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Afghanistan: A 'regional strategy' for India
Mar 07, 2015

Afghanistan: A 'regional strategy' for India

The visit of Mr. S Jaishankar, India's Foreign Secretary, to Kabul this week came at the fag end of his trip to all the other South Asian neighbouring countries. During this brief visit, he met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and reaffirmed India's commitment to stay the course in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: A fragile arrangement
Oct 08, 2014

Afghanistan: A fragile arrangement

In Afghanistan, there are concerns among Abdullah Abdullah's supporters that he may be reduced to a mere figurehead or that Ashraf Ghani, as President, could still seek to extend his powers.

Afghanistan: A new phase in ties with Pakistan?
May 17, 2013

Afghanistan: A new phase in ties with Pakistan?

Nawaz Sharief's election for an unprecedented third time as Pakistan's prime minister has been welcomed by the Afghan government. Afghan President Hamid Karzai congratulating Sharief called upon the new Pakistani government to enhance cooperation in order to work towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: A story of US failure and mismanagement
Apr 25, 2014

Afghanistan: A story of US failure and mismanagement

As foreign troops begin to leave Afghanistan, criticism of the international coalition's handling of the war has been pouring in from all corners. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center for People and Press showed that a majority of the public does not think the US has achieved its goals in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Anxiety over possible economic collapse and Taliban take-over
May 25, 2013

Afghanistan: Anxiety over possible economic collapse and Taliban take-over

The security situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating and there is an overall sense of anxiety about a possible economic collapse and a Taliban takeover. The role of Pakistan and China will add to India's challenging task to ensure stability in Afghanistan in the next few years.

Afghanistan: Can the private sector be a driver for growth?
Jun 27, 2014

Afghanistan: Can the private sector be a driver for growth?

The year 2014 is, in many ways, the year of reckoning for Afghanistan which is undergoing three simultaneous transitions - security, political and economic. Unlike the first two, the economic transition has not had the advantage of clear deadlines and roadmaps and has suffered from lack of long term planning.

Afghanistan: Challenges for the National Unity Govt
Aug 30, 2014

Afghanistan: Challenges for the National Unity Govt

Amidst claims by the Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) that the auditing process is in its final stages, there was hope that the presidential elections will be concluded sooner rather than later.

Afghanistan: Gearing up for presidential polls
Oct 18, 2013

Afghanistan: Gearing up for presidential polls

The registration process for the Afghan presidential elections came to a close last week. As many as 27 candidates have filed nomination and the vetting process, by the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC),

Afghanistan: India-Pakistan rivalry reignited
Aug 19, 2013

Afghanistan: India-Pakistan rivalry reignited

The Indian Consulate in Jalalabad was the target of a suicide attack on August 3. The attack, though did not harm the consulate or any Indian personnel, resulted in the death of 9 bystanders.

Afghanistan: Insurgency on the rise amidst international troop-drawdown
Oct 31, 2014

Afghanistan: Insurgency on the rise amidst international troop-drawdown

New Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fulfilled his promise of signing the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the U.S. and Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the NATO within 24 hours of taking office.

Afghanistan: Iran, the Taliban and the US drawdown
May 08, 2015

Afghanistan: Iran, the Taliban and the US drawdown

Much has already been written about both the drawdown of US troops from the region, and the recent Iranian nuclear deal and the possible impact it could have on Iran-US relations.

Afghanistan: ISI crony on attack-mode as Taliban readies for political role
Sep 16, 2011

Afghanistan: ISI crony on attack-mode as Taliban readies for political role

A decade after the 'Twin Towers' came crashing down in New York, the US has given its blessings for the Taliban to open its political office in the distant West Asian State of Qatar.

Afghanistan: Karzai's regional initiative
Dec 20, 2013

Afghanistan: Karzai's regional initiative

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is desperately seeking external support in order to secure the nation's future. The impending December 2014 deadline for the drawdown of foreign troops from Afghanistan and the consequent reduction of western military and developmental

Afghanistan: Mullah Omar's death and the peace talks
Aug 11, 2015

Afghanistan: Mullah Omar's death and the peace talks

The confirmations about the death of Mullah Omar, who is said to have died in 2013, may not have taken many by surprise. His absence from the public domain for years led to various theories about his possible whereabouts.

Afghanistan: Neutrality dreams unrealistic
Jul 29, 2011

Afghanistan: Neutrality dreams unrealistic

Though there is a need for a neutral Afghanistan, the prevailing geopolitics of South Asia and the domestic politics of Afghanistan make the 'Congress of Vienna' model and a neutral Afghanistan too utopian a dream to be achieved anytime soon.

Afghanistan: No Sign of End to Instability
Jan 31, 2008

Afghanistan: No Sign of End to Instability

The situation in Afghanistan is grim. There is a tendency to confuse random acts of violence with the instability caused by the the Taliban or the neo-Taliban. An analysis of the violent incidents in Afghanistan in the past few years has revealed that more than two-thirds of the violence has been related to land, resources or power-politics, pointing towards unequal sharing of power at the sub-national level. A round-table discussion on Afghanis

Afghanistan: Pakistan obstructing peace talks?
Feb 21, 2014

Afghanistan: Pakistan obstructing peace talks?

The killing of a former Taliban minister, Mullah Abdul Raqeeb, has raised questions about the involvement of the Pakistan establishment in the peace process and a possible rift within the ranks of the militant movement.

Afghanistan: Peace talks with Taliban gain momentum
Jul 06, 2012

Afghanistan: Peace talks with Taliban gain momentum

For the first time, Taliban and Government representatives met publicly on June 27 in Japan, signalling another round of parleys between the belligerents to find a negotiated end to the insurgency.

