IDSA Comments

Is Russian ready to face the Afghan fallouts?

Russia seems both happy as well as worried about US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Concerns about Central Asian security apart, now with the sectarian strife in West Asia flaring up, the...

P. Stobdan |
August 05, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Post-Crimea: Central Asian Fear Putin’s Stick

There is a growing sense that Putin, after what he did to Crimea, has prepared a fine blueprint for similar intervention in Central Asian states should it become a necessary...

P. Stobdan |
August 04, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Is Putin Gearing Up for Intervening in Asia Next?

In a three part series the author analyses Russia's strategic play. In this first part, the recently held military "snap inspection" drill by Russia involving 65,000 troops is examined and...

P. Stobdan |
August 01, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

ZARB-e-AZB: Phony War or Paradigm Shift

For all the grandstanding by the Pakistan army and the civilian government that Op Zarb-e-Azb was going to be against all kinds of terror groups based in NWA, no such...

Sushant Sareen |
July 31, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Indian Army’s Modernisation Plans: Call for Pragmatism

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence’s figures reveals that the army's equipment modernisation is steadily falling. In 2008-09, the army spent 27 paisa of every rupee on capital expenditure. This...

Arun Sahgal |
July 31, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Sixth BRICS Summit: A step towards more equitable global order?

The Declaration pushes for a more equitable norm and the New Development Bank is an interesting outcome. The initial subscribed capital of $50 billion dollars and the responsibilities of the...

Ruchita Beri |
July 22, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Gaza: What Does Israel Want?

Israel’s argues that the Hamas does not recognize its existence, which, up to a point, is technically correct. But, a moment of reflection will show that recognition is exchanged only...

K. P. Fabian |
July 21, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

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...

Amit Cowshish |
July 17, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

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...

Manish Vaid , Tushar Shah |
July 16, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

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...

Abhijit Singh |
July 16, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Takeaways for Defence in the Union Budget 2014-15

There are speculations whether the present budget is sufficient to meet expenditure on big ticket items but one has to bear in mind that it is only the advance payment...

Amit Cowshish |
July 11, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

NYT editorial on India’s nuclear policy: A case of inaccurate portrayal and propaganda

The editorial also intrinsically marks the return of the ‘pro-Pakistan’ lobby in the US non-proliferation community, and the American media, which was culpable in encouraging the many indulgences of the...

A. Vinod Kumar |
July 07, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Is Iraq imploding?

The government in Baghdad has lost control over a stretch of territory to ISIL. It follows that Iraq is at present inexorably moving towards dissolution. In any case, it will...

K. P. Fabian |
July 07, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

US Military Departure from Manas Stirring a New Game in Central Asia

The author recounts his memories of the US military base at Manas International Airport in Bishkek, which was the hub for onward movement of about 15,000 troops and 500 tons...

P. Stobdan |
July 07, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

The McMahon Line: A hundred years on

On 3rd July 1914 nearly a hundred years ago at Simla, Tibet and India signed the Simla Convention that gave birth to the McMahon Line separating Tibet from India in...

R. S. Kalha |
July 03, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Takeaways from Defence Minister’s address at Naval Commanders’ Conference

The Defence Minister made two significant points: one, the need for making a significant amount of the nation’s resources available for defence and two, he talked about the slow pace...

Amit Cowshish |
July 01, 2014 |
IDSA Comments

Sri Lankan perceptions of the Modi government

There is no one nationalist Sri Lankan view. Among the Sinhalas, there are also the liberals who are quite realistic about their assessments and would argue that there may be...