As global jihad goes local
The international jihadist scene has been marked by two highly significant developments in recent weeks. In Pakistan, the armed forces launched a full-fledged operation against self-styled local and international jihadis…
Pakistan’s nuclear diplomacy
Pakistan is carefully evaluating the security implications of new military and strategic developments in the region, which are likely to influence its thinking about South Asia’s nuclear future. They are…
Problems in the Middle East
Israel has started pulling some of its ground troops from Gaza. The reason would be partial realisation of its war objectives. There are other reasons as well. The international community…
The forgotten people
Just as the ‘Injuns’ (Indians) of America and the Amazon tribes of South America are endangered species, and preserved in ‘reservations’ aimed at keeping them alive for record and research,…
Uncle Sam’s worldview
It has become customary for Washington to use the most complimentary of terms to characterise its relations with New Delhi. Four years ago, while in India, President Barack Obama had…
Bottling India’s communal genie
“Brothers and sisters, for one reason or the other, we have had communal tensions for ages,” declaimed Mr Narendra Modi, the starched tail of his loud saffron turban fluttering in…
Hope in Afghanistan
The snowballing crisis in Afghanistan triggered by allegations of massive rigging in the run-off stage of the elections, seems to have been checked in its tracks at least for now…
It’s not about trade
On a visit to India in March 2005, Condoleezza Rice, then US Secretary of State under President George W Bush, informed the then Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh that “it…
The gates of hell
AS the US was about to launch its 2003 military invasion of Iraq, the then secretary general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, warned presciently: “You will open the Gates…
Modi and Sharif: Corporate prime ministers
I was in New Delhi during the weekend prior to the landmark day when all expectations and anticipations were directed at the next leader of the 1.237 billion Indians. On…