Afghanistan: Prospects for increased engagement with China
Jul 10, 2015

Afghanistan: Prospects for increased engagement with China

As the US pulls out its troops from Afghanistan, all eyes are set on the potential role China can play in the region. China has shown signs of stepping up its engagement with Afghanistan since the formation of the new government in Kabul in September 2014.

Afghanistan: Qanooni's moment of triumph
Jan 21, 2006

Afghanistan: Qanooni's moment of triumph

The 13th century Italian theologian and philosopher, Saint Thomas Aquinas, said that in order for a war to be just, the three things needed would be the "authority of the sovereign," a "just cause," and a "rightful intention." By that moral compass, the war in Afghanistan could probably be on its way to becoming one-third "just."

Afghanistan: Reconciliation process and Indian concerns
Jan 11, 2013

Afghanistan: Reconciliation process and Indian concerns

The recent developments in the Afghan reconciliation process have evoked a new sense of optimism regarding a peaceful solution to the conflict in the country. First, there was the release of 26 prisoners, in batches, by Pakistan and then the two-day talks in Paris,

Afghanistan: Rising violence, uncertain peace
Mar 23, 2015

Afghanistan: Rising violence, uncertain peace

In Afghanistan, how the unity government strikes an internal balance will in turn determine in long run its ability to carry forth a range of bold policy initiatives through political consensus. It would also to an extent impact morale on the battlefield.

Afghanistan: Security derailing work in the mining sector
Nov 18, 2013

Afghanistan: Security derailing work in the mining sector

India's most significant investment project in Afghanistan has been the Hajigak mines in Bamiyan province. A Steel Authority of India Ltd-led consortium of six companies had won the rights to extract iron ore from the mines in 2011.

Afghanistan: Talking to the enemy
Feb 02, 2012

Afghanistan: Talking to the enemy

The US position on Afghanistan has many weaknesses. Having announced prematurely that the US would withdraw in 2011, efforts at backtracking have only meant that the locals and their Pakistani masters believe that it is a matter of time before the US and NATO will leave.

Afghanistan: Tensions over Iran's refugee policy
Mar 15, 2013

Afghanistan: Tensions over Iran's refugee policy

Afghan refugees in Iran are experiencing increasing hostility as State policies become explicitly discriminatory. The recent persecution of these displaced persons has brought this fact to light.

Afghanistan: The way out Give guarantees for its neutrality
Dec 31, 2009

Afghanistan: The way out Give guarantees for its neutrality

The people of Afghanistan have not forgotten what the Taliban did to them and their country when they ruled Afghanistan with Pakistan's political and military support. The Taliban are not popular in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: The zero option
Jul 19, 2013

Afghanistan: The zero option

The possibility of, and debate about, a 'zero option' for American troop presence, or absence, in Afghanistan post-2014 has surfaced once again. According to The New York Times, the US administration has not ruled out the possibility of a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan come 2014.

Afghanistan:'Green on Blue' killings cause of worry for US
Sep 07, 2012

Afghanistan:'Green on Blue' killings cause of worry for US

The recent US decision to suspend training of Afghan local police has underlined the growing worries in Washington over the incidents of Afghan soldiers killing American troops in 2012.

Africa and the International Criminal Court
Dec 05, 2013

Africa and the International Criminal Court

In the context of the African Union-International Criminal Court confrontation, the court is no longer about finding justice for the victims as many wrongly assume and believe; rather the process is now about whether an ICC faced with prosecuting cases that don't belong there,

Africa Summit: Between talk and action
Oct 27, 2015

Africa Summit: Between talk and action

During the UPA years, Delhi often proclaimed itself as a "net security provider" in the Indian Ocean and beyond. Modi has certainly put security cooperation at the very heart of his regional diplomacy. But the institutional framework in Delhi for such cooperation remains to be developed.

Africa: The Growing Continent
Nov 30, 2010

Africa: The Growing Continent

Some of the best performing countries of Africa -- Nigeria, South Africa and Botswana -- have GDP growth rates comparable with the fastest developing countries of the world. Their GDPs are the least volatile in Africa. Rwanda was declared the best reformer by the World Bank for encouraging business in the country.

African Union- divisions within
Jun 29, 2012

African Union- divisions within

The 18th African Union summit, held on January 30, ended without a clear winner for the contested position of the Commission's Chairperson. The election had taken place through a secret ballot and the two contenders for the position were the incumbent.

Afro-India: Claiming the 21st century
Oct 29, 2015

Afro-India: Claiming the 21st century

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's muscular outreach to the world has evoked intense curiosity. Foreigners are lining up to check if we are ready to walk the talk. Does reality match the hype? It helps that India has a global reputation for gorgeous shopping ? the jewelry, the silks, the pashmina, fashion wear, all available at competitive prices.

After Arafat: Bin Laden?
Oct 16, 2004

After Arafat: Bin Laden?

One runs the risk of stepping on many corns by attempting an objective assessment of the place of the late Yasser Arafat, the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), in history.

After attacks, Afghan endgame seems more of a mirage
Apr 20, 2012

After attacks, Afghan endgame seems more of a mirage

The high table at the NATO Summit at Chicago will discuss some withdrawal agenda, but the real policy towards Afghanistan and Pakistan will only be delineated when the new administration takes charge in Washington in November.

After Attari
Apr 16, 2012

After Attari

The problem of contemporary India's foreign policy making is not that states have acquired a veto over the Centre. Most state leaderships have not only supported regional economic integration and trans-border connectivity, but are also craving for it.

After Clinton, All Eyes on Pakistan's Hina Khar
Jul 22, 2011

After Clinton, All Eyes on Pakistan's Hina Khar

The United States has, in its history, vacillated between global dominance and isolation. A phase of inwardness may be in the cards.