The attacks bear all the hallmarks of al-Qaida: massive, multiple, and simultaneous assaults against soft civilian targets. Mumbai is also Indias largest city, its financial center, and its gateway to the globalized economy characteristics eerily reminiscent of New York City. The timing of the Mumbai attacks - on the night before Americans celebrate Thanksgiving - ensured that a maximum number of American families would be gathered together in living rooms equipped with large screen HDTVs. Thanksgiving Day follow-on reporting would interrupt parades and football games on a regular basis throughout the next 24 hours.

More than ever, Pakistan is at the heart of the war against radical Islam. In fact, in the past few weeks, military operations in the North West tribal areas have increased dramatically in numbers and intensity. Western officials fear the radicalization of their own citizens who travel to Pakistan to "study" Islam in the madrassas that former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf had promised to close. And finally Pakistani society is facing another growing problem: honor crimes.

Back home in the sub-continent, they say you should always stay away from the cops; their friendship as well as adversity is bad for ones health. I am reminded of the advice as the worlds chief cop, the United States, bombs its allies and friends in Pakistan. With friends like these, do you really need enemies?

After the assassination of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, her son Bilawal quoted her as saying: "Democracy is the best revenge."

AMMAN – Tensions are flaring across Pakistan just days before the election of a new president. A gunman Wednesday attempted to assassinate Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who was not hurt in the attack on his motorcade a short distance from the capital city. Trouble is also rising in the northwestern tribal region after a cross-border incursion by Afghan-based foreign forces reportedly killed a number of civilians.

AMMAN -- Pervez Musharraf took Pakistan by surprise on Monday when he unexpectedly announced his resignation as president, effectively making history as the first leader in the country to voluntarily step down, albeit under tremendous pressure to do so.

AMMAN – Pakistans coalition government says it will launch proceedings to impeach the highly unpopular president, Pervez Musharraf, on mismanagement charges; but the former general will not leave without a fight that could drag the nuclear-armed country into new realms of uncertainty.

"The only way that Pakistan is going to be able to fight terrorism effectively is to have a legitimate, democratically-elected, secular government that can rally the Pakistani people to engage al-Qaida, the Taliban, and other extremist movements." These were the words of Bruce Riedel, a regional expert who served in both the Bush senior and Clinton administrations, last December.