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US Marines to 'drink lots of tea'
The new strategy of the United States in Afghanistan is now in play, including
a troop surge, fresh attempts to curtail the poppy trade and a mission to get
to know the locals. Questions linger, though, about the feasibility of
concentrating US forces in areas where the Taliban have established full
control. - Ali Gharib (Jul 3,'09)
A UN crapshoot in Pakistan
The United Nations has finally begun an investigation into the assassination of
former Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto in 2007. A three-man tribunal will look
into the "facts and circumstances" of her death. If the progress of a similar
UN probe into the killing of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri in
2005 is anything to go by, the details of Bhutto's demise will be a long time
in coming - if ever. - Sreeram Chaulia (Jul
3,'09)
A tryst with India's communal past
Seventeen years after the demolition of the Babri mosque by Hindu fanatics in
Ayodhya, the findings of the court-ordered probe into the incident have been
presented to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. In terms of punishing the already
flailing opposition Bharatiya Janata Party for its role in incident, the report
is not expected to amount to much. - Siddharth Srivastava
(Jul 3,'09)
Manmohan hits the ground running
Sitting in an unprecedented comfort zone, India’s Congress-led government has
borrowed from the United States' 100-day hoopla to set its own short-term,
capsule-like targets. This has given New Delhi the illusion of speed, with
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's ministers running in overdrive. The most
stunning evidence of this is Thursday's landmark ruling on homosexuality. - Santwana
Bhattacharya (Jul 2,'09)
Miners bank $3bn on Baloch
project
Mining giants Barrick Gold and Antofagasta, the lure of vast copper and gold
deposits overcoming security concerns, are to invest up to US$3 billion in
developing a mine in Pakistan's troubled Balochistan province. The companies'
75% stake in the project has already drawn far-from-friendly fire from local
critics. - Syed Fazl-e-Haider (Jul 2,'09)
THE ROVING EYE
Superfat hits Asia
In 2007, diabetes affected 46.5 million adults in Southeast Asia. By 2025, it
will strike more than 80 million. At the same time, Asia is getting fat -
leading to the specter of "diabesity" - the deadly coupling of diabetes and
obesity. Now, a group of global specialists has gathered in Thailand to spread
the alarm to doctors all over Asia. - Pepe Escobar
(Jul 1,'09)
Marching out of step in the US
military
Refusal to deploy, search-and-avoid missions, absent without leave, desertions,
even suicides - these are expressions of dissent today in the all-volunteer
United States military that was rebuilt to purge itself of Vietnam-style
non-obedience. These seeds of a response to the quagmire of the
counter-insurgency wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could grow into something far
larger. - Dahr Jamail (Jul 1,'09)
Google challenged in India
A case against Google in Mumbai raises critical questions about privacy versus
freedom of expression in the Internet age. The world's millions of bloggers may
enrich insights into life, but the level of freedom they enjoy also has the
potential to destroy lives. - Raja Murthy (Jun
30,'09)
 SPENGLER
Obama creates a
deadly power vacuum
President Barack Obama has not betrayed the interests of the United States to
any foreign power, but he has done the next worst thing, namely, to create a
void by withdrawing American power. By removing America as a referee, he will
provoke more violence than the United States ever did. A very, very dangerous
period is about to begin, and it could start with Iran.
(Jun 29,'09)
A small but significant post-Tiger
vote
For the first time in 11 years, residents in Sri Lanka’s northern Jaffna and
Vavuniya towns will vote in a local election - and without threats from the
Tamil Tigers. Some parties are lost without ideological direction from Tiger
leaders, while others question Colombo’s motives in pushing the elections
through. - Sudha Ramachandran (Jun 29,'09)
India wilts as monsoon fears grow
Farmers and politicians alike are eyeing the skies with anxiety as India's
life-giving annual monsoon rains have not yet arrived. A drought would be dire
for the 60% of the nation's 1.1 billion people who survive on agriculture, with
equally bad ramifications for the government. As tempers rise, exotic and
ancient remedies are being revived. - Santwana Bhattacharya
(Jun 29,'09)
BOOK REVIEW
Political violence vs terror
South Asia: The Spectre of Terrorism by P R Kumaraswamy and
Ian Copland (eds)
A collection of essays by analysts within and outside the region, the book
throws light on the complex and complicated relationship between Islam and
political violence in South Asia. Individually, the essays are insightful, what
the book lacks is cohesion. - Sudha Ramachandran
(Jun 26,'09)
Pentagon 'rewrites' airstrike
atrocity
A rewritten version of the investigation report on the United States' fatal May
4 bombing in Afghanistan's Farah province omitted key details that would have
revealed the self-serving character of the US command's previous claims blaming
the Taliban for the large numbers of civilian deaths from the airstrikes. - Gareth
Porter (Jun 26,'09)
Iran-Pakistan pipeline not a done
deal
Muted fanfare over progress in the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline deal belies its
potentially huge appeal. Moscow sees a chance to strengthen its grip on
Europe's gas markets while Beijing is eyeing supplies shipped from the
Chinese-built Gwadar port in Pakistan. The silence could be due to doubts over
Tehran's dubious track record and political situation. - Robert M Cutler
(Jun 25,'09)
Pakistan counts the cost of war
War-related expenditure is dragging Pakistan towards a serious
balance of payments crisis. With a budget deficit of 4.9% projected for the
next fiscal year, and funds needed for a 24% hike in defense spending to tackle
militancy, Islamabad hopes international friends will make good on their
pledges. - Syed Fazl-e-Haider (Jun 24,'09)
This land is my land ...
Tribal leader Chhatradhar Mahato is not happy. He is in the eye of a storm in
West Bengal, where Indian security forces recently recaptured a district that
had for eight months been a 
"liberated zone" for insurgents. Mahato believes his people's struggle for
rights and recognition was hijacked by Maoists, who then left the indigenous
folk in the lurch when the bullets started flying. - Santwana Bhattacharya
(Jun 24,'09)
India tightens the screw on Maoists
With New Delhi this week declaring the Communist Party of India (Maoist) a
terrorist group, the stakes have been considerably raised in the insurgency
raging across several eastern Indian states. The root causes of the strife -
lack of land reform and extreme poverty in the mineral-rich area - remain
unchanged. - Siddharth Srivastava (Jun
24,'09)
Afghan farmers ditch opium for
saffron
Farmers in Afghanistan's Herat province are gaining pride and profits by
switching crops from opium poppies, the raw material of one of the world's most
illicit substances, to saffron, the world's most expensive spice. Morality and
the Taliban aside, international spice prices have been increasingly high while
the value of "black tar" has spiked. (Jun 24,'09)
Democracy vs dynasty in India
India's ruling Congress party, in an effort to move towards
greater class equality, has called a halt to the outdated practice of leaders
referring to themselves by their feudal titles, such as Raja and Maharaj.
Critics say the move is a publicity stunt that amounts to little in terms of
social inclusiveness. - Neeta Lal
(Jun 23,'09)
Pakistan targets its most wanted man
Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud's network, which includes al-Qaeda
and assorted militants, spreads across the country and is responsible for
numerous deadly attacks. Helicopter gunships and fighter bombers are now after
him in his tribal stronghold; troops will follow. Blazing guns might disrupt
the nexus, but the militants can be expected to re-emerge in another form or
another country. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Jun
23,'09)
Clouds over India's Goddess Mountain
The gods can't be faulted for their taste in real estate. India's Nanda Devi
region - which sits in the "Land of Gods" - is one of the more spectacular
scenic spots in South Asia. But like its famous cousin Mount Everest, Nanda
Devi is fighting off an onslaught of pollution and unruly development. - Raja
Murthy(Jun 22,'09)
Afghanistan's road to somewhere
For three years, the United States, China, the Asian Development Bank and the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization have all promised the last link of a
national ring road that would integrate the residents of Afghanistan's Badghis
province with their regional neighbors. Blocking the way is the Taliban
insurgency. - Philip Smucker (Jun 19,'09)
US goes on Afghan PR offensive
Dogged by a constant stream of civilian deaths, the new US commander in
Afghanistan says special ops forces will address the problem. There are growing
indications, though, that the military will instead simply shift the blame to
the Taliban through better propaganda operations. - Gareth Porter
(Jun 18,'09)
Tigers struggle to rise from the
ashes
The highest-ranking Tamil Tiger believed to be alive, fugitive Selvarajah
Pathmanathan, has announced plans to create a "provisional transnational
government of Tamil Eelam". Colombo has responded with a loud guffaw, though it
is still on guard for the suicide bombers that are believed to be roaming free
in the capital. - Munza Mushtaq (Jun 18,'09)
Sri Lanka drifts closer to the East
As the West ramps up pressure on Sri Lanka over alleged human-rights abuses
during its victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the nation has
deepened ties with the East by associating with the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization. Despite the step, Colombo says it is more focused on its own
problems rather than being pro-West or pro-East. - Ameen Izzadeen
(Jun 17,'09)
Taliban threat spooks Central Asia
As Pakistan and Afghanistan continue efforts to push the
Taliban out of their borders, Central Asian countries such as Tajikistan,
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are stepping up security efforts in the fear the
escaping militants will head for these territories. - Farangis Najibullah
(Jun 17,'09)
Indian scientists bridge the audio
divide
By creating a new high-speed radio chip that works on the same principles as
the human inner ear, Indian scientists have merged human evolution with modern
technology. Their invention also reminds us of the role the cochlea played in
the development of civilization - including ancient Asian traditions. - Raja
Murthy (Jun 17,'09)
A tough start for Nepal
New Nepalese Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has his job cut out trying to
steer the nation through its latest political impasse: some parts of the public
and the Maoist-led opposition have already denounced him as a "puppet" of
India, and the Maoists are threatening to boycott parliament. - Dhruba Adhikary
(Jun 16,'09)
Iran's enemies are circling
The unrest following the controversial re-election of President Mahmud
Ahmadinejad places a brake on any initiatives by the United States to directly
engage Iran. For an emerging anti-Iranian militant grouping overseen by
al-Qaeda, the drama unfolding on the streets of Tehran provides the perfect
opportunity for increased activity. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(Jun 16,'09)
US drone attacks cloaked in secrecy
By using Predator drones in Pakistan's tribal regions, the United States claims
it has killed nine top al-Qaeda officials this year. But that's as much as is
being said. No word on how many civilians have died, although some peg the toll
as high as 687 since January 2008. And then there's the issue of where the US
is getting its information. - Gareth Porter (Jun
16,'09)
BRIC group plans its own
revolution
Russia's choice of Yekaterinburg, scene of the execution of Tsar Nicholas II
and his family, for the summit of Brazil, Russia, India and China may be
telling. This week's gathering could prove to be a milestone in developing a
new global economic order as the countries seek to move away from US-dollar
dependence. - W Joseph Stroupe
This is the second article of a three-part report.
