IDSA Comments - MP-IDSA

Understanding the Economics of Defence Procurement

“It’s about time that the bureaucrats in the MOD and the military leadership in the Service Headquarters opted not only to do ‘the right things’ but also to do ‘the...

N. Neihsial |
January 25, 2008 |
IDSA Comments

Beyond the Arab-Iranian Divide in the Gulf

In an interesting development, the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) invited Iran for the first time last month to attend its summit meeting held in Doha. The GCC was established in...

M. Mahtab Alam Rizvi |
January 23, 2008 |
IDSA Comments

South Korea under Lee Myung-bak

The 17th South Korean Presidential elections were concluded on December 19, 2007. The last serving President Roh Moo-hyun could not contest these elections as he had completed two terms in...

Gunjan Singh |
January 22, 2008 |
IDSA Comments

Chinese Cyber War

In 2007 Chinese hackers gained notoriety in the US after a series of cyber intrusions, including one involving Pentagon systems. Though China denies involvement and the US is reluctant to...

Hayoun Ryou |
January 22, 2008 |
IDSA Comments

Looking Beyond Nuclear Weapons

The year 2008 started with oil prices touching a historic high of US $100 a barrel. This is partly a reflection of the high demand for energy. Today, many countries...

Ajey Lele |
January 15, 2008 |
IDSA Comments

India’s Border in the Northeast: From Buffer to Bridge

There has been a qualitative shift in recent years in the way policy makers perceive borders and border areas. Borders are increasingly being seen as facilitators of easy circulation of...

Pushpita Das |
January 14, 2008 |
IDSA Comments

Uttar Pradesh Emerging as a Terror Hub

Uttar Pradesh is emerging as a terror hub in the country. The January 1 attack on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in Rampur by four militants belonging to...

T. Khurshchev Singh |
January 10, 2008 |
IDSA Comments

Private Sector Participation in Indian Defence Industry

India opened up its defence industry to the private sector in May 2001, in a move to enhance the country’s ‘defence preparedness’. To give further impetus to this policy, the...

Laxman Kumar Behera |
January 08, 2008 |
IDSA Comments

Benazir’s Death and Pakistan’s Democratic Future

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto on December 27, 2007 at an election rally in Rawalpindi raises serious doubts about Pakistan’s peaceful political transition to an era of democratic politics. Eight...

Smruti S. Pattanaik |
January 03, 2008 |
IDSA Comments

America’s Pakistan Policy in Disarray

While the assassination of Benazir Bhutto has worsened the political turmoil in Pakistan, it has also left in disarray the US policy of attempting to nudge this crucial ally towards...

Shanthie Mariet D'Souza |
January 02, 2008 |
IDSA Comments

Whose Arctic is it anyway?

2007 will be remembered as the year of climate change and high oil prices. Starting with the first of the four reports of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),...

Priyadarshini Singh |
January 01, 2008 |
IDSA Comments

Rising Cost of the Global War on Terror

The Global War on Terror (GWOT), now into its sixth year, has become one of the most expensive wars in American history. GWOT covers three military operations: Operation Enduring Freedom...

Laxman Kumar Behera |
January 01, 2008 |
IDSA Comments

Generally speaking…

General Asfaq Pervez Kayani’s elevation as the 14th Pakistan Army Chief of Staff in November has been treated in the Indian media as a relatively low key affair. The General...

Shantanu Chakrabarti |
December 27, 2007 |
IDSA Comments

The Politics of Disaster Relief

Muslim countries and Islamic relief organisations along with the rest of the world have shown unprecedented solidarity with the people of Bangladesh after the devastating impact of cyclone Sidr in...

Anand Kumar |
December 27, 2007 |
IDSA Comments

US Estimate on Iran: Of New Intelligence and New-found Confidence

The latest US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran’s nuclear programme, “Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities” of November 2007 (released on 3 December 2007) notes with “high confidence” that Tehran...

S. Samuel C. Rajiv |
December 20, 2007 |
IDSA Comments

Railway a Soft Target for Maoists

A little before dawn on December 12, 2007, Naxalites of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) blew up railway track at two different places in Bihar – the first one...

P. V. Ramana |
December 20, 2007 |
IDSA Comments

LTTE has to change its strategy

The annual “Heroes’ Day” speech delivered by LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran on November 27, amid continuing attacks by the government forces, brought out in no uncertain terms his dissatisfaction with...

Assam and Aftermath: Reality Check

The street violence that gripped Assam’s main city Guwahati on November 24 will not easily fade from public memory. Trouble brewed when a peaceful protest rally organized by the All...

Namrata Goswami |
December 10, 2007 |
IDSA Comments

Media takes off on TechSAR, but no takers

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has strongly denied news reports that the launch of an Israeli spy satellite aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) has been delayed or...

Cherian Samuel |
December 07, 2007 |
IDSA Comments

Promises and Pitfalls of Nuclear Energy in Southeast Asia

In the recently concluded ASEAN Summit (November 18-22), apart from issues like Myanmar, ASEAN Charter and ASEAN Economic Community, nuclear energy was also discussed at length. A declaration on safeguarding...

Pankaj K Jha |
December 06, 2007 |
IDSA Comments