Current Projects

Why the People of Tunisia and Egypt Confirm the Bankruptcy of Al Qaeda’s Tactics

Director of International Centre for Counter-terrorism, Hague (Netherlands), Drs. Peter Knoope and Anno Bunnik present an interesting insight into the recent political upheavals in Tunisia and Egypt and how it offers a strong political and social counter-narrative of Al Qaeda ideology. Center for Research and Security Studies, Islamabad, is honored to carry their analysis with a view to offer a discourse on issues of global importance. As developments unfold in the Arab World, first and foremost in Egypt and Tunisia, there is one profound conclusion missing in most of the news reports and expert opinions analyzing the political, social and/or historical reasons for and consequences of the events; the popular revolts demonstrate to the world the bankruptcy of Al Qaeda strategy and tactics. They show that AQ and related groups have failed to come up with effective strategies to channel popular frustrations and grievances and become part of the solution instead of the existing problems. What happens at present is a popular and almost spontaneous ´ though not unexpected ´ revolt against the oppressive regimes in a number of the Middle Eastern countries; regimes that have been criticized for their repressive nature for a long time and by many. First and foremost by violent Islamist groups such as AQ and regional affiliates like Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP); they consider these corrupt oppressive regimes as the ¿near enemy–, declaring them, based on a distorted fundamentalist interpretation of religious teaching, justified targets of Islamic militancy. Jihad is the only solution. But despite the destructive words and actions by AQ and likeminded organizations aimed at this near-enemy, they have not had the strength nor the inspirational doctrine to mobilize the masses or to bring about a substantial public revolt that truly threatens the position of these suppressive regimes. What these violent Islamist...

Why the People of Tunisia and Egypt Confirm the Bankruptcy of Al Qaeda's Tactics

Director of International Centre for Counter-terrorism, Hague (Netherlands), Drs. Peter Knoope and Anno Bunnik present an interesting insight into the recent political upheavals in Tunisia and Egypt and how it offers a strong political and social counter-narrative of Al Qaeda ideology. Center for Research and Security Studies, Islamabad, is honored to carry their analysis with a view to offer a discourse on issues of global importance. As developments unfold in the Arab World, first and foremost in Egypt and Tunisia, there is one profound conclusion missing in most of the news reports and expert opinions analyzing the political, social and/or historical reasons for and consequences of the events; the popular revolts demonstrate to the world the bankruptcy of Al Qaeda strategy and tactics. They show that AQ and related groups have failed to come up with effective strategies to channel popular frustrations and grievances and become part of the solution instead of the existing problems. What happens at present is a popular and almost spontaneous ´ though not unexpected ´ revolt against the oppressive regimes in a number of the Middle Eastern countries; regimes that have been criticized for their repressive nature for a long time and by many. First and foremost by violent Islamist groups such as AQ and regional affiliates like Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP); they consider these corrupt oppressive regimes as the ¿near enemy–, declaring them, based on a distorted fundamentalist interpretation of religious teaching, justified targets of Islamic militancy. Jihad is the only solution. But despite the destructive words and actions by AQ and likeminded organizations aimed at this near-enemy, they have not had the strength nor the inspirational doctrine to mobilize the masses or to bring about a substantial public revolt that truly threatens the position of these suppressive regimes. What these violent Islamist...

Inauguration of a clean drinking water facility at Faqeerabad in Charsadda district.

With the financial assistance of theRoyalEmbassy of Netherlands, the Centre for Research and Security Studies completed the boring of 20 water wells in Charsadda and Nowshehra, the worst affected districts of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa province by the super floods of summer 2010. Ahmed Dadou of the Netherlands Embassy (in black suit) and the CRSS team led by Executive Director Imtiaz Gul participated in the inauguration ceremony and shared moments of happiness with the residents of Faqeerabad village. Sajjad Khan, the assistant district officer Education, and Fazal Malik, acommunity notable thanked the EmbassyofNetherlands forfinancing theboringofthe wells down to 100 feet for clean and contamination-free water. Theyhoped this water facility will help in protecting the villagers from variouswater borndeadly diseasesuch ashepatitisandgastro-intestinal ailments.