 Part 1:
Awakening ahead
on bond delusion
SPENGLER
Hedgehogs and flamingos
in Tehran
The handling of election results exposes the weakness of Iran's strategic
position. That makes an Israeli strike against its nuclear facilities all the
more likely - not because Tehran has shown greater militancy, but because it
has committed the one sin that is never pardoned in the Middle East -
vulnerability. (Jun 15,'09)
Rags remain India's true story
India under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appears to the world as a place
transformed after years of reforms and stellar economic growth. Yet the
rags-to-riches story remains largely one of rags, as the country is still
burdened by poverty, bureaucracy and missed opportunity. - Kunal Kumar Kundu
(Jun 12,'09)
BOOK REVIEW
The coming robot wars
Wired for War by P W Singer
An intriguing and ominous glimpse into the future of robotic warfare, this book
may have references to 2001: A Space Odyssey, Terminator movies
and Isaac Asimov - but it is no lightweight read. War will be waged remotely by
laser-toting air, sea, land and outer-space drones, with humans increasingly
taken out of the equation. Think HAL, think SkyNet, and be afraid. - David
Isenberg (Jun 12,'09)
Pakistan fights for its tribal soul
Pakistan on Thursday extended its fight against militants into new tribal
areas, fully aware that its operations have already drawn such responses as the
deadly attack on a luxury hotel on  Tuesday.
In the tribal areas, which cover a vast swathe of land that runs across the
country, societies have been out-gunned, out-funded and out-organized by
al-Qaeda "franchises". The real battle is to win them back. - Syed Saleem
Shahzad (Jun 11,'09)
Pakistan budgets for another tough
year
Few people watching the Pakistan government as it prepares to set out its
annual budget this weekend are likely to go away happy, whether they be
squeezed businessmen, the poverty stricken poor or International Monetary Fund
officials. The stand-out exceptions will be in military uniform. - Syed
Fazl-e-Haider (Jun 11,'09)
India blasts rivals' role in Sri
Lanka
Senior Indian officials are not happy that arms and training from China and
Pakistan, India's two great rivals, may have "clinched" the Sri Lankan
government's victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Colombo claims
it had little choice as New Delhi refused to sell it weapons over fears of
domestic strife. - Siddharth Srivastava (Jun
10,'09)
INTERVIEW
A bridge for caste, gender divides
India's first female speaker of parliament, Meira Kumar, from the lowly Dalit
caste, attributes her rise to a gradual change in attitudes towards gender and
caste. She is acutely aware of the statutory limitations of her new position,
but beware any politician who steps out of line. - Santwana Bhattacharya
(Jun 9,'09)
Political carrots for India's women
India's Congress-led government continues to score well with
its female voters. Following the appointment of a Dalit woman as speaker of the
Lower House, New Delhi has announced plans for various empowering measures,
ranging from literacy to an unprecedented level of political representation.
Some politicians, though, would sooner drink poison that see them go through. - Neeta
Lal (Jun 9,'09)
Battle for top Tiger spot begins
Far from Sri Lanka, a succession struggle for the leadership of the Tamil
Tigers is underway. The chief of international relations, Selvarasa
Pathmanathan, is the frontrunner. He is believed to be the senior-most Tiger
alive, but his fight for the position - and control of the Tigers' lucrative
war chest - is not going to go unchallenged. - Sudha Ramachandran
(Jun 9,'09)
DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
Political paralysis over torture
Washington looks set to return to the era of torture outsourcing. If this is
the case, some formal inquiry needs to be convened to look into past abuses, or
in a few years, Americans will surely be confronted with another scandal from
some iconic dungeon in a far-away land. - Alfred W McCoy
(Jun 9,'09)
Taliban put on a 'friendly face'
The Taliban have infiltrated big Afghan cities and remote
villages, where they ruthlessly pursue political and economic interests. So
certain of their growing strength, the Taliban have embarked on a broad
national effort to enhance their image and address concerns of Afghans who have
become unhappy with their actions. - Philip Smucker
(Jun 8,'09)
India pushes for security revamp
Relieved that it managed to win another term despite the November Mumbai terror
attacks, India's Congress-led government is working hard to fix an ailing
security system. Proposed measures include an overhaul of
intelligence-gathering networks, though skeptics worry New Delhi's infamous
bureaucracy will stand in the way. - Neeta Lal
(Jun 8,'09)
Pakistan put on the spot
Washington is acutely aware of a possible regional crisis spreading from
Pakistan and is doing its utmost to convince its allies in Europe to muster all
possible support for Islamabad. The Europeans fully understand the problem, but
first, Pakistan has to maintain its commitment to fighting militancy. - Syed
Saleem Shahzad (Jun 8,'09)
Jihad goes intercontinental
Based on last year's deadly attack in Mumbai, it is clear jihadis are acting as
an overarching force across Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Their cobweb is
extremely diverse and not entirely coordinated, but from political parties to
student unions to jihadi guerrillas, it is cemented by ideology. To beat them,
the US must not fall into the "good" Taliban trap. - Walid Phares
(Jun 4,'09)
Obama can dream an AfPak dream
Prior to Thursday's speech from United States President Barack Obama to the
Muslim world, Middle Easterners were looking for fresh substance from the
youthful leader. The time has come for the US to consider promoting a gas
pipeline from Iran to Pakistan and further on to India and possibly to China.
This bold move could mean the difference between success and failure for the
US's AfPak strategy. - M K Bhadrakumar (Jun
4,'09)
Iran wages lonely war on terror
Tehran is probing deeper into last week's deadly mosque bombing in Zahedan, but
has yet to point any fingers at the West. Iran can't raise an international
scandal with US President Barack Obama set to address the Muslim world on
Thursday, and its June 12 national election so delicately poised. Looking
further, Tehran realizes rhetorical outbursts against Washington will only play
into Israeli hands. - M K Bhadrakumar (Jun
3,'09)
THE ROVING EYE
The shadow war in Balochistan
With or without using Jundallah for its own Iran-destabilizing agenda,
Washington's "other" war is about to hit Balochistan in Pakistan full speed
ahead. By mid-summer, the US's Afghan surge in troops will be in position. A
new American mega-base in Helmand province's "desert of death" will be
operational. Assassination teams, drone attacks and Hellfire missiles will boil
this tense tri-border area. Shadowplay rules. - Pepe Escobar
(Jun 3,'09)
FM mullahs spread the Taliban's word
As the Pakistani army's helicopter gunships pound the Swat Valley, another war
is raging on the airwaves. Through pirate radio transmitters, the Taliban's "FM
mullahs" deliver a constant stream of anti-American and anti-government salvos.
By identifying local infidels - who are often butchered - influential
firebrands spread fear among any tribes tempted to side with the military. - Mukhtar
A Khan (Jun 3,'09)
Indian arms spree on the fast track
Now that the ruling coalition in Delhi is rid of its pesky anti-American
partners, the role of Indian private firms in defense production will increase,
while American defense suppliers will add to the competition. This will put the
government in a fine position to negotiate its arms purchases worth many
billions of dollars. - Siddharth Srivastava (Jun
3,'09)
Maximizing minimum nuclear
deterrence
As India continues to build its defense capabilities, some analysts believe
Pakistan is expanding its own nuclear arsenal to correct the imbalance. This
action-reaction dance has been going on for years, yet like all nuclear weapons
states, neither Delhi nor Islamabad will admit that their stockpiles are at
more than the minimum level. - Ninan Koshy (Jun
3,'09)
Fighting the wrong fight in
Afghanistan
The "bad guys", along with Osama bin Laden's trusted corps of
advisors, are swarming in the valleys, hills and mountains of Afghanistan as a
risk-averse, air-power-friendly United States military has effectively
surrendered the countryside over the past three years. If you doubt that, try
taking a stroll outside the massive sand-filled walls of any American base. - Philip
Smucker (Jun 2,'09)
In India, the comedy of
power-sharing
The huge mandate the Congress party received in last month's Indian national
election had party president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
scrambling to put a team together. The big victory meant not a bigger pie, but
more people expecting a piece of it. The pruning, grafting and retooling of an
old team for a new game offers all the pleasures of a minefield. - Santwana
Bhattacharya (Jun 1,'09)
Missing Tiger spy chief spells
trouble
With the body of powerful Tamil Tigers intelligence head Pottu Amman still
missing, neither Sri Lanka-based nor overseas Tigers lining up for dead chief
Velupillai Prabhakaran's job can sleep easy. If Amman did escape the final
offensive that killed his comrades, the Tiger's strategy of violence will
likely resume. - Sudha Ramachandran (Jun
1,'09)
Taliban keep grip on kidnapped
Canadian
Canadian journalist Beverly Giesbrecht, who after converting to Islam became
known as Khadija  Abdul
Qahhar, was kidnapped by a "good" Taliban leader late last year. A ransom of
US$740,000 was agreed, but then the price shot up when the Pakistani
bureaucracy became involved. Now Khadija is ill, but her captors are not
budging. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (May 29,'09)
Al-Qaeda spreads its tentacles
Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda - working through Afghan and Pakistani partners - is
present in almost every Afghan and Pakistani province along the fluid border
between the two countries. Having learned from the mistake of going into
business under its own name in Iraq, al-Qaeda remains behind the scenes,
protected by local gunmen, but capable of influencing the fight against United
States and foreign "infidels" in South Asia. - Philip Smucker
(May 29,'09)
Mittal, Nhleko chase $61 billion
dream
Sunil Bharti Mittal and Phuthuma Freedom Nhleko have carved out multi-billion
dollar empires in their respective countries. Now they plan to battle with
regulators, financiers and their own combative natures to seal a US$61 billion
deal that will unite India's and Africa's biggest telecom companies. - Raja
Murthy (May 28,'09)
THE ROVING EYE
Pipelineistan goes Iran-Pak
A deal was finally signed this week in Tehran by which Iran will sell gas from
its South Pars mega-fields to Pakistan by way of the 2,100-kilometer, US$7.5
billion Iran-Pakistan pipeline. For the moment, Iran, Pakistan, China and
Russia win. Washington and NATO lose, not to mention Afghanistan. But will
Balochistan province also win? If not, all hell will break loose, creating an
even greater, regional, ball of fire. - Pepe Escobar
(May 28,'09)
Al-Qaeda strikes back in Lahore
Wednesday's suicide attack in Lahore which claimed the lives of 23 people was
not, as widely believed, an act of retaliation for the Pakistan military's
offensive against militants in Swat. Al-Qaeda planned and financed the mission
because its key sanctuaries in the border areas with Afghanistan have been
"violated'. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (May
28,'09)
INTERVIEW
The general speaks
General David Petraeus, 
the commander of United States Central Command, addresses head-on a wide range
of sensitive issues, from "enhanced interrogation techniques" to Afghan
civilian casualties. Some of his comments, though, contradict earlier reports,
such as his thoughts on US troop withdrawal from Iraq.
