IDSA Comments - MP-IDSA

Iran Enters the Space Arena

One year ago, in February 2008, Iran launched a sounding rocket into outer space to mark the opening of its first space centre. This rocket essentially belonged to the ‘category’...

Ajey Lele |
February 20, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

Maoists’ Attacks on Infrastructure

Rebels of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) have been repeatedly targeting infrastructure, which are soft targets. The targets of their attacks include telecommunication towers, Railways and power transmission centres...

P. V. Ramana |
February 20, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

A.Q. Khan’s Acquittal

Though anticipated, the timing of the Islamabad High Court’s verdict to release disgraced nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan from house arrest has surprised many, since it came days before the first...

A. Vinod Kumar |
February 20, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

Unholy alliance in North-East India

Although insurgency in several areas of the North-East region of India has declined, external manipulation and support to insurgency in Assam, the most populous State in the region, continues to...

M. Amarjeet Singh |
February 19, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

India’s Defence Budget 2009-10: An Assessment

In its interim budget for 2009-10 the Union Government has allocated Rs. 1,41,703 crores for the country’ Defence Services that include three Armed Forces (i.e., the Army, the Navy and...

Laxman Kumar Behera |
February 18, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

India and Kazakhstan: New Ways Ahead

The fourth consecutive visit of President Nursultan Nazarbayev culminated in his being the chief guest at India’s 60th Republic Day parade. This shows the increasing importance India attaches to its...

Zakir Hussain |
February 18, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

There can be no “grand bargain” with terrorism

In a report titled “President Obama’s Policy Options in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA)”, Hassan Aabbas, Fellow at the Michigan-based Institute for Policy and Understanding (ISPM), argues that the...

Arvind Gupta |
February 18, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

Enlisting Myanmar’s help in tackling North East Guerrillas

Vice President Hamid Ansari’s four-day visit to Myanmar from February 5 to 8, 2009 was significant for business matters as India and Myanmar signed agreements with regard to Tata Motors...

Namrata Goswami |
February 18, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

Pakistan’s Water Wars with India?

In a surprise move, Pakistan has once gain spawned the water issue on a political fast-track against India.

P. Stobdan |
February 13, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

Violence in Pakistan: Trend Analysis December 2008

Amidst apprehensions of a conflict between India and Pakistan after attacks on Mumbai on 26 November, as Pakistani security forces ostensibly diverted their attention from the Western to the Eastern...

Bhasha Dam: A Tomb Stone of Gilgit-Baltistan’s Aspirations

This year Pakistan is facing an acute water shortage and the shortage during the current Rabi crop is estimated to be around 35 to 40 per cent, which will adversely...

Priyanka Singh , Alok Bansal |
January 31, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

Indus Water Treaty: Zardari ups the ante on Water Issues

In an article published by Washington Post on January 28, 2009, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari hinted that Pakistan regards water as a major issue in bilateral relations with India....

Arvind Gupta |
January 30, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

Indo-US Missile Defence Cooperation: Hype or Happening?

In early January 2009, the Financial Times reported “preliminary talks” between US and India on possible sale of systems for an Indian ballistic missile defence (BMD) shield. The daily quoted...

A. Vinod Kumar |
January 30, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

Learning from the American Experience in Counter Terrorism

It has been widely noted that the US has not suffered a terrorist attack since 9/11. This is because it undertook major reform of its homeland security structures following the...

Arvind Gupta |
January 30, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

Foregrounding ‘Non-Combatant Immunity’

A fundamental principle of humanitarian law, non-combatant immunity, has been virtually consigned to history during the Bush years. To a large extent this can be considered a ‘success’ for terrorists....

Ali Ahmed |
January 30, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

Obama’s Likely Policy Towards North East Asia

Expectations are high in Japan, both in the general public and amongst the elite, after Democrat Barack Obama’s ascendancy to the American Presidency. Japan was clearly uncomfortable with Republican Bush...

Rajaram Panda |
January 29, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

Obama as Tech president: Leading the Way

Among the many monikers that Barack Obama has collected as he enters office is that of being the first "Tech President". In the days since his victory, Obama has already...

Cherian Samuel |
January 23, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

Redefining France’s Role in Afghanistan: Need for better Strategy

In a recent poll for the newspaper Le Parisien, 55 per cent of the French public expressed their disagreement with the presence of the French military in Afghanistan. A number...

Guillem Monsonis |
January 22, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

David Miliband is not Right

British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, arrived in India on his two-day visit on 13 January, barely a month and a half after the carnage in Mumbai. His visit was controversial...

Thomas Mathew |
January 22, 2009 |
IDSA Comments

Budget Utilisation and Accountability

Every year as India approaches the Budget session of Parliament, there are debates in various forums about the adequacy of Budget allocation to meet the modernization plan of the Services...

Arvind Kadyan |
January 21, 2009 |
IDSA Comments