Pakistan Explains its Position on Afghanistan to VP Biden

Where does the Afghan peace process stand right now? It probably stands in a no-man land from where many roads (options) lead out but the US seems to hold the ticket to those roads. The current and most preferred of the options is an all-out assault on Afghan insurgents to cripple them. This will, so believes Gen. David Petraeus force them into talks. The Petraeus calculus essentially rests on paralyzing the insurgents through brute force. Vice president Joseph Biden statements in Kabul and Islamabad, however, appears to be a mix of American civil-military approach; The U.S. will not leave Afghanistan completely in 2014 if Afghans still want the U.S. there, said Biden who has generally favored a less troop-intensive approach and a quicker handover to Afghans. In a marked departure from the Bush-era Pentagon approach, Biden declared that 'It's not our intention to govern or to nation-build -- this is the responsibility of the Afghan people.' But Biden did, however, share the Pakistan-centric belief of Petraeus. 'It's going to require more pressure -- more pressure on the Taliban, from Pakistan's side of the border, than we've been -- we've been able to exert so far. And there are many hard days that lie ahead,' Biden said in Kabul. This statement underscored the message Biden brought for Pakistani leaders, including the army chief Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, which was the most strategic in nature, and focused on the impending 'hard days ahead'. Reportedly, the vice president came loaded with lots of carrots and an invisible stick. His visit also underscored its resolve and exposed its desperation, for the phased withdrawal from Afghanistan beginning July. Background interviews with highly placed Pakistani officials suggest that Joe Biden, former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani and the acting US AfPak envoy Frank Ruggiero (both of whom, too, were in Islamabad late last week) were told that the key to the Afghan reconciliation rested with the Afghan stake-holders and...

To Kabul via Islamabad

Islamabad reemerged as the focal capital to help providing some form of a solution of the Afghan problem and this sense was further solidified by Najam Seth, Pakistan veteran journalist, on Farid Zakariya GPS on the CNN that road to the Kabul goes through Islamabad! Former president Burhanuddin Rabbani Friday (Jan7) wrapped up almost four days of consultations with Pakistani leaders to elicit cooperation for the Afghan reconciliation process with a desire for a more broad-based Pakistani representation in a reconciliation mechanism. 'It has been a successful consultative round but we need to broaden the Pakistani base for talks because it is not a Pashtoon but an Afghan-Pakistan issue,' said Rabbani, who heads the 70 member High Peace Council decreed by President Hamid Karzai. We are proposing another Pakistan-Afghan mechanism which must also involve non-Pashtoon segments of the Pakistani society, Rabbani told media, recalling that the earlier Grand Jirga ´ consultative assembly of Pashtoon tribes held at Kabul in 2007, and followed by a smaller meeting at Islamabad in 2009, mostly involved Pashtoon representatives on both sides. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) facilitated the Afghan Council Islamabad visit during which Rabbani and his colleagues met with Prime Minister Yusuf Reza Gilani, Army Chief Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and several other key civilian and military officials. Later during a dinner hosted by Gilani, both countries agreed to set up a joint Commission to promote the Reconciliation process, resonating Prof. Rabbani call for broadening the Pakistani representation. The Jirga, said a diplomat, is a people ´to-people process, but the Commission will be the first formal Mechanism to address the reconciliation process. Mohammad Sadiq Khan, the Pakistani ambassador to Kabul, told FP the Commission was the major outcome of the powerful Afghan delegation visit to Islamabad. The modalities of the commission will be worked out in...

What is Around the US Defense Presence in Quetta?

