https://watandost.blogspot.com/2020/04/women-fighting-for-peace-lessons-for.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-1923100977171502147Fri, 02 Jun 2017 11:13:00 +00002017-06-02T07:14:19.448-04:00Report of the Task Force on the Future of Iraq: Achieving Long-Term Stability to Ensure the Defeat of ISIS May 31, 2017 Chair: Ambassador Ryan Crocker Executive Director: Dr. Nussaibah Younis Excerpts from the Report: The Iraqi government, backed by the United States and its coalition partners, are on the brink of retaking all the territories once occupied by the Islamic State of Iraq and https://watandost.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-future-of-iraq-findings-of-atlantic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-6657634793049017072Mon, 29 May 2017 20:14:00 +00002017-05-29T16:28:36.448-04:00Taliban Target: Scholars of Islam By MUJIB MASHAL and JAWAD SUKHANYAR New York Times, MAY 28, 2017 TOGH-BAIRDI, Afghanistan — A lone grave, its dirt mound shaded under the drooping branches of a mulberry tree and kept adorned with flowers, has become a daily stop for seminary students and staff members near Togh-Bairdi, in northern Afghanistan. It is the burial site of Mawlawi Shah Agha https://watandost.blogspot.com/2017/05/taliban-targeting-of-islamic-scholars.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-8242668043435675501Sun, 28 May 2017 23:41:00 +00002017-05-28T19:44:06.635-04:00 Who are the new jihadis? Biographies of ‘homegrown’ European terrorists show they are violent nihilists who adopt Islam, rather than religious fundamentalists who turn to violence by Olivier Roy There is something new about the jihadi terrorist violence of the past two decades. Both terrorism and jihad have existed for many years, and forms of “globalised” terror – in which highly symbolic https://watandost.blogspot.com/2017/05/who-are-new-jihadis-insightful-analysis.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0