New Pakistani Army Chief Is Nobody’s Pawn

President Pervez Musharraf chose his successor as army chief for his loyalty, but observers say Ashfaq Kayani wants to excise politics from Pakistan's military and focus on security challenges, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Though military secretary under Musharraf rival Benazir Bhutto, Kayani is seen by one retired honcho as untarnished: "Kayani has no baggage, he's starting with a clean slate."

The military looms large in Pakistan's history, army chiefs deposing the civilian rulers who appointed them on three occasions. But analysts say it's unlikely opponents can tempt Kayani—and with him, the army—into the political fray, citing an Islamist insurgency whose blasts, long confined to outer provinces, now regularly rock major cities. "Kayani can't afford to toe anyone's line unconditionally," an observer says. (More Pakistan stories.)