(May 27,'09)
The Taliban as Bolsheviks
The Afghan conflict is not between superpower proxies over ideology, unlike the
wars which dominated the latter part of the 20th century. For a meaningful
historical comparison, there are the Boxer Rebellion and the Bolshevik
Revolution. Like the Bolsheviks, the Taliban hate democracy and capitalism and
seek Utopia, while the West's quashing of the Boxers showed that international
coordination can be effective. - Dmitry Shlapentokh
(May 27,'09)
Taliban stuck between anvil and
hammer
As Pakistani forces continue to push the Taliban into Afghanistan, the future
of US/North Atlantic Treaty Organization operations comes into question. US
forces may very well drive the militants back across the frontier, putting them
in a position to negotiate for their future in Pakistan. - Brian M Downing
(May 27,'09)
Moderate Tamils chart new course
Over the past two decades, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam hijacked the
Tamil cause. The ultra-nationalist movement did not allow moderate Tamil
leaders who believed in a democratic approach to speak up, and in many cases
intimidated or killed them. With the fall of the LTTE, leaders who fled are
willing to come back. The Tamil political landscape is being relaid. - Ameen
Izzadeen (May 26,'09)
Iran courts the US's allies
The weekend's summit between Iran and United States-backed Pakistan and
Afghanistan has given Tehran an opportunity to deepen ties for the fight
against terrorism and narcotics, as well as to strengthen its position ahead of
proposed direct dialogue with the US. By presenting Iran as a regional power,
President Mahmud Ahmadinejad also boosts his chances of re-election in June. - Kaveh
L Afrasiabi (May 26,'09)
Pakistan, Iran sign gas pipeline
deal
Pakistan and Iran have reached agreement on a gas pipeline between the two
countries, concluding 14 years of on-off talks under the shadow of US
opposition. One-time likely partner India played no part in the deal, leaving
China with a likely future role. - Syed Fazl-e-Haider
(May 26,'09)
Sri Lanka wards off Western bullying
China and Russia have invited Sri Lanka to get involved with the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization and will ensure that the "international community"
does not torment Colombo. Sri Lanka is becoming the theater where Russia and
China are challenging the United States' global strategy to establish a North
Atlantic Treaty Organization presence in the Indian Ocean region. There is
moral muddiness all around. - M K Bhadrakumar
(May 22,'09)
Manmohan's new 'friends' fight for
scraps
The electoral rout of communist parties could be one good reason why
septuagenarian Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has looked unusually chirpy
this past week. As the free-market advocate's latest allies tussle for
lucrative portfolios, that mood may alter. - Raja Murthy
(May 22,'09)
Al-Qaeda keeps its eyes on
Afghanistan
A militant cell was on the brink of an assassination attempt on Pakistani
chief of army staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kiani last year, but it was halted by
top al-Qaeda leaders, an al-Qaeda insider has revealed to Asia Times Online.
They feared the backlash from such an incident would damage their overall
objective - to win the war in Afghanistan. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(May 22,'09)
DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
The pressure of an expanding war
For those old enough to remember, the United States has been here before.
Administrations that start expanding a war such as Afghanistan find themselves
locked in, even as the situation deteriorates. In Vietnam, the result was
escalation without end. If the fighting in the Afghan south heats up, pressure
for more troops may rise, as could pressure for more air power, more drone
power, more of almost anything. - Tom Engelhardt
(May 22,'09)
Indian stock surge a false guide to
economy
The remarkable surge in Indian stock prices that greeted the Congress-led
election victory signaled a belief that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will have
greater freedom in choosing his ministers and in deciding political priorities.
It did not indicate either domestic or overseas confidence in the country's
economic prospects. - R M Cutler (May 21,'09)
THE ROVING EYE
Slouching towards balkanization
Washington is focused on the Pakistani province of Balochistan like a laser. In
an evolving strategy of balkanization of the country - increasingly popular in
Washington foreign-policy circles - Balochistan has very attractive assets:
natural wealth, scarce population and a port, which is key for Pipelineistan
plans. - Pepe Escobar (May 21,'09)
Colombo savours victory
Since the Sri Lankan government's announcement that the 26-year war with the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was finally over, the streets of the capital
Colombo have been filled with loud celebrations and an overwhelming sense of
relief. But not everyone is shouting with glee. - R Stephen Prins
(May 21,'09)
A neo-con Yankee in Karzai's court
Clearly frustrated with Afghan President Hamid Karzai but hesitant to replace
him at this critical 
juncture, the Barack Obama administration reportedly plans to neatly sidestep
him by placing the politically dexterous former US ambassador to the UN and
Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, into a powerful, unelected position in the
government. But a newly emboldened Karzai won't easily walk into the sunset. - M
K Bhadrakumar (May 20,'09)
Al-Qaeda seeks a new alliance
As a part of its plan to create a strategic corridor stretching from
Afghanistan through Pakistan to Iran, al-Qaeda wants to ally with Jundullah, an
Iranian insurgent Sunni Islamic organization opposed to Tehran. A similar
alliance between al-Qaeda and a Pakistani militant group proved highly
successful. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (May
20,'09)
Fears of a Taliban spread
The Taliban phenomenon in Pakistan is confined to the western border with
Afghanistan, where the military and militants are currently engaged in fierce
battle. Any movement of the Taliban towards the north may complicate Pakistan's
relations with China, Central Asia and Russia, even jeopardizing the stability
of the region. (May 20,'09)
Zardari's gifts come with nuclear
glow
President Asif Ali Zardari's government needs every dollar it can get as 2
million people flee fighting in the war-torn northwest of Pakisan. Pledges of
aid from as far afield as Libya and the US will be helpful. France is throwing
in a little extra, with help on nuclear-energy matters. - Syed Fazl-e-Haider
(May 20,'09)
Karzai gains from opposition's
disarray
President Hamid Karzai's prominent opponents in this summer's Afghan elections
have withdrawn in disarray, making his re-election almost certain. Karzai has
deftly outmaneuvered his challengers by wooing tribal elders and by making
strategic cabinet shuffles. Perhaps more importantly, the United States
couldn't decide on another candidate to back. (May
19,'09)
Sore heads to follow India's stock
euphoria The euphoric surge in India's stock prices in
response to the country's election result failed to account for the future cost
of populist handouts, the dismal prospect for meaningful reforms, and the poor
economic outlook. The party was fun - but it will not last. - Kunal Kumar Kundu
(May 19,'09)
The rise and fall of Prabhakaran
All the pujas India performs to Lord Ganesh for 
good luck each morning cannot wash away the guilt the nation bears - the
curse of 70,000 dead souls. India created Tigers supremo Velupillai
Prabhakaran, but when he was pressured, he struck back. He killed a beloved
leader and became India's eternal enemy. - M K Bhadrakumar
(May 19,'09)
Tigers leave unfinished business
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka made a series of pivotal
blunders over the past few years, but not one as big as the decision to wage a
defensive war when its fighters lacked the numbers and the firepower for such a
strategy. The Tigers are as a result now defeated, yet the ethnic conflict
which led them to take up armed struggle 25 years ago is far from over. - Sudha
Ramachandran (May 19,'09)
India votes against 'demogagiri'
The unprecedented electoral shenanigans that India suffered this past month are
unique enough that they could inspire a new word: demogagiri. This linguistic
mash-up perfectly depicts the political circus that has alienated voters,
including self-serving politicians who have no idea why the country is so
disgusted. - Raja Murthy (May 19,'09)
The script goes out the window
The thumping election victory by the Congress party defied even its own
predictions, showing that despite India's frightening levels of diversity, a
common map for the inner, psychological desires of the nation can be traced. - Santwana
Bhattacharya (May 18,'09)
India opts for continuity, stability
The remarkable success of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Congress party
and its allies in securing another five-year term speaks to both the Indian
voters' desire for continuity and their concern over uncertain times. The
victory should lead to new economic reforms, while forcing a major rethink by
the defeated parties of the nationalist right and the communist left. - M K
Bhadrakumar (May 18,'09)
More battles ahead for Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan government has declared victory in its fight against the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, with the rebels themselves conceding defeat
in their 25-year-old struggle. Off the battlefield, though, Colombo is under
heavy international criticism over humanitarian issues, to the extent it could
lose out on much-needed foreign loans. (May 18,'09)
Now to put the pieces together
Punters and political analysts both back the ruling Congress party as the early
leader after the month-long parliamentary elections, but it could still be
anyone's game. Ground reports suggest the Congress is only marginally ahead of
the Bharatiya Janata Party, if at all, and both sides are well short of a
simple majority of 272 seats. Regional parties are rubbing their hands in glee.
