The Insider Brief » Admin http://www.pakintel.com An insider's view to Pakistan through critical intelligence, analysis and commentary. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:17:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 The Insider Brief in Print and on Twitter http://www.pakintel.com/2010/01/07/the-insider-brief-in-print-and-on-twitter/ http://www.pakintel.com/2010/01/07/the-insider-brief-in-print-and-on-twitter/#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:12:53 +0000 Shaan Akbar http://www.pakintel.com/2010/01/07/the-insider-brief-in-print-and-on-twitter/ My post, “(Geopolitical) Reality Bites,” was published in Friday’s edition (01/08/10) of The Daily Times — a leading Pakistani English-language newspaper.  You can find the editorial here.

You can also now find the Insider Brief on Twitter.  You’ll find tweets covering a range of topics from notable publications to some of the latest chatter from our exclusive Insider Brief sources.  One of my tweets even found its way into a recent blog post by Canadian rocker/activist Matt Good.  I promise to try and keep it pithy and interesting.  (Once I have a moment to upgrade my WordPress software, I’ll have a live Twitter feed on the I.B. front page too.)

Lastly, as we kick off 2010, I’d like to extend my thanks to all Insider Brief visitors for your readership and continued support.

]]> http://www.pakintel.com/2010/01/07/the-insider-brief-in-print-and-on-twitter/feed/ 1 Happy Independence Day http://www.pakintel.com/2009/08/14/happy-independence-day-2/ http://www.pakintel.com/2009/08/14/happy-independence-day-2/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:40:16 +0000 Shaan Akbar http://www.pakintel.com/2009/08/14/happy-independence-day-2/

]]> http://www.pakintel.com/2009/08/14/happy-independence-day-2/feed/ 0 Happy Independence Day http://www.pakintel.com/2008/08/14/happy-independence-day/ http://www.pakintel.com/2008/08/14/happy-independence-day/#comments Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:28:55 +0000 Shaan Akbar http://www.pakintel.com/2008/08/14/happy-independence-day/ From the Insider Brief to Pakistanis everywhere: happy independence day!

As the nation celebrates its 61st year of existence, we hope for a brighter future for Pakistan and its people. May each passing year bring us all closer to realizing a more prosperous and progressive Pakistan.

Pakistan Paindabad.

]]> http://www.pakintel.com/2008/08/14/happy-independence-day/feed/ 2 The Insider Brief on the Radio http://www.pakintel.com/2008/05/05/the-insider-brief-on-the-radio/ http://www.pakintel.com/2008/05/05/the-insider-brief-on-the-radio/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 05:51:50 +0000 Shaan Akbar http://www.pakintel.com/2008/05/05/the-insider-brief-on-the-radio/ We at the Insider Brief would like to thank all of our readers for your patience during our brief hiatus. To make up for our absence, we’ll be introducing some new features and guest contributors in the coming weeks. In the meanwhile, expect some new posts as we attempt to make sense of the events unfolding in Pakistan.

Radio: The John Batchelor Show
Earlier tonight, I appeared on the John Batchelor Show to discuss the continued volatility in Pakistan’s northwest, the assassination attempt on Hamid Karzai, as well as Senator Barack Obama new conciliatory tone towards Pakistan.

John’s show airs on Sundays, WABC 770AM in New York from 7-10pm EST (webcast), and KFI 640AM in Los Angeles from 7-10pm PST (webcast).

]]> http://www.pakintel.com/2008/05/05/the-insider-brief-on-the-radio/feed/ 6 The Insider Brief in Print http://www.pakintel.com/2008/02/22/the-insider-brief-in-print/ http://www.pakintel.com/2008/02/22/the-insider-brief-in-print/#comments Fri, 22 Feb 2008 05:11:09 +0000 Shaan Akbar http://www.pakintel.com/2008/02/22/the-insider-brief-in-print/ Today, my post “Democracy is Not the Answer,” was published in the Opinion section of The News International, Pakistan’s second largest English language newspaper.  You can find the published article here.

]]> http://www.pakintel.com/2008/02/22/the-insider-brief-in-print/feed/ 2 Happy New Year http://www.pakintel.com/2008/01/01/happy-new-year/ http://www.pakintel.com/2008/01/01/happy-new-year/#comments Wed, 02 Jan 2008 04:08:00 +0000 Shaan Akbar http://www.pakintel.com/2008/01/01/happy-new-year/ From the Insider Brief to all our readers:  happy new year!  May the coming year bring better tidings for Pakistan and its people.  Here’s to new hopes, new beginnings and a new year.

