More Equal than others in Death

By Tazeen Javed In the wake of the cross-border Nato attack in November that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in Salala, the whole country was up in arms against the aggression of the allied forces. From the political parties to lawyers associations, from banned militant outfits to student organisations, from the head of the armed forces [...]

Gaddafi, Arabs and the West

The Arab uprisings are beyond the control of Western Military intervention. They need proactive diplomacy.

The UN needs to take lead to resolve these uprisings rather than open other fronts of war which would submerge a major portion of humanity in a West versus Islamist struggle.

Kashmir – A Way Ahead

All seems to be quiet in Kashmir for the time being and there are political voices emanating from the Home Ministry that a political solution to the imboglio in Kashmir is in sight. The separatists deny any such initiative. It is in these relatively quieter times that India needs to once again revisit the earlier [...]

NATO Realigns

Group Profile Portugal Summit Redefining Threats NATO leaders on Friday adopted a new Strategic Concept that will serve as the alliance’s roadmap for the next 10 years and that reconfirms the commitment to defend one another against attack as the bedrock of Euro-Atlantic security. The document lays out NATO’s vision for an evolving alliance that will remain [...]

US Mid Term Elections and South Asia

The mid term elections in US have ominous portents for Obama ranging from the domestic to foreign policy issues. This post attempts at unraveling some of the the thoughts being proposed and debated by think tanks across the globe. The domestic issues are for US to take a call om. The real danger is from “New” ideas of military expansionism in South Asia.

India’s Options in Afghanistan

The Indian options therefore remain centered around active public diplomacy to engage Kayani, Karzai and Obama – not necessarily in that order.

US – Pakistan Spat and Prognosis

An interesting article in Foreign Policy asks, in view of the recent US Pakistan spat, as to what does Obama want from Pakistan? . It reinforces the view that with a remote controlled civil government at its disposal, Pakistan Army is ruling the roost in Pakistan to the detriment of US war efforts. Their ultimate aim [...]

Kashmir or Security Council – Obama’s Visit

For the U.S., reducing and resolving the India-Pakistan Cold War before it goes hot is critical to stability in South Asia, isolating the jihadi extremists and preventing a war in South Asia that could go nuclear. Riedel The recent spate of Kinetic activities indicate growing restless of America in resolving Af Pak or should we [...]

Pakistan’s Viability – The Bellagio Papers, Part 2

Amongst wide ranging opinions in the papers swaying between optimism and pessimism the authors of the papers unanimously agree that Pakistan as a country has five to seven years to get a grip on managing its internal fault lines. It has to shed its image of “epicentre of terror” and manage to survive without using terror as a strategic hedge to meet it’s ill perceived National Interests. Should it fail to do so, despite best attempts of its friends, it may very well balkanise sooner than later.

Pakistan’s Viability – The Bellagio Papers

Pakistan today needs independence from its feudal political structure, economic justice, a secular social contract, a viable education system, communication infrastructure and everything else that a society needs except terror and export of terror. This is a struggle that Pakistan needs to own and define. The future of militancy, sectarian violence and radical extremism will depend much on the government structures being able to define the problems it is up against, and the willingness to change these underlying problems. USA, China and India will remain in their places to guard their own national interests in the long run

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