- Santwana Bhattacharya (May 15,'09)
Limits to the Saudis'
jihadi crackdown
Riyadh's ability to curb the capabilities of Islamist rebels at home bodes well
for its blossoming international role in counter-jihadi efforts. However, huge
differences in economic conditions, religious hierarchy and tribal structures
will make it difficult to replicate the success in extremist hot spots like
Yemen, Afghanistan and Pakistan. (May 15,'09)
Afghanistan stalled on its land
bridge
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has long harbored the dream of his landlocked
country becoming a "land bridge" for regional trade. A recent pact with
Pakistan is a step in the right direction, but the Taliban and al-Qaeda have
other ideas. (May 15,'09)
Pakistan reels under Swat offensive
The Pakistani military claims it has killed more than 700 militants and that it
is closing in on  Taliban
strongholds in the Swat area of North-West Frontier Province. The week-long
offensive has displaced close to a million people, and many more are expected
to flee the fighting. This unfolding humanitarian crisis looms as a bigger
threat than the Taliban. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(May 14,'09)
 For
pictures from the Yar Hussain refugee camp in the Swabi district, North-West
Frontier Province, click here
Nepal's Maoists cry Indian foul play
According to the Maoists, the Indian establishment has forced them out of power
in a virtual coup by rallying disparate political elements, including the
Nepalese army and Nepal's deposed king. At the same time, the Maoists appear to
want to play by democratic rules, and may even strive to be Delhi's favorite
neighbors. The problem seems to lie in a five-letter word - China. - M K
Bhadrakumar (May 14,'09)
India, China lead anti-dumping dance
India has filed a record number of anti-dumping complaints against China with
the World Trade Organization. Whether these are genuine grievances or merely
reflect growing Indian concern over its trade deficit, New Delhi can have
little ground for complaint if the issues are unresolved years down the line. - Raja
Murthy (May 14,'09)
Pipelineistan goes Af-Pak
From the "Las Vegas of Central Asia" to the backlands of Taliban-controlled
Afghanistan and Pakistan to Beijing, Moscow and Washington, the politics of
"blue gold" (natural gas) and great-power politics are playing out in a lethal
liquid war. -Pepe Escobar (May 13,'09)
US choice hardly McChrystal clear
The selection of Lieutenant General Stanley McChrystal as the new top United
States  commander
in Afghanistan has been hailed by the Pentagon and the press. A closer look at
his career, which includes five years as a commander of counter-terrorism
operations, not counter-insurgency, indicates he will continue with the special
operations and airstrikes that have proved so counter-productive in
Afghanistan. - Gareth Porter (May 13,'09)
Afghanistan defies the US battle
plan
Prior to the Vietnam War, counter-insurgency thinking was considered a new and
even adventurous way of defeating wars of national liberation. Later, it became
synonymous with Western ideas of development - turning a backward traditional
society into a vigorous modern nation. Afghans see the concept in a different
light: a foreign power is occupying their land, just like the Russians,
British, Persians and Mughals before them. - Brian M Downing
(May 12,'09)
A new fight over the Iran 'threat'
United States President Barack Obama has made good on his promise to pay more
attention to the troubles in Afghanistan, and now increasingly in Pakistan.
Powerful pro-Israel factions inside and outside the US government are fighting
hard to redirect attention to where they believe it belongs - on Iran and its
nuclear program. - Jim Lobe and Daniel Luban
(May 12,'09)
Congress keeps all options open
As India anxiously awaits this week's election results, Nehru-Gandhi dynasty
scion and Congress Party general secretary Rahul Gandhi has sparked a firestorm
by making presumptuous requests to potential allies - and even foes - looking
to form a government. But for now, he has been given the cold shoulder. - Neeta
Lal (May 12,'09)
Taliban on the run in Swat
Pakistan's massive military campaign to oust Taliban forces from a
swathe of North-West Frontier Province in and around Swat has left as many as
700 militants killed, the government claims, and the Taliban on the run or
under siege in most places. Up to 1.5 million residents may be displaced in
coming weeks and ethnic tensions are simmering. This is exactly the
situation al-Qaeda has been waiting for. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(May 11,'09)
Colombo sticks to its guns
Sri Lanka's leaders believe nothing and no one should interfere at this pivotal
juncture of their offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam,
despite the chorus of international disapproval over the climbing civilian
casualty rate. The prickly response to Western interference in the war is
nothing new, and Colombo has powerful Asian friends it can turn to for support.
- Sudha Ramachandran (May 11,'09)
Zardari gets economic lifeline
President Asif Ali Zardari left Washington last week with promises of financial
assistance that may help to prevent Pakistan's crumbling economy from total
disintegration. They may, however, do little to halt increasing poverty in
a country where the elite are seen as still too keen to put themselves first as
largesse flows into the country. - Syed Fazl-e-Haider
(May 11,'09)
Sri Lanka's Tamils watch in silence
Around the world thousands of Tamils are protesting the war in Sri Lanka,
urging the United Nations to put an end to the battle that has left many of
their people trapped in a tiny war zone. Yet Sri Lanka's Tamils are remarkably
quiet. Some say they fear government retribution, others claim they're simply
fed up with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. - Ameen Izzadeen
(May 11,'09)
Sri Lanka's migrants secure
protection
An unprecedented agreement involving trade unions in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait
has secured new protection for Sri Lanka's migrant workers in the Gulf area.
The deal is seen as loosening the grip of recruitment agencies. Workers from
Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines may soon get similar protection.
(May 11,'09)
REBRANDING THE LONG WAR, Part 2
Balochistan is the ultimate prize
Strategically, the Pakistani province of Balochistan is mouth-watering: east of
Iran, south of Afghanistan, and boasting three Arabian sea ports, including
Gwadar - a harbor built by China - which is the absolute key. The only
acceptable scenario for the Pentagon is to take over Gwadar, gaining a prime
confluence of Pipelineistan and the US empire of bases. The die has been cast.
- Pepe Escobar (May 8,'09)(May
8,'09)
This is the concluding article in a two-part report.
PART 1:
Obama does his Bush impression
 VIDEO
In Pakistan's Swat Valley
Syed Saleem Shahzad meets the locals in northern Pakistan, where
the Taliban hold sway. (9 min, 19Mb) (May 8,'09)
A Lone ranger in Kashmir
Former Kashmiri separatist leader Sajjad Lone has stunned many people by
contesting the elections for a seat in parliament in Delhi - an institution he
has for many years railed against. The move has cost Lone some "friends", but
among the many views and voices in the volatile Kashmir Valley, he has struck a
chord. - Santwana Bhattacharya (May 8,'09)
Sun's dippers raise riddle storms
Astrophysicists in India, detecting fewer sunspots in a cyclic year when they
should actually be increasing, say the sun has grown quiet for the first time
in 100 years. Not only does this signal that Earth could face a "Little Ice
Age" in the near future, it reflects the inevitable: the dying sun will
eventually bloat to massive proportions and swallow the solar system whole. - Raja
Murthy (May 8,'09)
A right path for India's left
Seen as irrelevant by voters due to their anti-Western outlook, India's leftist
parties have lost support since a proud showing at the last elections. But many
of India's core problems - income inequality, caste discrimination, ethnic
militancy and religious extremism - can only be solved by embracing the left,
as it can focus on issues rather than identities. - Chietigj Bajpaee
(May 7,'09)
Al-Qaeda seizes on Taliban's problem
Taliban operations launched through the Pakistani tribal areas into Afghanistan
have been seriously disrupted this year. If more troops are relocated from the
border with India to this region, the Taliban will suffer further disruptions.
