Publication Filter

Wars by Pakistan, by Vikram Munshi

The Pakistan-India relationship has been marked by both peaks and troughs, and scepticism and suspicion of each other’s motives has never been far behind. The two states were one till independence and, more importantly, the two armed forces were one. They had fought wars together before they fought wars with each other.

Afghan Endgames: Strategy and Policy Choices for America’s Longest War, edited by Hy Rothstein and John Arquilla, New Delhi: Foundation Books, 2013, pp. 244, INR 895

This book has been published at a critical juncture: the United States (US) and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies are preparing to wind up their combat mission in Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and are engaged in charting out the best possible exit strategy. The US and its NATO allies, along with regional nations around Afghanistan, are deliberating over the best possible way to deal with the Afghan situation after 2014.

Reviewing Defence Offset Guidelines: A Recap

The Guidelines of 2012 have been under review for some time. While a drastic shift in the policy is unlikely, some changes in the policy, clarity about some of the existing provisions and simplification of the procedure seem necessary to make the policy work better.

Saga of Chemical Weapons in Syrian Civil War

23 July 2012 was an important landmark in the Syrian conflict as on that date the Syrian Government officially acknowledged possessing chemical weapons. However, the spokesperson, Jihad Mikdassi, said that… Continue reading Saga of Chemical Weapons in Syrian Civil War

Zaki Zaidi
July-December 2014
CBW Magazine

Iraq crisis: Lessons for India

Given India’s vulnerability to a rise in global crude oil prices as a result of its 75-80 per cent of its crude import dependency, the Iraq crisis could widen its current account deficit, while putting pressure on exchange rate, impeding government’s fiscal consolidation goal and putting off any nudge on interest rates by the Reserve Bank of India.

China’s Maritime Silk Route: Implications for India

China’s announcement of a 10 billion Yuan ($1.6 billion) fund to finance the “maritime silk road plan” is a clear sign that it is serious about moving ahead with its stated plans. For India, it is instructive that the sales pitch of shared economic gains does not conceal the MSR’s real purpose: ensuring the security of sea lines of communications (SLOCs) in the Indian and Pacific oceans.

Ebola Threat: Global Challenge and India’s Preparedness

Ebola virus has been spreading exponentially. As of October 23, 2014, the total number of confirmed, probable, and suspected cases of Ebola infection stood at 10,141 including 4,922 reported deaths.1… Continue reading Ebola Threat: Global Challenge and India’s Preparedness

Reshmi Kazi
July-December 2014
CBW Magazine

Distortions in the Discourse on Modernization of Armed Forces

The strategic discourse on defence and security matters in India revolves around familiar themes and sub-themes, ranging from larger issues such as the absence of a clearly articulated national security policy to somewhat fractious issues such as the higher defence management, civil-military relations and modernization of the armed forces.

Egypt under Sisi: The Troubled Transition Continues

The aspirations of the youth who protested at the Tahrir Square, the next course of action for the Muslim Brotherhood, the participation of other Islamists in the forthcoming elections and the role of military in the Sisi regime are some of the important issues which need to be resolved for the stability of the country.

Twists and Turns in Zimbabwe’s Succession Debate

The succession debate has haunted the ZANU PF right from its foundation in the 1950s. Given the fact that the leader of the party is well into his 90s, and oldage ailments are fast catching up with him, factionalism within the party has been the order of the day.