COMMENTARIES
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Iran-Russia Oil Deal: Will it Go Through?
Ayesha Khanyari · 22 Apr, 2014 · #4400 · Commentary
Iran and Russia are negotiating an oil-for-goods agreement worth US$1.5 billion a month that would see Iran export oil to Russia in exchange for unspecified goods and equipment from Moscow. The deal would further enable Iran to raise oil exports...
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US in Asia Pacific
Military Implications of the Rebalance: Increasing Chinese Aggression
Shreya Upadhyay · 22 Apr, 2014 · #4399 · Commentary
Despite the crisis in Ukraine and Syria, the 2014 US Quadrennial Defence Review (QDR), US-ASEAN Defence forum and a slew of ongoing visits by American leaders seek to reassure that rebalance has not lost steam. This article seeks to explore two ...
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US in Asia Pacific
Rebalancing: Philippines, Vietnam & Mutual Convergences
Vivek Mishra · 22 Apr, 2014 · #4398 · Commentary
The Philippines and Vietnam witnessed a prolonged US military presence during the Cold War and today have become the lynchpin of American rebalance aiming to counter China.
What makes them the primary cogs in the American rebalance wheel?
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IPCS Discussion
The Indo-Pacific Region: Political and Strategic Prospects
· 21 Apr, 2014 · #4397 · Commentary
A review of the ICWA volume, ‘Indo-Pacific Region: Political and Strategic Prospects’, edited by Ambassador Rajiv K Bhatia and Dr Vijay Sakhuja, organised by the IPCS in collaboration with the Centre for Canadian, US & Latin...
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Dateline Kabul
Presidential Elections 2014: Afghan-Owned, Afghan-Led
Mariam Safi · 21 Apr, 2014 · #4396 · Commentary
The third Presidential elections in Afghanistan marked a historical and triumphant day for all Afghans. Defying Taliban death threats and sporadic firefights, approximately 7.5 million voters were estimated to have turned out at polling stations...
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Red Affairs
Naxal Violence: Old Challenges for the New Government
Bibhu Prasad Routray · 21 Apr, 2014 · #4395 · Commentary · Column
That the Communist Party of India-Maoist (Maoist) does not believe in democratic principles and electoral processes is too well known. The 2014 Lok Sabha elections provided the extremist outfit with yet another opportunity to reassert its vision...
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Dhaka Discourse
India-Bangladesh: Enhancing Ties through a ‘Power Corridor’
Delwar Hossain · 21 Apr, 2014 · #4394 · Commentary · Column
The issue of a ‘power corridor’ has sparked a new debate in Bangladesh-India bilateral relations. Bangladesh has agreed in principle to provide India a ‘power corridor’ to help its neighbour link its north eastern and nor...
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Strategic Space
India and No First Use: Preventing Deterrence Breakdown
Manpreet Sethi · 21 Apr, 2014 · #4393 · Commentary · Column
Several recent writings, including in the context of a possible revision of the Indian nuclear doctrine as mentioned in the BJP manifesto, have mentioned the need for a reconsideration of the no first use (NFU) principle. Many argue that India&r...
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South Asian Dialectic
India and No First Use: The Doctrinal Conundrum
PR Chari · 21 Apr, 2014 · #4392 · Commentary · Column
One can only be bemused by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s exhortation while inaugurating a recent conference on nuclear disarmament that the need was to establish a global no-first-use convention relating to nuclear weapons. His relevant ...
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Iran-Pakistan: Time for Realpolitik over Riyal Politics
Rajeshwari Krishnamurthy · 16 Apr, 2014 · #4391 · Commentary
Although the Jaish al-Adl (JA), a terrorist group that primarily operates from Pakistan’s Balochistan and Iran’s Sistan Baluchestan provinces, released four of the five Iranian border guards it had abducted and held captive in Pa...