]]> http://www.pakintel.com/2008/01/01/happy-new-year/feed/ 1 The Insider Brief on Television and the Radio http://www.pakintel.com/2007/12/31/the-insider-brief-on-television-and-the-radio/ http://www.pakintel.com/2007/12/31/the-insider-brief-on-television-and-the-radio/#comments Mon, 31 Dec 2007 06:37:55 +0000 Shaan Akbar http://www.pakintel.com/2007/12/31/the-insider-brief-on-television-and-the-radio/ From here at the Insider Brief, we’d like to thank all our readers for this blog’s continued success. In addition to the multitudes of web mentions (e.g. Matthew Good), we recently found ourselves speaking about Thursday’s tragic events on both TV and the radio.

TV: Fox News Channel
On Thursday morning, I made an appearance on Fox News Channel discussing Benazir Bhutto’s assassination and the situation in Pakistan when rioting and violence had just began to erupt in the streets. Click on the thumbnails below for larger screenshots; transcript and video footage to follow when available.

Radio: The John Batchelor Show
Tonight, I appeared on the John Batchelor Show (my favorite) discussing American media coverage of Bhutto’s assassination. My appearance was preceded by that of Najam Sethi, editor of the Daily Times.

John’s show airs on Sundays, WABC 770AM in New York from 7-10pm EST (webcast), and KFI 640AM in Los Angeles from 7-10pm PST (webcast).

]]> http://www.pakintel.com/2007/12/31/the-insider-brief-on-television-and-the-radio/feed/ 0 Happy Holidays http://www.pakintel.com/2007/12/21/happy-holidays/ http://www.pakintel.com/2007/12/21/happy-holidays/#comments Fri, 21 Dec 2007 20:39:03 +0000 Shaan Akbar http://www.pakintel.com/2007/12/21/happy-holidays/ I’m still alive for those of you wondering.

Apologies to all IB readers for my long absence, I know there has been a lot going on and there is a lot to say about it all. Unfortunately, jihadists, generals and judicial activists don’t take a break when my schedule heats up.  Expect plenty of posts next week!

Happy holidays to all of you and your loved ones.

]]> http://www.pakintel.com/2007/12/21/happy-holidays/feed/ 3 The Insider Brief in the News, on the Web and on the Radio http://www.pakintel.com/2007/12/03/the-insider-brief-in-the-news-on-the-web-and-on-the-radio/ http://www.pakintel.com/2007/12/03/the-insider-brief-in-the-news-on-the-web-and-on-the-radio/#comments Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:02:03 +0000 Shaan Akbar http://www.pakintel.com/2007/12/03/the-insider-brief-in-the-news-on-the-web-and-on-the-radio/ We’d like to thank all our readers for making this blog as successful as it is. Your readership and support has earned the Insider Brief exposure and recognition in multiple venues -

The News: Reuters
With Gen. Ashfaq Kayani’s ascendancy to the role of Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Reuters published an article on Nov. 28th titled, “Five Facts on Pakistan’s New Army Chief – Kayani,” in which they cited the Insider Brief.

On the Web: Watandost
In his latest blog post entitled, “Three New Excellent Blogs on Pakistan,” Hassan Abbas of Watandost recommended three Pakistan-focused blogs to his readers, one of which happened to be the Insider Brief. A published author and former Pakistani government official, Abbas is also a Research Fellow at the Belfer Center’s Project on Managing the Atom and International Security Program. His recognition, like that of the PCR Project, means a lot to us.

On the Radio: The John Batchelor Show
Last night, I appeared on the John Batchelor Show to discuss the rise of Gen. Ashfaq Kayani and President Musharraf’s future. You can listen to my conversation with John by using the player below.

Download audio file (wabc-interview-20071202-pakintel.mp3)
(Download file)

John’s show airs on Sundays, WABC 770AM in New York from 7-10pm EST (webcast), and KFI 640AM in Los Angeles from 7-10pm PST (webcast).

]]> http://www.pakintel.com/2007/12/03/the-insider-brief-in-the-news-on-the-web-and-on-the-radio/feed/ 2 PCR Project’s Blog of the Week http://www.pakintel.com/2007/11/22/pcr-projects-blog-of-the-week/ http://www.pakintel.com/2007/11/22/pcr-projects-blog-of-the-week/#comments Thu, 22 Nov 2007 20:50:17 +0000 Shaan Akbar http://www.pakintel.com/2007/11/22/pcr-projects-blog-of-the-week/ The Insider Brief was PCR Project’s blog of the week for our latest post on the state of emergency in Pakistan.

