Courtesy: MEAphotogallery/ Flickr
In 2012, Iraq emerged as India’s second largest crude oil supplier thereby shifting focus back on bilateral relations. However, India’s historical and cultural connection with Iraq, as well as common geopolitical concerns, reveal that relations have the potential to go beyond oil
Courtesy: Center for American Progress Action Fund/Flickr
The U.S. Secretary of State’s visit to India comes at a time when India is witnessing significant realignments in its domestic politics while the U.S. is busy tackling its cyber-spying allegations. Amidst these preoccupations, will the upcoming India-U.S. talks churn out substantive outcomes?
Courtesy: Shotgun Spratling/ Flickr
U. S. President Barack Obama has strongly indicated a move away from the ‘Global War on Terrorism,’ – a term famously coined by his predecessor George W. Bush after the 9/11 attacks on the United States. Given that a common definition of a ‘terrorist’ hasn’t yet been found, was the war on terrorism ever practical?
Courtesy: Kucingbiru13/WikimediaCommons
The Chinese defence industry has emerged as one of the world’s top five arms exporters. It has come a long way from the early 1990s when it was characterised by inefficiency, corruption, and poor performance.
Courtesy: Courtesy: Petersnoopy/Flickr
The new provocations from Pyongyang heighten the risk of a military showdown with the U.S., South Korea and Japan. China, the only power with sway over the regime, is exercising limited options for peace on the peninsula.
Courtesy: Matanya/WikimediaCommons
Since 2002, a large amount of U.S. funds flowing into Afghanistan has been diverted to the Taliban by local strongmen, resulting in a continued presence of the militia. The challenge post-2014 will be to reverse the West’s top-down strategy, creating a grassroots-driven incentive for peace and development.
Courtesy: U.S. Department of Defense
The nomination of Chuck Hagel for the post of the U.S. Defense Secretary has garnered severe criticism from Israel and the Jewish lobby. Given the geopolitical changes unfolding in the Middle East and the rest of Asia, what will Hagel’s assumption of office mean for Israel, India and the rest of the world?
The series of Israeli offensives against Gaza, which began on November 4, ended when Egypt's new President Mohamed Morsi brokered a ceasefire between Hamas and the Israeli government on November 13. The possibility of this ceasefire holding up, however, seems remote.
Courtesy: Isafmedia/Flickr
As the NATO troops prepare to pull out of Afghanistan in 2014, India is already positioned to take on a larger, pro-active role, which can radically alter the balance of power in South Asia. However, what will determine the future of security in the region, is how India and Afghanistan deal with Pakistan.
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Traditionally, the South Pacific islands have been considered strategically insignificant. However, the need for resources, and the geopolitical shift towards Asia-Pacific have prompted nations to realize that these small island states control large resource-rich ocean areas and are increasingly geostrategic.