IDR Blog
Turkey Treads a Fine Line in Syria
President Donald Trump’s December 19, 2018 decision to withdraw US troops from Syria received a euphoric response in Turkey. That was not surprising since the US military presence and support for the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing the People’s Protection Unit (YPG) has been a source of friction between Washington...
Mohammad Bin Salman (MBS) Act of Retouch in the G20 Summit
The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) attended G20 summit held in Argentina this year. He arrived in Buenos Aires after the regional tour that had taken him to his closest allies UAE, Bahrain and Egypt. The leaders of these countries expressed their firm support to MBS amid international outrage over the Khashoggi’s case. In...
World on a boil
The Planet is in turmoil. This did not start in 2018, but it worsened during the past year and without being a Bird of Bad Omen, it will continue in 2019. The 2018 Award for Chaos goes to …Donald Trump. The New York Times published an article titled “You’re Hired! You’re Fired! Yes, the Turnover at the Top of the Trump Administration Is...
In 2019 Kashmir looks for a new era of peace and tranquillity
Kashmir has, over the last few decades since the advent of terrorism and militancy, witnessed a high threshold of violence, leading to a large number of fatal casualties of both civilians and forces personnel. The year 2018 will be remembered as the year which saw the highest number of the casualties in a decade with the figure exceeding the...
In 2019, why India must remain cautious of Chinese intentions
China watchers are breathing easier; India and China are friends again. On December 21, China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in New Delhi for a four-day visit to India. During his stay in Delhi, Wang reiterated that the Chinese ‘dragon’ and Indian ‘elephant’ “should join each other in a duet, not a duel.” He...