Sweet and Sour Pak-US Relationship: What had appeared to be a big bilateral 'confidence-building measure' in the ongoing anti-terror war has kicked off strong reaction within Pakistan. On Wednesday ((November 24th) Pentagon informed the media in Washington about a new facility being built up in southwestern Pakistan to house US military officials. 'Pakistan Army General Headquarters recently approved a US Office of Defense Representative (ODR) and Coalition presence at the Pakistan military 12 Corps HQ in Quetta,' a Pentagon official said during a media briefing, quoting a report submitted to the Congress. On the face of it, this amounted to a big headway in the uneasy Pak-US relationship. For years, US and western intelligence community have remained seized with Quetta, which they believe the Taliban central command structure ´ commonly known as the Quetta Shura ´ uses to planits militant campaign in Afghanistan.Only days before, Pakistan had, officially,spurned a US request for extending the CIA-led drone campaign into Balochistan and its capital. The drones currently are restricted to the Waziristan region, where the Predator and Reaper unmanned planes have rained hundreds of Hellfire missiles in nearly95 strikes this year so far. US has been Eyeing Quetta for a Long Time: General Petraues, the top US commander in Afghanistan, and other NATO officialsview militants holed up inNorthWaziristan under the protection of the al-Qaeda linkedHaqqani Networkas well as the 'Taliban Quetta Shura ' as a significant source of instability in Afghanistan, where violence tripled during 2010. Although it would be naâ”œÂ»ve to believe the US thus far had no security presence there, the new facility in Quetta would provide American military, and presumably, its intelligence community formal access to areas, which they suspect, Taliban may be using for planning attacks on NATO forces inside Afghanistan. This way, a lot of pressure would be off Pakistan, which until attempted, in...

Review of the Pakistan Development Forum

What is Pakistan Development Forum? The Pakistan Development Forum (PDF), a multilateral consortium established by the World Bank to present various development projects, in Pakistan, to international lenders, was convened in Islamabad after 3 years on 14th-15th November. Delegations from 30 countries and 264 representatives from donor countries, five major lending and aid institutions participated in the meeting. US, United Kingdom and Japan confirmed minister-level participation while the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank also attended the two-day meetings. The finance minister and special US envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke held a special session on protecting the poor and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Social Sector Shahnaz Wazir Ali presented a social sector overview while Benazir Income Support Program Chairperson Farzana Raja briefed the meeting about the government social and income safe program. Senator Syeda Sughra Hussain Imam discussed the situation on governance and the heads of the participating delegations gave their closing remarks on Monday in the closing session. The Forum provided a platform for the donors to express their views and reservations over the handling of foreign aid and assistance. Most of the foreign participants underscored the need for structural taxation reforms in Pakistan and desired that the tax collection be more equitable and broad based to increase government revenues. Outline of the Proceedings: Provincial governments were unanimous in arguing that reforms would require huge sums of money ¶ something that a government already running a huge fiscal deficit would be unable to provide. The federal government as well as the provincial governments presented plans aimed at broadening the revenue base through aggressive taxation regime. In addition, the donor community urged the Pakistani Government to increase the Tax-to-GDP ratio and...

Global Dimension of Current Turmoil: Al Qaeda and Transitional Islamist Networks

Current Scenario Under the Executive Order 13224 the United States on Sept 1s, 2010 formally designated the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan as a foreign terrorist. Daniel Benjamin, the Ambassador-at-Large for Counterterrorism formally announced it at a press briefing, thereby making the TTP the latest addition to a list of 47 such banned organizations.[1] Benajamin said that by implication both Hakimullah Mehsud and Wali Ur Rehman also stand designated as terrorists. 'The TTP and Al-Qaida have a symbiotic relationship. TTP draws ideological guidance from Al-Qaida while Al-Qaida relies on the TTP for safe haven in the Pashtun areas along the Afghan-Pakistani border.' This mutual cooperation gives TTP access to both Al-Qaida global terrorist network and the operational experience of its members. Given the proximity of the two groups and the nature of their relationship, TTP is a force multiplier for Al-Qaida,' Benajamin explained. This move reinforced two things: First, several Islamist militant organizations, inspired by al Qaeda, have emerged not only in Pakistan and Afghanistan but also enjoy close nexus with like-minded outfits elsewhere. The other dimension, which is equally worrying, is the shifting of the battle between Al Qaeda and the US-led western world. This battle of ideologies and cultures is rooted in the Afghan war against the Soviet Union. This war of course turned out to be a watershed and provided a new platform to militant Islamist groups from all over the Muslim world. American / Pakistani Role It is quite an irony that the American CIA which played a major role in bringing the Muslim fighters from across the world to get them trained by the Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agency against the Soviet Union, is currently pitched against the first and second generation of Jihadis which the Pakistani and American security establishments themselves had fostered. It primarily America versus Al Qaeda. It is also the Pakistan army versus Afghan...

