Dr S. Samuel C. Rajiv is Research Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi. Click here for detailed profile
Associate Fellow, IDSA, Mr S. Samuel C. Rajiv's research article, titled ‘Deep Disquiet: Israel and the Iran Nuclear Deal’ was published in the March 2016 issue of Journal - Contemporary Review of the Middle East (Sage).
Prime Minister Modi’s meeting with President Abbas in New York reaffirms the government’s commitment to maintain continuity in India’s Palestine policy.
Three issues of contention have animated the debate about the role of the IAEA vis-à-vis the JCPOA. These relate to resolving concerns relating to PMD, those governing ‘anytime, anywhere access’, and the IAEA’s ability to ensure Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA.
This Issue Brief looks back at the implementation of the JPOA and examines the extent to which the recent framework (JCPOA) agreed upon at Lausanne adheres to the letter and spirit of the JPOA, specifically as it relates to the pledge to treat the Iranian nuclear programme “as that of any non-nuclear state party to the NPT”.
This article examines Iranian contentions on three issue areas that exemplify the politicised nature of its interactions with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). These include access to military facilities, information credibility and the ‘nuclear activism’ of US-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
In Bargaining on Nuclear Tests, Rabinowitz examines aspects relating to the US entering into informal deals with Israel, South Africa and Pakistan in order to prevent them from testing nuclear weapons. These informal understandings turned a ‘blind eye’ to these countries’ nuclear quests as long as they did not test. The testing of nuclear weapons was seen as overtly harming American non-proliferation goals and potentially embarrassing the US administrations, given that these were America’s Cold War allies.
The Modi’s government determination to adopt a muscular stance on national security and its commitment to expedite defence modernisation are likely to translate into greater political and defence engagement with Israel.
Illuminated by the work of strategic classics, Thomas Kane shows that the link between military power and political goals has always been complex and continues to be so. This is because the use of armed force to achieve political objectives (the essence of military strategy) is fraught with serious consequences for nation-states and for the people inhabiting them. Many perceptive minds have tried to unravel these complexities to better understand how and why societies engage in war as well as to guide future strategists to wage them more effectively.
Reaffirming India’s Ties with Palestine
Prime Minister Modi’s meeting with President Abbas in New York reaffirms the government’s commitment to maintain continuity in India’s Palestine policy.