Asian Strategic Review 2007

ABOUT THE BOOK

The volume, divided into four sections, deals with strategic developments pertaining to Asia. Recognising the diverse ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors impinging on a country’s strategic posture, the volume starts off by dealing with issues which the Advisory Committee of Experts guiding this publication felt were of immediate relevance. Accordingly, the first section, on “International Security Issues” has articles analysing India’s responses to the global energy security challenges, the resurgent Russia, the emerging military technologies and their security implications for India, the ‘global war on terror’ and the issues concerning the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

The next three parts contain in-depth analyses of major events in South, East and the West and Central regions of Asia. These constitute India’s immediate and extended strategic neighbourhood. The wide range of issues dealt with include the evolving partnership between India and the United States, the changes in the contours of the Sino-Indian and the Sino-Japanese relationship, an evaluation of the India-Pakistan peace process, the challenges of institutionalising democracies in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Afghanistan, the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, the East Asian ‘economic dynamism and political flux’, Pyongyang’s nuclear ‘brinkmanship’, Iran’s nuclear programme, developments in Israel-Palestinian relations, and the role of major powers in Central Asia.

The volume also presents a Statistical Appendix containing defence and conflict-related data for important countries in Asia.

ABOUT THE EDITOR

:

S.D. MUNI, Senior Visiting Scholar, IDSA was formerly professor and Chairperson of the Centre for South, Central and Southeast Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He was also India’s Ambassador to Laos (1997-1999) and Special Envoy in pursuance of India’s claims for a permanent UNSC seat.

The author/editor of more than 20 books including Internal Conflicts in South Asia, Maoists Insurgency in Nepal, India’s Energy Security, China’s Strategic Engagement with the New ASEAN, Responding to Terrorism in South Asia, and over a 100 research papers, Prof. Muni is a distinguished expert on South/Southeast Asian political and security affairs. He was bestowed with Sri Lanka’s highest honour for a non-national, ‘SRI LANKA RATNA’ in 2005.

CONTENTS IN DETAIL

:

I
International Security Issues

1. 1. Global Energy Security Challenges: India’s Response
      Shebonti Ray Dadwal
   2. Emerging Military Technologies: Security Implications for India
      Ajey Lele
   3. Global War on Terror: The Long War to Nowhere
      Shanthie Mariet D’Souza
   4. A Supranational Agency for Nuclear Materials?
      Rajiv Nayan
   5. Resurgence of Russia
      P. Stobdan

II
South Asia: Concerns and Hopes

1. 1. India–Pakistan Peace Process: Gathering Momentum
      Ashutosh Misra
   2. Pakistan 2006: Between Internal Constraints and External Pressures
      Ashok K. Behuria
   3. Bangladesh: Amidst Constitutional Crisis
      Sreeradha Datta
   4. Sri Lanka: Towards Eelam War IV?
      Alok Bansal and M. Mayilvaganan
   5. The Challenge of Building a New Nepal
      Smruti S. Pattanaik
   6. Afghanistan: Growing Uncertainties
      Vishal Chandra
   7. Naxalism/Left-wing Extremism in India: Purpose and Strategy
      Namrata Goswami

III
Dynamism and Flux in Asia-Pacific

1. 1. East Asia in 2006: Economic Dynamism and Political Flux
      G.V.C. Naidu
   2. Sino–Indian Engagement?
      Raviprasad Narayanan
   3. Sino-Japanese Strategic Relations
      Abanti Bhattacharya
   4. Japan’s Leadership Transition
      Arpita Mathur
   5. Nuclear Brinkmanship in East Asia: Responses and Ramifications
      S. Samuel C. Rajiv
   6. Meeting Threats to Sea-Lines Collectively: Emerging Contours in the Indian Ocean
      Gurpreet S. Khurana

IV
Engagements and Conflict in West and Central Asia

1. 1. Indo–Saudi Engagement: Breaking New Ground
      Gulshan Dietl
   2. Iran’s Nuclear Defiance
      Rajesh Kumar Mishra
   3. Hamas, Israel, and Peace
      A. K. Pasha
   4. The Second Israel–Lebanon War: An Appraisal
      V. Krishnappa
   5. Major Powers in Central Asia: Imperatives for India
      Meena Singh Roy

V
Statistical Appendix
Appendix Tables

CONTRIBUTORS:

Alok Bansal
Research Fellow, South Asia, IDSA

Ashok Behuria
Research Fellow, South Asia, IDSA

Abanti Bhattacharya
Associate Fellow, East and South- East Asia, IDSA

Vishal Chandra
Associate Fellow, South Asia, IDSA

Shanthie Mariet D’Souza
Associate Fellow, USA and Europe Studies, IDSA

Shebonti Ray Dadwal
Research Fellow, Energy Security, IDSA

Sreeradha Datta
Research Fellow, South Asia, IDSA

Gulshan Dietl
Professor, Centre for West Asian Studies, JNU

Namrata Goswami
Associate Fellow, Internal Security, IDSA

Gurpreet Khurana
Research Fellow, Military Affairs, IDSA

V. Krishnappa
Research Fellow, Military Affairs, IDSA

Ajey Lele
Research Fellow, Modeling and Net Assessment, IDSA

Arpita Mathur
Associate Fellow, East and South- East Asia, IDSA

M. Mayilvaganan
Associate Fellow, South Asia, IDSA

Rajesh Kumar Mishra
Associate Fellow, Weapons of Mass Destruction, IDSA

Ashutosh Misra
Research Fellow, Griffith Asia Institute, Brisbane

G.V.C. Naidu
Senior Fellow, East and South-East Asia, IDSA

Raviprasad Narayanan
Associate Fellow, East and South-East Asia, IDSA

Rajiv Nayan
Research Officer, USA and Europe Studies, IDSA

A.K. Pasha
Professor, Centre for West Asian Studies, JNU

Smruti Pattanaik
Research Fellow, South Asia, IDSA

S. Samuel C. Rajiv
Research Assistant, Military Affairs, IDSA

Meena Singh Roy
Research Officer, Russia and Central Asia, IDSA

P. Stobdan
Centre for Strategic and Regional Studies, Jammu University

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