Al-Qaeda sees this as an opportunity. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(May 7,'09)
China-India equation still uncracked
With their deep-rooted cultural and religious ties and historic struggles
against colonialism, India and China could put aside their differences and
unite to boost their economies and deflect Western influence in South and East
Asia. But the wounds of the 1962 border war are still raw, with neither
prepared to take the first step towards reconciliation. - Jian Junbo
(May 6,'09)
India looks on as the East
integrates
India, blinded by security concerns, is a mere onlooker as neighbor China
step-by-step integrates its economy with other countries in the region, to the
benefit of all parties. - Zorawar Daulet Singh
(May 6,'09)
What Obama could learn from Karzai
There is supreme irony in the suggestion that what is helping Afghan President
Hamid Karzai more than anything else to wrap up his re-election on August 20 is
that Western politicians were so quick to distance themselves from him. Without
the opprobrium of their company, Karzai gained some key alliances and a new
credibility - even respectability - in Afghan eyes. It all reads like a
morality play. - M K Bhadrakumar (May 5,'09)
Al-Qaeda gets a new target
Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif has made a bold decision in answering the call
from the United States for all of Pakistan's politicians to throw their weight
behind the military to take on militants. The move is also dangerous. By
turning his back on Taliban and al-Qaeda members he once lauded, Sharif
has made himself a prime target, and al-Qaeda has already fired a
graphic first shot. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (May
5,'09)
Resourceful Taliban milk the land
The Pakistani Taliban are proving astute where matters of business are
concerned. From taking over a variety of natural - and legal - resources to
collecting "protection" tax from minority communities, the Taliban's economic
lifeline flourishes. And to keep the locals happy, there is even a policy of
profit-sharing. - Animesh Roul (May 5,'09)
Exposed jihadis put Pakistan on the
spot
The tales that seven Pakistani fighters caught in Afghanistan told
interrogators sent shock waves all the way to Washington. Evidence of a jihadi
network openly doing business in Pakistani cities was all the United States
needed to convince the leaders in Islamabad - both government and opposition -
that the time had come to stand united against militancy. Al-Qaeda has already
mapped its reponse. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (May
4,'09)
Politics debased in Tamil Nadu
The military endgame in Sri Lanka has coincided with the elections in India so
perfectly that the two events are destined to impact each other. Because voting
results due this month in the  southern
Indian state of Tamil Nadu, across the Palk Strait from Sri Lanka, could
determine which alliance rules in New Delhi, local grandstanding has reached a
feverish momentum. - Santwana Bhattacharya (May
4,'09)
Chinese antics have India fuming
For the first time, Beijing has dragged a territorial dispute
with New Delhi into a multilateral financial institution, putting the brakes on
an application by India for a loan to manage water in disputed Arunachal
Pradesh. India's response: reject China's request to participate in a 33-member
Indian Ocean initiative. - Sudha Ramachandran
(May 4,'09)
BOOK REVIEW
Behind the Afghan propaganda
Invisible History: Afghanistan's Untold Story by Paul
Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould
Providing an honest overview of the US's involvement in Afghanistan dating from
the Cold War, this book raises useful questions for anti-imperialists, "liberal
imperialists" and neo-cons alike. As independence continues to elude the Afghan
people, the full extent of Washington's meddling is revealed. - Anthony Fenton
(May 1,'09)
So far, so good
India's five-phase elections have entered the
crucial third round, which covers 107 constituencies in 11 states and two
territories. But the issue of who will be the next leader is far from settled,
as some very unusual turnout trends have emerged. - Neeta Lal
(Apr 30,'09)
Ideas before bullets
The Pakistan authorities, by using physical means to put down an uprising which
is political in origin, are stoking the flames of internal unrest and civil
war. This challenge would better be met with a barrage of ideas, not bullets or
missiles. And Islam is capable of meeting this challenge. - Asim Salahuddin
(Apr 30,'09)
THE ROVING EYE
The myth of Talibanistan
The Taliban's activities in Buner in Pakistan - which prompted a sharp response
from the military - have raised concern over the country to the level of
hysteria; that it is about to fall to an army of turbans. This is not going to
happen. What is happening is that the United States, to legitimize the next
stage in the Af-Pak war, is creating a new uber-bogeyman - Pakistan Taliban
leader Baitullah Mehsud. - Pepe Escobar (Apr
30,'09)
A capital idea for Afghanistan
With the United States' new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan already under
attack, a symbol of hope is badly needed for the former. Replacing Kabul with a
new capital in a more central part of the country might serve that purpose
well. - Peter J Brown (Apr 29,'09)
Indus Valley code is cracked - maybe
Indian-American scientists have brought the 4,500-year-old Indus Valley
civilization back 
under the spotlight, claiming to have proven that symbols found on excavated
seals are the written script of an ancient language. Skeptics dismiss this as a
further attempt by Hindu chauvinists to rewrite history in their favor. - Raja
Murthy (Apr 29,'09)
Many paths in Colombo's victory push
Although the Sri Lankan government will claim the lion's share of the glory for
what appears to be the imminent defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam,
a number of other factors have contributed to the Tigers' demise. The coming to
power of an Indian government opposed to the group, a key split in the rebels
and the US's "war on terror" all played a part. - Ameen Izzadeen
(Apr 28,'09)
Maoists isolated over army chief
Attempts by Nepal's Maoist government to sack the army chief have re-ignited
tensions with the military and threaten to derail the nation's fragile peace
process. The Maoists say they will quit the government if the general is not
fired, while there is speculation the army could retaliate with a "soft coup".
- Dhruba Adhikary (Apr 27,'09)
Pakistan goes its own pace on
militants
Despite violations - the most recent being in the Swat area
this weekend - Pakistan is adamant it will stick to its counter-insurgency
policy of making selected peace deals in the tribal areas, and it will not be
drawn into any major United States-inspired grand campaigns. - Syed Saleem
Shahzad (Apr 27,'09)
India anxious over Tiger chief's
fate
With the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam on the brink of defeat, the Sri
Lankan government says its three-decade hunt for chief Velupillai Prabhakaran
is nearing an end. His fate has serious implications for India, which might
well prefer to see him escape to foreign shores rather than deal with the
fallout from his capture or death. - Sudha Ramachandran
(Apr 27,'09)
Votes cast as a 'weapon of the weak'
The most vulnerable sections of Indian society - the poor,
women, lower castes, Dalits and tribals - are increasingly enthusiastic about
voting, much more so than the middle class and the rich. These voters believe
that their lives can be changed, even though history is against them. - Sudha
Ramachandran (Apr 24,'09)
India's politicos dangle US$1
trillion hope
India's villages could each benefit by more than US$2 million if $1 trillion
illegally spirited away to overseas bank accounts was forcibly returned. So
claim backers of a Supreme Court petition as the country's politicians preen
their self-righteous posturing and hypocrisy in the hunt for votes. - Raja
Murthy (Apr 23,'09)
INTERVIEW
Frontier wisdom
As governor of North-West Frontier Province, tight up against Afghanistan and
the troubled Pakistani tribal areas, Owais Ahmad Ghani has a major job on his
hands, but he has a clear  vision
of how to go about it. The key, he firmly believes, is in striking deals
directly with tribal leaders, thus marginalizing the militants. In the bigger
picture, though, everything depends on the situation across the border, where,
he says, the Americans have got it badly wrong. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(Apr 23,'09)
THE ROVING EYE
Torture
whitewash from The Dark Side
The drama of torture memos released last week is shaping up as a case of
American exceptionalism one cannot believe in. Without accepting full
responsibility for torture - and illegal, pre-emptive wars - there can be no
catharsis in America. President Barack Obama is smart enough to know that if he
looks the other way, this whole mess could come back to haunt, and even
destroy, his presidency. - Pepe Escobar
(Apr 23,'09)
Junk debt - or a rubbish
rating?
India's sovereign debt is a step away from being declared junk. Yet in the 18
years since its last sub-investment grade rating, the economy has been
transformed and the country is now seen as key to future world growth. Does
rating agency Standard & Poor's have particular insight - or has it mixed
up its data with figures for the US? - Kunal Kumar Kundu
(Apr 23,'09)
Maoists rule India's 'Red Corridor'
Maoists in India's Telangana region displayed their military
capability again this week with the high-profile hijacking of a train with 800
passengers. For years, the shadowy insurgents have inflicted losses running
into millions of dollars on the state they are seeking to overthrow.
Simultaneously, the Maoists have exacted a heavy price on the people they claim
they are trying to liberate. - Sudha Ramachandran
(Apr 23,'09)
Old military hardware in a new
bottle
Washington's core goal for Afghanistan is short-term military gains that aid
the "dismantlement and defeat" of al-Qaeda, despite promises of bringing
"greater balance" to the conflict. Disparities between the military and
development budgets, the tolerance for civilian casualties, and the support of
local warlords are also as high as under the previous administration. - Aunohita
Mojumdar (Apr 22,'09)
Staring at the sun in Afghanistan
Nation-building and counter-insurgency, cornerstones of the United States' new
non-military solution for Afghanistan, are doomed if there is an unskilled,
under-resourced "surge". If this means more "imperial storm troopers" who don't
speak the language and just kick in doors, then more reliance on air power and
more Afghan anger and alienation seem inevitable. - Gareth Porter
(Apr 22,'09)
Pakistan's rate cut just a scratch
Pakistan's business leaders welcomed the first reverse in the
country's monetary policy since 2002, before quickly pointing out that with
interest rates still at 14%, the central bank's 100 basis point discount rate
cut just scratched the surface of their problems. - Syed Fazl-e-Haider
(Apr 21,'09)
Ambush deep in the valley of death
At 11:15 am, just when the air cover pulled off to refuel,
insurgents, holed up in hidden bunkers, began to fire rockets, mortars and
small arms at American jeeps. A day that had been intended to
build bridges - both literally and figuratively - in Afghanistan's "forgotten
province" of Nuristan, had suddenly gone horribly wrong. - Philip Smucker
(Apr 21,'09)
BOOK REVIEW
Spoiling for a fight
The Accidental Guerrilla by David Kilcullen
The "accidental guerrillas", those wretched and unwanted "societal antibodies
emerging in response to Western intervention", love a fight, and they certainly
have one on their hands in Afghanistan, and increasingly in Nuristan province,
which the book clearly explains. As for the Taliban's and al-Qaeda's plan for
"victory" - there is no answer. - Philip Smucker
(Apr 21,'09)
India's eye in the sky takes aim
Monday's launch of an Israeli-built surveillance satellite is as much a
testament to New Delhi's growing space prowess as it is to rapidly expanding
India-Israel defense arrangements since the Mumbai terror attacks. India's new
satellite is meant to deter cross-border infiltration with technology that can
decipher license plates from 550 kilometers above the ground. - Neeta Lal
(Apr 20,'09)
Spengler and the next Indian premier
From Mumbai's famed lunch-box carriers to Asia Times Online readers, it's the
same question: Who could it be? When India's marathon elections end in a
month's time, the name of the next prime minister will be known. ATol readers
can learn the identity of Spengler today. - Raja Murthy
(Apr 17,'09)
Sri Lanka's other battle worsens
Whatever success Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa may claim in putting
down Tamil Tiger rebels, he is losing ground on the country's economic front.
More is required than calling in support from the International Monetary Fund.
