Rex Tillerson, the US Secretary of state arrived, spoke what he was expected to and left. Now it is time to take stock of what this awaited visit meant for India and Pakistan. India was his final stop in Asia as part of his six-nation tour. He spent a few hours in surprise visits, possibly due to security reasons, in […]
The US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, is in India for his maiden visit today, as part of his South Asia tour which would also possibly take him to Afghanistan. He comes to India after visiting Pak, where he would have only heard a collection of false complaints against India, including their desperate objections to its enhanced role in Afghanistan. […]
Introduction Donald Trump finally announced his South Asian (read Afghanistan) policy. The policy had nothing new to offer, despite delays and discussions, prior to its release. Extended discussions were essential because unknowns dominated known factors, since more neighbouring nations began jumping into the Afghan cauldron. There is mention of a surge in troops, greater involvement in operations including air power […]
Trump lambasted Pakistan during the recent announcement of his government’s South Asia policy. He openly blamed Pak for supporting and providing bases to terror groups operating in Afghanistan on its soil. It was holding Pak responsible for the failure of previous US policies on Afghanistan. Pak support was neither a new discovery nor did it require rocket science, it was […]
President Trump recently announced with much fanfare his new policy towards South Asia, concentrated on US commitment in Afghanistan. It was eagerly awaited and when it was finally announced, it had all ingredients which were expected, with no new surprises. The policy, which had been under debate for months, was expected in Jul, but finally released a month later. In […]
Afghanistan has remained an enigma for the US from the moment it entered the country. It defeated the Taliban, formed a government, but has never been able to establish control. Its casualties continue to mount, even though it has reduced its role from fighting to training. It cannot walk away leaving the country to its fate, as the Russians did, […]
Afghanistan as a nation has rarely witnessed peace. It has been engulfed in some form of conflict throughout its history. Its inter-tribal rivalry and within tribes, inter-clan rivalry has always been its bane. It continues unabated even in present times, when other problems like the Taliban and ISIS appear more overbearing. It is evident as the nation is compelled to […]
Afghanistan, India and Pakistan are three states, intrinsically linked, facing varying levels of militancy. Each country blames the other for supporting groups inimical to them. Politically the nations have grown so apart that resolution of any crises appears unlikely. The summer is yet to set in, passes yet to reopen, movement of militants across borders still to commence in earnest, […]
The recently concluded ‘Heart of Asia’ conference witnessed theatrics and controversies as well as signalled a shift in regional dynamics. While a few common statements were expected, some came as a welcome surprise. The joint statement was clearly crafted, supported and pushed by India, with support from Afghanistan. In all common platforms, since Pathankot, India raised the Pakistan bogey of […]
For every country, its national interests are paramount, irrespective of the collective view of any group of which the nation is a part off. Nations would be unwilling to bend if the common view moves against their national interests. The recently concluded BRICS summit with the BIMSTEC outreach in Goa, clearly indicated this. India expended maximum political energy raising the […]