A 7-year old initiative of the Washington-based think-tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the PCR (Post Conflict Resolution) Project develops strategies to speed, enhance, and strengthen international conflict response. They’ve done some great, in-depth coverage on Pakistan-related issues, including a report they put out in August entitled, “A Perilous Course: U.S. Strategy and Assistance to Pakistan.”

Happy Thanksgiving.

]]> http://www.pakintel.com/2007/11/22/pcr-projects-blog-of-the-week/feed/ 2 Introducing: Lt. Gen. Shahid Aziz http://www.pakintel.com/2007/11/11/introducing-lt-gen-shahid-aziz/ http://www.pakintel.com/2007/11/11/introducing-lt-gen-shahid-aziz/#comments Mon, 12 Nov 2007 01:18:53 +0000 Shaan Akbar http://www.pakintel.com/2007/11/11/introducing-lt-gen-shahid-aziz/ Tonight, I have the pleasure of introducing the Insider Brief’s very first guest: Lieutenant General Shahid Aziz.

A retired general of the Pakistan Army, he has had an extraordinary military career that gave him a front row seat to some of Pakistan’s most pivotal events over the past decade, culminating in his role as Lahore Corps Commander. Out of uniform, he continued to serve the public as the Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), a post he left earlier this year. (Read his detailed biography here.)

In a recent exchange with Gen. Aziz, I mentioned American willingness to throw financial and military resources at the US presence in Afghanistan to “finish the job.” Later tonight, he will be posting his response to that comment, the first in a continuous series of posts from notable Pakistanis on the Insider Brief.

]]> http://www.pakintel.com/2007/11/11/introducing-lt-gen-shahid-aziz/feed/ 3 Radio Appearance: The John Batchelor Show http://www.pakintel.com/2007/11/05/radio-appearance-the-john-batchelor-show/ http://www.pakintel.com/2007/11/05/radio-appearance-the-john-batchelor-show/#comments Mon, 05 Nov 2007 05:11:28 +0000 Shaan Akbar http://www.pakintel.com/2007/11/05/radio-appearance-the-john-batchelor-show/ Earlier tonight, I had the privilege of appearing on the John Batchelor Show to discuss the imposition of emergency rule in Pakistan and its repercussions. You can listen to my conversation with John by using the player below.

Download audio file (wabc-interview-20071104-pakintel.mp3)
(Download file)

John’s show appears on Sundays, WABC 770AM in New York from 7-10pm EST (webcast), and KFI 640AM in Los Angeles from 7-10pm PST (webcast).

]]> http://www.pakintel.com/2007/11/05/radio-appearance-the-john-batchelor-show/feed/ 1 Introducing: The Insider Brief http://www.pakintel.com/2007/10/27/introducing-the-insider-brief-pakintelcom/ http://www.pakintel.com/2007/10/27/introducing-the-insider-brief-pakintelcom/#comments Sun, 28 Oct 2007 01:23:34 +0000 Shaan Akbar http://www.pakintel.com/2007/10/27/introducing-the-insider-brief-pakintelcom/ Pakistan is a country of extremes.

It’s a nation whose strong, nuclear-armed military is capable of deterring a giant neighbor to its east yet is unable to establish control within its own borders. The country’s economy and stock markets rank among the world’s best performing, yet to many onlookers, Pakistan is a failed state. It is home to some of the world’s leading thinkers – and to some of the world’s most notorious terrorists. It is a nation that went from being ruled by an iron fisted, Islamist general one moment to the very next by a liberal, democratically elected woman.

This all translates into one constant: Pakistan is unpredictable.

The Insider Brief will seek to demystify Pakistan and unwind that unpredictability by providing critical intelligence, analysis and commentary through the lens of an insider. The goal is to ultimately enable policy makers and Pakistan-watchers alike, to make better informed decisions about a nation that is fast proving to be vital to regional and global security.

In the coming weeks and months, you will witness increased activity on the blog with an expansion in the scope of our analyses and new contributors representing policy makers, intellectuals and commentators.

We will continue to provide you the same accurate, timely intelligence that we have been over the course of the past few months. To those readers who are new to IB, we welcome you to look back to our prior posts to see what we mean by “intelligence.”

We’re proud in our ability to keep our readers informed. We’ve kept you updated with the status of closed-door negotiations between Benazir Bhutto and Pervez Musharraf. We told you in advance who the new ISI chief and Vice Chief of Army Staff would be along with when the announcements would be made. We brought you exclusive photos of the reclusive general likely to be Musharraf’s successor and even told you his golf handicap.

If the last few weeks have been any indicator, things in Pakistan are bound to heat up. Stay tuned and stay informed.

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