(Apr 16,'09)
THE ROVING EYE
The mother of all cockfights
What President Barack Obama won't do - and the Pentagon won't allow - is to do
a full Vietnam and go down as the president who lost the American empire of
bases and the dream of prevailing in the New Great Game in Eurasia. Meanwhile,
it will be Predator hell from above raining over angry Pashtun tribals in
Pakistan. Make no mistake: there will be blood - a lot of blood. - Pepe Escobar
(Apr 16,'09)
Requiem for the 'war on terror'
It was undoubtedly one of the least sonorous acronyms in the
United States' bureaucratic history - GWOT for George W Bush's "global war on
terror" - and suddenly, thanks to the Barack Obama administration, it's gone.
It has been replaced by a hardly less sonorous one, OCO, standing for the
blandly Orwellian "Overseas Contingency Operation", and it carries with it
great significance. - Ira Chernus (Apr
16,'09)
Tigers stalk the ballot box
Sri Lankan Tamil Tigers and their supporters in Tamil Nadu have raised the
election temperature in the southern Indian state with threats and vitriolic
speeches, blaming the ruling Congress party for the hammering the Tigers are
taking. All the same, political expediency may yet win the day. - Sudha
Ramachandran (Apr 16,'09)
More than a tale of two
personalities
If incumbent Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the Congress party and Lal
Krishna Advani of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party had their way,
India's 714 million voters would make a straight choice between the two of them
over the month-long elections that began on Thursday. It's not as simple as
that. The Third Front, a loose coalition of regional parties with the left
acting as the pivot, is screaming to be heard. - Santwana Bhattacharya
(Apr 16,'09)
Militants open a new front in
Pakistan
When a United States Predator drone recently attacked the
tribal headquarters of Baitullah Mehsud it not only missed the Pakistani
Taliban leader, it stirred a hornet's nest. Mehsud has vowed to strike back in
the urban areas, starting in the port city of Karachi, where the security
forces have broken an unwritten agreement and cracked down on Mehsud's
supporters. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Apr
15,'09)
Nanomania sweeps India
Tata Motors looks to have a winner if advance bookings in India for what is
touted as the world's cheapest car are any guide, even if prospective buyers
stumping up 75% of the cost for the newly launched Nano can barely afford to
give it a mere weekend runaround. - Raja Murthy
(Apr 14,'09)
THE BEAR'S LAIR
The world's most important election
The elections in India that start this week could help the emergence of a
magnificent political and economic ally for the United States and Europe. Yet,
with the country's economy an accident waiting to happen, the poll outcome is
likely to contribute to the downside of a dismal global decade. - Martin
Hutchinson (Apr 14,'09)
INTERVIEW
Holbrooke reaches out to
Hekmatyar
The unprecedented meeting between a United States official and Dauod
Abeidi, a deputy of legendary resistance fighter Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, may
illustrate just how much the US wants to find a way out of Afghanistan. Then
again, nobody wants foreign troops out more than the Afghans, Abeidi says in an
exclusive. Syed Saleem Shahzad. (Apr
9,'09)
On the case in Tora Bora
An American attorney is defending ex-Taliban commander Awal Gul against
allegations that he aided and abetted Osama Bin Laden's confounding,
Svengali-like getaway during the battle of Tora Bora in 2001. But the case
won't hold up, says Philip Smucker, who was at the battle, knew Gul and is now
revisiting old haunts in the Afghan hills. What really happened is Bin Laden
paved his own exit, plain and simple, with guns, wits and money. - Philip
Smucker (Apr 9,'09)
Pakistan ponders the price for peace
Pakistan receives billions of dollars from the United States to cooperate in
the war against militants. Yet, amid a string of warnings of the impending
collapse of the country, the harsh reality is hitting home in Islamabad that
the military solutions the US pursues will never bring peace. - Syed Saleem
Shahzad (Apr 8,'09)
Indian stocks give poll cheer
The incumbent government in New Delhi can take some cheer from India's strong
stock-market gains, just as the country's voters prepare to go to the polls
next week. - Robert M Cutler (Apr 8,'09)
A sky filled with assassins
While the US's pilotless assassination drones patrol expanding global
battlefields, Pentagon dreamers are working on the next generation of killing
machines. Post-2020, they hope drones will be able to fly, fight and incinerate
enemies without human decision-making. But don't for a minute think those
hunter-killer skies won't some day fill with the drones of other nations too. - Tom
Engelhardt (Apr 8,'09)
Pebble-pelting Muslims a rocky issue
Security personnel in Indian-administered Kashmir have long struggled to deal
with teens who gather weekly to pelt them with stones, given that bullets and
tear gas have earned public condemnation. Now the police have invoked the
sayings of the Prophet Mohammed to stop the stone-throwers, and in the process
set off a fierce debate. - Sudha Ramachandran
(Apr 7,'09)
Gates' budget shakes up the
Pentagon
The latest military budget presented by US Secretary of
Defense Robert Gates signals a major shift in funding for the armed forces,
with a new focus on counter-insurgency. Some fear this will backfire should
conflict erupt with a large nation, while the defense industry is piqued at
cuts in weapons programs. (Apr 7,'09)
Well done, India
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh welcomed in London the bigger role his
country has secured in shaping global financial reforms. Yet the track records
of both India and the Group of 20 nations leave no room for optimism that real
change will follow. - Raja Murthy (Apr 7,'09)
No cheer in India's low inflation
The combination of government action and falling global prices appears to have
killed off inflationary tendencies in the Indian economy, with disinflation a
bigger risk. That impression is misleading. - Kunal Kumar Kundu
(Apr 6,'09)
All roads lead to Pakistan
Top United States officials are in Pakistan to discuss ways to increase their
participation in tackling al-Qaeda and militants. The militants are increasing
their activities, now targeting the capital Islamabad and Punjab, the largest
province. Pakistan is clearly emerging as a new war theater; there will be
heavy costs for all sides. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(Apr 6,'09)
India split over terror trial
India is in uproar over the trial of the lone surviving
terrorist of last year's Mumbai attacks, with angry groups pelting his lawyer's
house with rocks and demanding he be executed at the spot where he killed
civilians. But allowing mob rule or a kangaroo court to decide his fate would
cost India dearly. - Neeta Lal (Apr 3,'09)
US-Russia ties on a new trajectory
The meeting this week between United States President Barack Obama and his
Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev will not in itself repair the badly damaged
relationship between the countries. It does, however, mark a coherent effort to
create a critical mass in their ties that could lead to better things. Their
agreement on Afghanistan is as good a place as any to start. - M K Bhadrakumar
(Apr 3,'09)
THE ROVING EYE
Globocop versus the TermiNATO
No one will actually admit it - but many in Washington and Brussels would love
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to really be a borderless international
sheriff, bypassing the United Nations to perform humanitarian imperialism all
over the globe, taking out al-Qaeda and "terrorists" anywhere, and protecting
energy pipelines for Western interests in all directions. - Pepe Escobar
(Apr 3,'09)
China secures Myanmar energy route
China has secured an important alternative route for its
Middle East oil supplies, bypassing the Malacca Strait, with an agreement with
Myanmar to pump oil and gas from the Bay of Bengal to Yunnan province. The
energy coup, while benefiting Myanmar's generals, will doubtless upset India. - Sudha
Ramachandran (Apr 2,'09)
US strikes at Taliban's nerve center
The deadly United States Predator drone attack on Wednesday in Pakistan's
Orakzai Agency - the first of its kind in the area - is a warning shot for the
Taliban. Orakzai, close to Afghanistan, has grown into an important base for
the Taliban, fueling their operations on both sides of the border. The US is
now prepared to take matters into its own hands. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(Apr 2,'09)
SPEAKING FREELY
Indians' right and opportunity to
vote
When India heads to the polls this month, a large number of its citizens will
not be able to exercise their right to vote. These include migrant workers,
Indians living or studying abroad, travelling professionals and senior or
unwell citizens. Given India's global standing as the world's largest
democracy, this needs to change. - Naveen Jindal
(Apr 2,'09)
THE ROVING EYE
The secrets of Obama's surge
President Barack Obama is selling the US's military surge in Afghanistan and
Pakistan as nation-building based on trust. A hard sell if there ever was one -
as Washington cannot trust the Pakistani government or security forces, while
the Pakistanis don't trust Washington. Can nation-building be done by Predator
drones? Will this become Obama's Vietnam? Whatever it is, it's not about
"terrorists". Not really. - Pepe Escobar (Apr
1,'09)
Israel rushes to India's defense
Israel has overtaken Russia to become India's number one
defense supplier, signing a US$1.4 billion deal for an anti-missile air defense
system. The sale was made right before elections were called, allowing the
Congress-led government in Delhi to show voters that it doesn't take security
lightly. - Siddharth Srivastava (Apr 1,'09)
DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
Aboard the imperial star ship
Ameriprise
Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek may have first entered our homes more than
four decades ago, but its depictions of American optimism and cultural smugness
remain. Official American "expeditionary forces" continue to travel the "final
frontiers" of our own planet, armed to the teeth with our versions of phasers
and photon torpedoes. - William Astore (Apr
1,'09)
The rise and rise of the neo-Taliban
The neo-Taliban, a new generation of Pakistani, Afghan, al-Qaeda and Kashmiri
fighters, have formed a separate wing of the Taliban-led insurgency in
Afghanistan. Their operations, which will initially center on creating chaos
through kidnappings and attacks on high-profile individuals, will spread across
the region. The latest shot was fired in the "peaceful" Swat Valley on
Wednesday. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Apr 1,'09)
Hot debate as Obama's war drones on
Influential strategists in Washington are arguing that President Barack Obama's
plan for deeper United States commitment to the Afghan war will actually
strengthen jihadi groups and ignores the serious risk that an escalating war
poses to Pakistan, where US Predator drone strikes are already vehemently
unpopular. Such dissenting views, however, aren't gaining much traction on
Capitol Hill. - Gareth Porter (Mar 31,'09)
India up Sir Creek without a
paddle
Talks to resolve India's century-old dispute with Pakistan over Sir Creek, an
estuary that flows into the Arabian Sea, were scuttled following last year's
Mumbai terror attacks. As the deadline to file a mutually acceptable claim with
the United Nations approaches, the creek could be rendered off-limits to both
sides, making India the bigger loser. - Sudha Ramachandran
(Mar 31,'09)
Pakistan braces for more attacks
The authorities in Pakistan are still trying to piece together the details of
the deadly attack on a police college in Lahore on Monday, although Pakistan
Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud has claimed responsibility. Having once
nurtured the militants who now act as Mehsud's footsoldiers, military
headquarters know only too well who they are dealing with, and fear more
attacks soon. - Syed Saleem Shahzad (Mar
31,'09)
Afghan surge takes a fruitful twist
Upending the George W Bush administration's failed strategy of killing one
terrorist at a time in the hope they would all eventually disappear, US
President Barack Obama is calling for an unlikely army of idealistic American
"experts" to tackle the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Their weapons? Anything from
eggplants to grapes to beehives. - Philip Smucker
(Mar 31,'09)
The great Afghan bailout
For the conflict in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the term "surge" - and the Iraq
analogy that goes with it - is no longer appropriate. Instead, think bailout.