Operation in North Waziristan & the End-game.

Reality of North Waziristan: When Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani arrived in Washington next week for the third round of the Strategic Dialogue, the desperate American military establishment expectedly confronted him with an ambitious wish-list for action. And Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, quickly unveiled part of that list. 'He clearly knows what our priorities areÎ“Ã‡ÂªNorth Waziristan is the epicenter of terrorism, it's where al-Qaeda lives,' Mullen said in an interview on Bloomberg Television's "Conversations with Judy Woodruff.' Mullen also revealed Kayani "has committed to me to go into North Waziristan and to root out these terrorists as well.' The US military considers the Haqqani network, led by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the eldest son of veteran Afghan mujahideen leader Jalaluddin Haqqani, as the primary source of violence, based in and around North Waziristan, spread over about 5000 square kilometers along the mountainous border to Afghanistan. Haqqani also shelters not only Arab Al Qaeda but also the vicious Tehreeke Taliban Pakistan, Lashkare Jhangvi, and a few splinters off the Lashkare Taiba and Jaishe Mohammad. The region is also called the hornet nest for the presence of anti-US al Qaeda-linked militant groups. The presence of the CIA-operated Chapman base in the Afghan town of Khost near North Waziristan is also meant to neutralize the Haqqani network. If what Mullen said of Kayani were true, this commitment could mean a turnaround in what Gen.Kayani, known as a cool thinking cat within Pakistan military establishment, has been peddling for months; Pakistan army itself would choose the scale and timing of any military campaign in North Waziristan, Kayani a told a group of journalists a few months ago. Operating in the NW is not an issue of the will but of the capacity for Pakistan Army. The Corps 11, responsible for the entire northwestern region, including the federally administered tribal areas (FATA) is...

Operation in North Waziristan & the End-game.

Reality of North Waziristan: When Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani arrived in Washington next week for the third round of the Strategic Dialogue, the desperate American military establishment expectedly confronted him with an ambitious wish-list for action. And Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, quickly unveiled part of that list. 'He clearly knows what our priorities areÎ“Ã‡ÂªNorth Waziristan is the epicenter of terrorism, it's where al-Qaeda lives,' Mullen said in an interview on Bloomberg Television's "Conversations with Judy Woodruff.' Mullen also revealed Kayani "has committed to me to go into North Waziristan and to root out these terrorists as well.' The US military considers the Haqqani network, led by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the eldest son of veteran Afghan mujahideen leader Jalaluddin Haqqani, as the primary source of violence, based in and around North Waziristan, spread over about 5000 square kilometers along the mountainous border to Afghanistan. Haqqani also shelters not only Arab Al Qaeda but also the vicious Tehreeke Taliban Pakistan, Lashkare Jhangvi, and a few splinters off the Lashkare Taiba and Jaishe Mohammad. The region is also called the hornet nest for the presence of anti-US al Qaeda-linked militant groups. The presence of the CIA-operated Chapman base in the Afghan town of Khost near North Waziristan is also meant to neutralize the Haqqani network. If what Mullen said of Kayani were true, this commitment could mean a turnaround in what Gen.Kayani, known as a cool thinking cat within Pakistan military establishment, has been peddling for months; Pakistan army itself would choose the scale and timing of any military campaign in North Waziristan, Kayani a told a group of journalists a few months ago. Operating in the NW is not an issue of the will but of the capacity for Pakistan Army. The Corps 11, responsible for the entire northwestern region, including the federally administered tribal areas (FATA) is...