Comment & Briefs

Increased security cooperation and the potential for cooperation in the Middle East peace process are likely to be the key areas of discussion during the impending visit of King Abdullah to India.

Will the Pakistani civilian leadership cease to placate the Islamist forces for their own electoral gain? Will the Army rein in the jihadis it has been using to retain “strategic depth” in Afghanistan?

Naga leaders have alleged that Naga villages have been merged with non-Naga areas to form the new districts and that the Manipur Government did not consult all stake holders including the Hill Area Committees before taking the decision.

In respect of trade and commerce, some uncertainties are looming over both US-German relations and US-EU relations.

The basic challenge for defence economists is to demonstrate that there are other feasible ways of skinning the cat during budget formulation. But the challenge is also inextricably linked with the need for rationalisation of defence expenditure.

From all angles – political, economic, diplomatic and military – India is in a position to meet the SLAF’s potential combat aircraft requirements.

North Korea has blatantly breached the chemical weapons ‘red line’ in the killing of the half-brother of Kim Jong-un in Kuala Lumpur on February 13.

Clarity, firmness and sticking to the positive territory of the relations have to be essential elements in India’s approach towards Taiwan.

Russia’s efforts to differentiate between the Islamic State and Taliban are a mistake given that both groups share a similar ideology, albeit with slight variations.

Bangladesh may be able to manage the Rohingya refugee problem only as a short-term expedient, albeit with considerable economic implications.