Pakistan: Dynamics of Failing State Theory

All scenarios and options painted by these analysts only focus on the dominant Punjabi elites –largely available in the JMC, at the cost of provincial stability. Unwittingly, they all believe (dangerously) that military is the only option to ensure relative stability in Pakistan where the democratic parties are too divided and defunct to steer Pakistan.

Bangladesh’s Tahrir Moment

The Bangladesh experiment with democracy has added to this unwitting rise of fundamental Islam. Both the leading political parties are unable to win election on their own and need support of various coalition partners who are largely fundamental Islamists. The system thus provides ideal fodder for al Qaeda to spread its wings in the region.

Perceptions: A General Responds

If India is exploiting whatever I am saying, should that fear keep me silent? They will always exploit everything. But covering up and pretending that we are great, will not make us great. Standing up to truth can only put our house in order. And are we to shrivel up, only so that we can please the onlookers?! If the world is saying, “Look Pakistan is such an irresponsible state, how can we allow them to remain a nuclear power”, well, they are not too far from the mark. And they are not stupid that they needed to wait for my declaration to come to this conclusion. It is written all across our forehead. Aren’t we already labelled as a ‘state sponsoring terrorism’?

There is No Endgame in Afghanistan

Vinod Saighal  The subject has become centre stage primarily because the USA has made clear its intention to pull out from Afghanistan. The countries that would view it as a positive development would be Pakistan and China along with Saudi Arabia and the UAE that were major backers of the Taliban prior to 2001. However, the latter countries might no longer be as sure [...]

Book Review: Terror and Consent

The world of Bobbit in 2008 was a lot different from the one we are witnessing today. The events in the Islamic landscape of the world call for greater insights in dealing with the terror emanating out of the tunnels of Islamic against the market states. It definitely requires better international cooperation on laws, seamless and vibrant response mechanism and militaries capable of fighting hybrid wars.

Syrian Spring Rolls Over

India’s vote in favour of the west also antagonizes Russia. In the choice between the West and the rest, India has chosen pragmatism over principles. China and Russia are noticing these repeated Indian efforts to protect its short term economic goals and efforts to shore up support for the UNSC with concern. By siding with the West we have opened up another vista in playing balancing games between US and SCO.

Obama’s Kashmir lesson

It is true that any solution to Kashmir problem has to come out of an agreement between New Delhi and Islamabad albeit with the representation of views of people of Jammu and Kashmir, but to garner support at public level in both India and Pakistan for a formidable solution is the duty of these leaders who see more towards the world powers than to the real constituencies in the South Asia.

Harrowing Times for Indian Diplomacy

One minor blast in a country which has witnessed a series of violent terrorist attacks, blasts and mayhem has sent the country on a tizzy and brought it to the centre of the raging conflict between Israel, duly supported by the west, and Iran. If anything, the attack on the Israel diplomatic car denotes the fragility of India to terror manipulations severely restricting its ability to chose a pragmatic diplomatic path.

Preponing Afghanistan to 2013: Cause and Effect

Defence Secretary Panetta’s airborne disclosure of a 2013 winding down of combat operations in Afghanistan, one year ahead of schedule, has baffled political and military analysts world over. While it appears to be a political judgement in the election year, it has much wider ramifications for the region.

President Obama’s National Defense Guidance: Forward to the Past

Long War Journal (Editor’s Note: This is the way US intends fighting wars of the future. We had put this strategy in context in our earlier post Obama’s New Defence Strategy and Asia. The guidelines add to some clarity and we shall look forward to the nuts and bolts of these guidelines in February 2012 [...]

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