Islamization versus Talibanization: Is Pakistan Drifting Towards ‘Lebanonization’? The February 2009 Swat deal between the Taliban and the Pakistan Government, the current Pakistani Army offensive against Taliban strongholds in various areas of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), and the Talibani response to those operations through terror attacks in various Pakistani cities, sharply underline the clear and present threat to Pakistan. P. K. Upadhyay November 2009 Strategic Analysis
A Year after 26/11: Soft Responses of a Reluctant State Why are the two largest democracies – India and the United States – starkly different when it comes to tackling terrorism? The answer to this perplexing question could lie in the two countries' divergent approach to security and management of national security resources. Equally relevant is the variance in their political resoluteness in exercising suitable responses to emergent threats. A. Vinod Kumar November 2009 Strategic Analysis
Climate Summit at Copenhagen: Negotiating the Intractable Climate change is hugely challenging. But there is an unmistakable straightforwardness to it – reduce emissions to reduce global warming. In many ways, this reflects the sum total of the paradoxes that define our reality and the contradictions and hypocrisy of coping and dealing with it. Climate change raises all the right concerns from effectively all the right quarters. But concerns require actions and that is where the debate starts, the positions get entrenched and more often than not words and gestures become hollow and empty. Uttam Kumar Sinha November 2009 Strategic Analysis
East Asian Regionalism Vs Asian Regionalism The appropriate option for the Hatoyama government would be to take incremental steps aimed at building greater confidence and trust amongst Asian nations across a number of policy fronts rather than indulge in advancing grand ideas which appear at the moment unachievable. Rajaram Panda October 31, 2009 IDSA Comments
The new government in Berlin On the eve of the formation of the new government it is expected that Germany would mainly devote its energy at home as the mandate is for continuity in the time of economic recession. No spectacular point-of-departure in foreign policy can hence be expected from Berlin. Alok Rashmi Mukhopadhyay October 31, 2009 IDSA Comments
Controversy over Relocating Futenma base The Futenma issue is therefore unlikely to be allowed to derail the decades-old alliance relationship, irrespective of the fact that there is now a government in Japan headed by the DPJ, which was in the opposition since World War II. Rajaram Panda October 31, 2009 IDSA Comments
Leading the way – Exercise Yudh Abhyas India's relationship with the United States has been a subject of debate and discussion. Both nations despite being large and stable democracies have had a contentious relationship demonstrating that shared value systems has not always been an insurance for building friendly relations. Arvind Dutta October 29, 2009 IDSA Comments
Japan’s quest for East Asian Community Japan is seeking to forge an East Asian Community inline with the European Union. But the optimism that East Asia will realize the goal of European Union (EU) type integration does not seem realistic since historical issues still impede normal diplomatic relations. Shamshad A. Khan October 28, 2009 IDSA Comments
India-Pakistan Conflict Outcome Probability The Prime Minister in his address to the Combined Commanders conference of the armed forces exhorted the Services to remain alert, due to the unfolding situation in Pakistan. The armed forces would be monitoring the situation closely, because preparedness is a professional obligation and a matter of pride. Thus, if another 26/11 were to occur India’s military options would need to be considered. This commentary reinforces arguments against war as an ‘option’ by looking at the probability of breakdown in deterrence in the event of an India-Pakistan conflict. Ali Ahmed October 27, 2009 IDSA Comments
Severing the Hawala Trail to and from India Terror groups need money for procuring weapons, ammunitions, material, communication equipment, recruiting, conducting information operations, housing, and paying compensation to active members and their dependents. Terror organizations utilize a number of sources to fund their operations such as charities, extortion from local traders, forest produce, narcotics, kidnapping-ransom, extortion from NGOs and aid organisations. So where does Hawala figure in the above matrix. Hawala largely acts as the mover of funds than source of funding. Dushyant Singh October 2009 Journal of Defence Studies
