COMMENTARIES
  • The "Malacca" Mileage
    Sandeep Anand    ·   07 Aug, 2009    ·    #2934    ·    Commentary    
    The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water between West Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It is effectively a 'short-cut' linking the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean and is therefore a vital sea lane of communicati...
  • Negotiating with China
    Bhartendu Kumar Singh    ·   07 Aug, 2009    ·    #2933    ·    Commentary    
    It is almost three decades since China and India initiated their border talks. While the levels of dialogue were raised, an agreement is still not in sight. So, when the Special Representatives (SRs) of the two countries meet for the 13th round ...
  • The Business of Being the Taliban
    Kate Swanson    ·   07 Aug, 2009    ·    #2932    ·    Commentary    
    The Afghan Taliban, under the leadership of Mullah Omar, has issued a comprehensive book outlining a code of conduct for Taliban members. The book, "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Rules for Mujahideen" is comprised of 13 chapters a...
  • Nepal: Caught in the Chinese Headlights?
    Kimberley Layton    ·   07 Aug, 2009    ·    #2931    ·    Commentary    
    On 1 August, Nepal and China celebrated the 54th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between them. China is eager to celebrate the relationship, which it claims is cemented by a foundation based on its Five Principles of Pea...
  • Terrorist attacks in Southeast Asia: The likelihood of a global jihadi connection
    Anna Louise Strachan    ·   07 Aug, 2009    ·    #2930    ·    Commentary    
    Southeast Asia has been the setting for a number of terrorist attacks over the last month. The incidents ranged from low-profile attacks in southern Thailand and the southern Philippines to the headline grabbing bombings of the JW Marriott and Rit...
  • The mention of Balochistan at Sharm-al- Sheikh
    Prashant Dikshit    ·   06 Aug, 2009    ·    #2929    ·    Commentary    
    The mention of Balochistan in the Indo-Pak joint statement issued by the two Prime Ministers at Sharm-al-Sheikh has convulsed the political scene in both the countries for different reasons. In India, the potency of the reaction, apparently s...
  • What if the US ratifies the CTBT? Debating India’s Options
    D Suba Chandran    ·   31 Jul, 2009    ·    #2928    ·    Commentary    
    In his Prague speech, Obama mentioned categorically, that he would work towards getting the US Senate to ratify the CTBT. The general expectation amongst the non-proliferation lobby is that the US ratification of the CTBT will cause China to follo...
  • In J&K Promises are Meant to be Broken
    Masood Ali Mir    ·   31 Jul, 2009    ·    #2927    ·    Commentary    
    The last six months of 2008 witnessed political tensions in J&K, as a result of the Government’s approach to communalize the Shri Amarnath Yatra and the Kashmiri tourism industry. There were other reasons for the public anger, too, inclu...
  • Maoist Violence and its Limitations
    Devyani Srivastava    ·   31 Jul, 2009    ·    #2926    ·    Commentary    
    Since the formation of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in September 2004, the armed activities of the Maoists have gained unprecedented lethality and frequency across India. The virtual absence of the Indian state in some areas and excessive...
  • Bombings in Jakarta
    Tuli Sinha    ·   31 Jul, 2009    ·    #2925    ·    Commentary    
    On 17 July 2009, Jakarta was shaken with the twin terror attacks at the JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton. The bombings in the heart of Indonesia’s commercial hub came after a long hiatus since the deadly Bali bombings in 2002. Indonesia is known...
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