Hurdles Ahead for Japan as the APEC Chair With APEC accounting for half the world’s global economic output and 44 per cent of its trade value, Japan’s role in creating a region wide free-trade zone and developing a strategy for economic growth of the Asia Pacific is expected to be decisive for the world economy. Pranamita Baruah February 25, 2010 IDSA Comments
Afghan Factor behind moves to revive talks between India and Pakistan The resumption of India-Pakistan dialogue is closely linked with US moves in Afghanistan in the context of Obama’s publicly declared intent to begin the process of US military withdrawal from Afghanistan from 2011. P. K. Upadhyay February 25, 2010 IDSA Comments
Dutch withdrawal from Afghanistan may have cascading effects The Dutch withdrawal from Afghanistan may have cascading effects, as smaller European countries notwithstanding their importance in contribution or numerical strength, may also announce their exit citing their own national caveats in the months to come. Alok Rashmi Mukhopadhyay February 23, 2010 IDSA Comments
The Case for Mercenaries in Africa Despite the concerns surrounding the use of mercenaries, they remain an indispensable force on the African continent, so much so that they have been welcomed by governments, and grudgingly even been accepted by NGOs, international organizations and civilians. Mayank Bubna February 16, 2010 Issue Brief
The Imperative of Modernising Military Communications Systems Modernisation has been grossly inadequate in the field of command, control and communications systems that link the ‘shooters’ and ‘sensors’ together to achieve synergy through network centricity and effects-based operations. Gurmeet Kanwal February 16, 2010 IDSA Comments
Tension in the Korean Peninsula escalates again The delicately maintained peace in the Korean peninsula once again looks fragile in the wake of the war of words and exchange of artillery fire along the disputed western sea border in January 2010. Rajaram Panda February 15, 2010 IDSA Comments
Cross-LoC Confidence Building Measures between India and Pakistan: A Giant Leap or a Small Step towards Peace? The report examines the reaction of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to various cross-LoC contacts that have been initiated by India and Pakistanwhich is an important bilateral Confidence-Building Measure (CBM) between India and Pakistan. This report also analyses the problems and prospects of opening of other routes. Smruti S. Pattanaik , Arpita Anant February 12, 2010 Issue Brief
Renaissance of Russia’s Foreign Policy in 2009 Russia has considerably enhanced its international position by leveraging Western weaknesses stemming from the unwinnable war in Afghanistan and the adverse impact of the financial crisis, as well as Western dependence in dealing with Iran and North Korea. Arvind Gupta February 11, 2010 IDSA Comments
Global Warming, Environmentalism and Related Issues: The Other View The sloppy work of the IPCC in noting that Himalayan glaciers will melt by 2035 has raised many questions, with even the credibility of scientific opinion coming under doubt. P. K. Gautam February 11, 2010 IDSA Comments
US Arms Sales are propping up Pakistan as a Regional Challenger India is justified in seeing the US move to go ahead with the sale of the F-16s as an attempt to balance America’s strategic partnership with India by once again propping up Pakistan as a regional challenger. Gurmeet Kanwal February 11, 2010 IDSA Comments