Spotlights
Are We Prepared Against Hybrid Threats
By: Brig Anil Gupta | Issue: Net Edition | Date: 02 Dec , 2016
Samba, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Pampore, Uri, Macchail , about 200 ceasefire violations targeting civilians and now Nagrota, the list is endless and increasing. After every incident strong statements...
Barbarism is Not a Tactical or Strategic Escalation Ladder
By: Prateek Kapil | Issue: Courtesy: CLAWS | Date: 30 Nov , 2016
“To know only one thing well is to have a barbaric mind: civilization implies the graceful relation of all varieties of experience to a central human system of thought.” ― Robert Graves It...
In Context: Pakistan's New Army Chief Gen Bajwa
By: Rana Banerji | Issue: Courtesy: IPCS | Date: 29 Nov , 2016
Speculation over the appointment of Pakistan’s 16th Army Chief ended on 26 November 2016 when a comparative `dark horse’, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, was declared, with much media fanfare, as the...
Heart of Asia Conference in Amritsar: Opportunity or Exercise in Futility?
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 28 Nov , 2016
The SAARC summit scheduled in Islamabad in November 2016 was shunned by all SAARC countries forcing Pakistan to sheepishly ‘postpone’ the meet but blame India for ‘influencing’ other member...
CPEC: Corridor of Discontent
By: Dr Priyanka Singh | Issue: Courtesy: IDSA | Date: 27 Nov , 2016
The flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative – the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), has been seen as a ‘game changer’ in the regional geopolitical discourse since its formal...
Asian Security’s Complex Strategic Quadrilateral
By: Dr Subhash Kapila | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Analysis Group | Date: 26 Nov , 2016
Asian security in 2016 stands dominated by the geopolitical dynamics that are at play in the complex ‘Strategic Quadrilateral’ comprising the United States, China, Japan and India. Of the...
Kashmir 1947-48: The First Round
By: Air Chief Marshal P C Lal | Issue: Book Excerpt: My Years with the I.A.F. | Date: 25 Nov , 2016
A part from the British Raj in India, there were 565 princely States varying in size from a few square miles to a few thousand square miles. They were ruled, or misruled, by petty chieftains or...
India-Nepal Relations
By: Sumit Kumar | Issue: Courtesy: CLAWS | Date: 24 Nov , 2016
President Pranab Mukherjee’s three day visit to Nepal in November 2016 was historic. He became the first Indian President in the last 18 years to visit Nepal. Nepalese President Bidhya Devi...
China's Af-Pak Gameplans: Signals to incoming US Administration?
By: Lt Gen Prakash Katoch | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 23 Nov , 2016
China’s President Xi Jinping is seeking an early meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump. In his congratulatory message to Trump, Xi mentioned China’s keenness to move forward on a ‘new...
Demonetisation and Beyond: Addressing the Finance of Terrorism
By: Col Vivek Chadha (Retd.) | Issue: Courtesy: IDSA | Date: 22 Nov , 2016
The impact of the demonetisation policy as related to curbing the finance of terrorism announced on November 08, 2016, is gradually emerging from the shadow of its surprise announcement. It is...
'Hot' visit in Ulaanbaatar: Why China is again upset?
By: Claude Arpi | Issue: Courtesy: http://claudearpi.blogspot.in/ | Date: 21 Nov , 2016
Simply because the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan religious leader, has been invited for a four-day visit to Mongolia. According to China Radio International (CRI), Beijing has strongly urged Mongolia...
The King of Guns Will Soon Be Home
By: Debalina Chatterjee | Issue: Courtesy: CLAWS | Date: 20 Nov , 2016
In mid-November 2016, the much delayed M-777A2 Ultra-Light Howitzers (ULH) also known as the “Triple Seven” has been approved for purchase by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC). India...
East Pakistan: The Problem
By: Maj Gen Sukhwant Singh | Issue: Book Excerpt: India's War since Independence | Date: 19 Nov , 2016
Undoubtedly India’s national interest lay in having a friendly regime in neighbouring East Pakistan as the economic and cultural affinities of the two Bengals were linked indivisibly. Part of...
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar: A New Sinister Factor in the Afghan Imbroglio
By: Amitava Mukherjee | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 18 Nov , 2016
The peace agreement between the Ashraf Ghani government of Afghanistan and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar may further obfuscate the already confused Afghan scenario. There are reasons behind the suspicion...
It pays to be tough with China
By: Claude Arpi | Issue: Courtesy: http://claudearpi.blogspot.in/ | Date: 17 Nov , 2016
The change in Chinese maps began with the objective to protect a new road linking Tibet to Xinjiang in Aksai Chin area in the mid-1950s. Interesting news has been coming in from the high plateau...
Devised Leadership Crisis in Taliban: Takeover by Haqqanies
By: Shreyas Deshmukh | Issue: Courtesy: CLAWS | Date: 16 Nov , 2016
Since American offensive started in Afghanistan against Taliban regime in 2001, the entity remained homogeneous without any serious fractionalisation in exile till June 18, 2013 when Taliban...
India May gain a lot from the Trump Presidency
By: Brig Anil Gupta | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 15 Nov , 2016
The almost two-year-long process to elect the 45th President of the United States (POTUS) came to a dramatic end on 9/11. September 11 2001(popularly known as 9/11) is synonymous with the date...
Dealing With Pakistan
By: Ashok Sajjanhar | Issue: Courtesy: www.swarajyamag.com | Date: 14 Nov , 2016
The most formidable challenge confronting Pakistan since its birth 70 years ago is its failure to carve out an identity for itself. It has hence tried to define itself in being anti-Indian in most...
Saudi Arabia’s Yemen Conundrum: No End in Sight
By: Md. Muddassir Quamar | Issue: Courtesy: IDSA | Date: 12 Nov , 2016
One and a half years after it began a military intervention in Yemen, Saudi Arabia has not achieved any significant gains. The war in Yemen is proving to be costly for the Saudi economy which if...
India Needs to Project itself as a Responsible and Muscular Power
By: Dr Sudhanshu Tripathi | Issue: Courtesy: South Asia Monitor | Date: 11 Nov , 2016
Though foreign policy of any country happens to be a well-planned, consistent, predetermined and calculated statement of its goals and objectives and their priorities and also about the...