Think AIG. United States President Barack Obama's newly unveiled strategy
should really be re-imagined as another massive attempted bailout, this time of
an Afghan project that is now almost 40 years old. - Tom Engelhardt
(Mar 30,'09)
Militants give bloody show of
strength
Heavily armed militants on Monday stormed a police training school in the
eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, killing at least 30 people. The audacious
raid follows directly on US President Barack Obama's warning that Pakistan is
the new theater in the Afghan war. The incident highlights that an emerging
nexus of militants will make it extremely difficult for Islamabad to give
Washington the cooperation it wants in taming al-Qaeda and the Taliban. - Syed
Saleem Shahzad (Mar 30,'09)
India's virtual vigilantes
Cyber-activism is rapidly altering established mechanisms of expression in
India, with popular websites such as Facebook offering fresh templates to
mobilize social, political, religious and national sentiments. As a
consequence, the course of mainstream politics is changing. - Neeta Lal
(Mar 30,'09)
Ghosts of US’s unilateralist past
rise
Drawing comparisons to the faded Project for the New American Century, a newly
formed neo-conservative foreign policy organization offers a flashback to the
1990s, when its predecessor staked out the aggressive foreign policy of the
George W Bush years. For its formal coming out, it has chosen to push for a US
military surge in Afghanistan. - Jim Lobe and Daniel Luban
(Mar 27,'09)
THE ROVING EYE
Obama's Afghan Spaghetti Western
To sum up the acronym-infested mess in western Afghanistan, the whole picture
looks like Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The area's
most important military base is Italian, where 3,000 men are charged with
controlling a Mafia-run territory with Taliban Godfathers aplenty. The Italians
are encircled, and even a "pizza surge" from Rome might not save them. - Pepe
Escobar (Mar 27,'09)
Varun Gandhi: A pox on both his
houses
A podgy, 28-year-old named Varun Gandhi - a fourth-generation
recipient of the Mahatma's name, but not by blood - has begun an election
campaign so surcharged with Hindu extremism, thuggery and crude innuendo that
India's Election Commission has said he does not deserve to be a candidate.
Varun's juvenile delinquent, rabble-rousing persona is shocking stuff from a
young man who is also the great-grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru. - Santwana
Bhattacharya (Mar 26,'09)
'Killing season' opens in the Afghan
hills
Gaining local knowledge is the only chance of survival for
United States troops fighting a guerilla war in rural Afghanistan that is "new
in its intensity, ancient in its origin", reports Philip  Smucker,
embedded with the motley 10th Mountain Division near the Pakistan border. But
it is local knowledge that the US is sorely lacking in this war against
subversives, insurgents and assassins. (Mar 26,'09)
Kashmir's Lake Dal gently weeps
Jammu and Kashmir's idyllic Dal Lake is dying a slow death, environmentalists
say, the victim of pollution, urbanization and ... houseboats. Owners of the
lake's hand-carved, Victorian-era houseboats have been taking broadsides for
their role in the worsening water quality, and now face a ban. Whether or not
the boats are the cause, glistening Dal Lake could be gone in 50 years. - Haroon
Mirani (Mar 25,'09)
Chinese interests caught in drone
threat
China, eyeing a short-cut to Middle East oilfields, has emerged as an important
investor in Pakistan, notably in oil and port facilities in Balochistan
province. The Chinese projects are at risk if the United States goes ahead and
bombs the region. - Syed Fazl-e-Haider (Mar
25,'09)
Angered cricket fans add poll twist
The second season of India's hugely popular - and lucrative - "blitzkrieg"
cricket tournament will be played in South Africa next month, over fears Indian
security forces will be fully stretched during general elections. The nearly
100 million fans who watched last year's cricket fiesta on television will
still get to see their favorite sport on the box, but those millions who will
now miss the live spectacle are expected to express their disappointment at the
ballot box. - Raja Murthy (Mar 25,'09)
Caste politics come full circle
Though Brahmins sit at the top of India's caste hierarchy, they make up only 5%
of the population. After years on the sidelines, Brahmins are regaining their
political relevance, widely courted by political parties to plot their way to
victory in next month's elections. - Sudha Ramachandran
(Mar 25,'09)
Women lag in India's polls
India has a female president and prominent women leaders at
the regional level, but for this year's general elections there is only a
sprinkling of female candidates. Observers blame the discrepancy on male
parliamentarians who feel threatened. Or it could be a simple matter of money.
- Neeta Lal (Mar 24,'09)
India begins uphill journey with the
SCO
Delhi has begun the complex process of balancing the Central Asia strategies of
new United States President Barack Obama and the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization. In addition, India must grapple with growing international
opinion that a regional solution to the Afghan problem must include a
settlement of India-Pakistan differences, including Kashmir. - M K Bhadrakumar
(Mar 24,'09)
Pakistan's peace deals offer US a
pointer
United States President Barack Obama is now talking openly of an exit strategy
for foreign troops from Afghanistan, even as his best and brightest military
brains wrestle with a new strategy for the troubled region. The US's often
unwilling partner, Pakistan, could provide a valuable lesson with the peace
deals it has negotiated with militants in its tribal areas. - Syed Saleem
Shahzad (Mar 23,'09)
Petraeus hands over a 'political hot
potato'
United States Central Command chief General David Petraeus has quietly shifted
the "tactical control" of US special operations forces in Afghanistan to his
subordinate, General David McKiernan. Petraeus apparently prefers to have
McKiernan bear the responsibility for raids and airstrikes that are likely to
generate even greater Afghan and international outrage over the continued
killing of civilians. - Gareth Porter (Mar
23,'09)
US allays India's defense fears
Much to New Delhi's relief, the President Barack Obama administration is
sticking to its guns where matters of defense sales are concerned, evident by
the approval of its biggest arms sale to India to date. - Siddharth Srivastava
(Mar 23,'09)
What's eating at Kolkata's
Chinatown?
From the 15,000 ethnic Chinese Indians who once lived in South Asia's largest
Chinese community, now only an estimated 5,000 remain in Kolkata's Tangra
Chinatown. The once-bustling neighborhood's leather tanneries have been
relocated, and even sumptuous Chinese eateries may not secure the future of the
unique enclave. Indo-Chinese plans to revive the area may be too late. - Raja
Murthy (Mar 23,'09)
India battles its urban wild
Forget terrorists, India is fighting an even bigger enemy of
the state: city-dwelling wildlife. In state-of-the-art Haryana and New Delhi,
rats nibble on bureaucratic byproducts, while the latter is also plagued by
thieving monkeys, traffic-slowing livestock and potential assassins in the form
of stray dogs. - Priyanka Bhardwaj (Mar
20,'09)
US spills its Afghan war into
Pakistan
Expanding a covert war into Pakistani territory, as proposed
in Washington's new Afghan war plan, will derail any potential political
dialogue and rightly inflame the Pakistani public. There is now a growing
regional perception that President Barack Obama's administration lacks any
clear-headed strategy in the war. Political chaos in Kabul and Islamabad is
only making matters worse. - M K Bhadrakumar (Mar
19,'09)
A middle path opens up to Nepal
China wants to renegotiate its friendship treaty with Nepal, in part to
accommodate the ongoing Tibet problem. The move is also being interpreted as a
signal to India over Delhi's designs in the region. Kathmandu feels caught in
the middle, but just as the country acts as a passage for the rivers that flow
from China to India, Nepal stands to make considerable gains by being a bridge
between its two big neighbors. - Dhruba Adhikary
(Mar 19,'09)
THE ROVING EYE
Burn, Balochistan, burn
Somebody needs to tell United States President Barack Obama that a strong
government in Kabul capable of overseeing its provinces and porous borders is a
pipe dream, and that Western allies have no interest in participating in the
US's new front in the Pakistani province of Balochistan. The best solution for
Afghanistan remains China's: a UN peacekeeping force, largely composed of
Muslim soldiers. - Pepe Escobar (Mar 19,'09)
From the burqa to the catwalk
When an Afghan television station announced plans for Afghan Model, it
hoped to attract a few 
hundred contestants. Instead, more than 2,000 aspiring models, many of them
men, rushed to sign up. Most Afghans are still not keen on young people showing
off their bodies, but this has done little to slow the show's popularity or the
dreams of its contestants. (Mar 18,'09)
Bringing India's foreign policy home
India's famed "cart before the horse" economic policy has spilled over into the
arenas of foreign policy and defense, dominated by improving relations with the
United States and Europe while facing up to China. But New Delhi's focus abroad
has been at the expense of its security, as the country faces increased
instability in its own backyard. - Chietigj Bajpaee
(Mar 18,'09)
The Afghanistan seldom seen
Beyond Taliban attacks and the opium trade, there is another
side to Afghanistan that is rarely reported. From the Uzbek border in the north
to the deep south, there's a hidden world of 
stunning contrasts; of beauty and poverty, of young women getting educations
and musicians playing what couldn't be heard under the Taliban. These are
forgotten areas, untouched by the billions of reconstruction dollars that have
poured into the nation. - Pratap Chatterjee (Mar
18,'09)
Poll fever masks India's gloom
India's economy may be under severe stress - worse than
predicted - but with election fever taking hold such depressing news is buried
deep under the political coverage - and unbridled state largesse is already
being selectively bestowed on grateful social segments. - Santwana Bhattacharya
(Mar 17,'09)
Chinks exposed in Obama's Taliban
plan
Washington's new plan of wooing "reconcilable" insurgents away
from their "hard-core" comrades in Afghanistan may make an indefinite
continuation of the United States' military effort more palatable to key
officials - including President Barack Obama - who know that the war cannot be
won with force. Experts, meanwhile, are saying it just won't work. - Gareth
Porter (Mar 17,'09)
Unlikely bedfellows in Afghanistan
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, of which Russia and China are key
members and Iran is an observer, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are
both to hold conferences on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. These
high-profile events set the stage for a breakthrough over SCO-NATO cooperation,
beginning with the low-security issues of drug trafficking and arms smuggling.
- Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Mar 17,'09)
Harsh reality, tough love
Whereas in 2001 American military commanders in Afghanistan
were bursting with confidence 
about thwarting "the enemy", today's US commanders, many with years of
hard-fought experience, are far more cautious in their approach to
counter-insurgency. The inhibiting factors, they tell Philip Smucker,
are everywhere. (Mar 17,'09)
China-Nepal ties reach new heights
Nepal's strong-armed suppression of pro-Tibetan independence
protests on March 10 highlighted its growing relations with historical ally
China, which Kathmandu sees as a vital counterbalance to India's influence.
Beijing sees the Himalayan state as key in its competition with Delhi for
regional dominance, while Nepal needs friends to face spiraling ethnic and
political conflict. - Justin Vela (Mar
16,'09)
India tackles non-state actors
With traditional warfare almost a thing of the past, India's battles with far
less tangible enemies, from the Taliban to Pakistani militants, have escalated
and require a radical new approach. In response, the army has taken the
unprecedented step of forming a committee to address the issue, which may lead
to a major overhaul of military operations. - Neeta Lal
(Mar 16,'09)
Pakistan takes a right turn
In the early hours of Monday morning, the Pakistani government capitulated in
the face of escalating street protests. All of the lawyers sacked in 2007 will
be reinstated and the bans on key opposition figures will be reviewed. The
abrupt decision is a stinging setback to the United States' influence in the
country, and marks a decisive victory for the right wing. The troubles of the
government of President Asif Ali Zardari are far from over. - Syed Saleem
Shahzad (Mar 16,'09)
A surge towards disaster
The addition of 17,000 United States forces combined with soldiers pledged by
US allies will raise the foreign troop presence in Afghanistan to 90,000 by
2010. Critics say that the "surge" will only send the country toward
"unmitigated disaster", the brunt of which will be borne by Afghan civilians.
Meanwhile, any talk of an exit strategy has fallen off the table. - Anthony
Fenton (Mar 13,'09)
On patrol in the Afghan mountains
Elite United States mountain troops are teaming up with Afghan allies to slice
into insurgent 
supply lines, some of them mere goat paths through the alpine terrain of one of
the world's most dangerous frontlines. The US fighters are amused by their
hashish-smoking counterparts, but the mission is no joke, they tell Philip
Smucker. Should the routes remain open, even the best of Western
coalition "nation-building" efforts are likely to collapse.
(Mar 13,'09)
BOOK REVIEW
Buying what they're selling
India's Store Wars by Geoff Hiscock
India's underdeveloped retail sector is expected to explode in the next four
years. This book introduces the key players behind the coming revolution,
fueled by the half a billion people eager to sample the temptations of the 21st
century. The author, though, accepts too many stock answers straight from the
shelf. - Muhammad Cohen (Mar 13,'09)
India frets over Obama's Chinamania
The Barack Obama administration's overtures to China for a qualitatively new
relationship as a global partner have left Indian strategists with a bad
feeling that they've been had. The hard truth is that Delhi currently has
nothing to offer in comparison to Beijing. Yet in their peevishness, Indian
policy-makers are missing a golden opportunity. - M K Bhadrakumar
(Mar 13,'09)
Pakistan adds to US's Afghan woes
An opposition bloc centered around lawyers is literally on the
march in Pakistan against the government of President Asif Ali Zardari, who is
becoming increasingly isolated. At the same time, the Taliban-led insurgency in
Afghanistan is prepared - as the United States freely admits - for its
biggest-ever yearly push. Washington, which needs a stable Pakistan if it is
going to make progress in Afghanistan, is being forced into action. - Syed
Saleem Shahzad (Mar 12,'09)
THE ROVING EYE
Taliban set to burn the Reichstag?
The united Pakistani Taliban are helping to prepare a massive spring offensive
directed by Mullah Omar against the surging United States-led coalition in
Afghanistan. Meanwhile, cynics in Brussels bet that some weaponized arm of
Western arrogance doesn't stand a chance against built-for-war mujahideen who
have defeated everyone from Alexander the Great onwards. - Pepe Escobar
(Mar 12,'09)
India-Pakistan trade takes a
terrorist hit
Any chance of cross-border trade helping to ease India and Pakistan's bitter
rivalry appears near fatally damaged by the terror attacks in Mumbai and
Lahore. The greatest penalty is falling on Pakistan. - Raja Murthy
(Mar 11,'09)
The general struts his stuff in
India
Though New Delhi was hoping General Pervez Musharraf's visit
would remain incident-free, the 
former Pakistani president made it clear he hasn't tired of the spotlight - or
controversy. Clearly playing to the galleries at home, Musharraf managed to irk
Indian Muslims, widen the "trust deficit" and accuse Indian intelligence of
aiding militants in Afghanistan. - Siddharth Srivastava
(Mar 11,'09)
Sri Lanka dusts off the begging bowl
Sri Lanka's bill for its war on rebels, declining exports and
a failing currency policy have forced an about-face from the government as it
seeks US$2 billion from the International Monetary Fund. A boast that Colombo
had access to cheap credit without conditions now looks bankrupt.
(Mar 11,'09)
An unlikely engagement
The move by the United States to engage moderate Taliban - if
they even exist - runs counter to the planned surge of 17,000 troops into
Afghanistan. But with the war going as badly as it is, the US has little other
alternative, says a former Taliban cabinet member and diplomat. - Abubakar
Siddique (Mar 10,'09)
The trade-off season begins on
Afghanistan
Given the interlocking cross-currents swirling around the US-Iran-Russia
equation, it seems that a dizzying number of trade-offs are set to be floated.
One possibility is Russia returning to Afghanistan as a key partner of the
United States in exchange for stalling the deployment of the US missile defense
system. Meanwhile, Moscow maintains its excellent relations with Tehran by
proceeding with Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant. - M K Bhadrakumar
(Mar 10,'09)
A futile search for 'moderate'
Taliban
It's all very well for the United States to say that it wants to identify
moderate elements in the Taliban and engage them. But there is no such thing as
"another" Taliban - there are only sub-militias that are not called the
Taliban. The real moderates will come from the younger population out of the
schools - later, much later. - Walid Phares (Mar
10,'09)
The beast that is Indian democracy
India's rancorous election machine with its 714 million voters
is grinding into motion, generating a nation-wide frenzy - and a distraction
from the dismal economy. Spread over five phases in 800,000 polling booths and
with the support of 877 companies of paramilitary forces and 2.1 million home
guards, the sheer scale of the event leaves one breathless. - Santwana
Bhattacharya (Mar 9,'09)
Complexity and contradiction in
urban India
For many previously colonized nations, architecture is a powerful
expression of the will to be independent. From town planning to national
monuments, newly freed nations used visionary projects to create independence
myths that still endure. In India, such stories of urban vitality continue to
defy the world's economic slowdown. - Ashish Nangia
(Mar 9,'09)
US, Iran seek to stop Afghan
narco-traffic
Iran has reacted cautiously to United States Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton's suggestion that it attend a "big tent" conference on Afghanistan. As
a starting point, a focus on Afghanistan's illicit opium trade is a matter of
urgency as a successful anti-narcotics campaign would deprive the Taliban of
millions of dollars. Iran, which is directly affected by the flood of drugs
from its neighbor, would also benefit hugely. - Kaveh L Afrasiabi
(Mar 9,'09)
Bush's living legacy at
Bagram prison
The US's infamous Afghanistan prison is often referred to as
the "other Guantanamo", but it should be the other way around, given that many
of Gitmo's prisoners were originally held under even more horrific conditions
at Bagram. But though the Oval Office has changed hands, the game of
hide-and-seek continues. - Karen J Greenberg (Mar
6,'09)
 CHAN
AKYA
No work and no play ...
Terrorist attacks on sportsmen have pushed the conflicting agendas of social
development, national ego and attention-seeking into a new reality that is
compounded by the ongoing economic crisis. Being fabulously wealthy and all too
often cheating their way to achievements, sportsmen risk becoming the new focus
of social anger. That is, once anger over the financiers has cooled down a tad.
(Mar 6,'09)
Winds of change swirl in Pakistan
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has backed down over two controversial
moves that were widely seen as an attempt to curtail his political opponents.
This can be attributed to a more assertive army chief - fresh from a visit to
the United States - and an emboldened prime minister. Zardari still has room to
move, but the patience of military headquarters and Washington is wearing thin.
- Syed Saleem Shahzad (Mar 6,'09)
India scrambles to bring relics home
India has launched an all-out diplomatic offensive to recover the personal
effects of Mahatma Gandhi scheduled to go under the hammer in New York. As time
runs out and the American peace activist who organized the hyped-up sale ups
his demands, there can be little doubt that Gandhi would have been dismayed by
the ugly row. - Siddharth Srivastava (Mar
5,'09)
Gandhi's glasses and a rabbit's head
As in China over the auction of two looted bronze fountainheads, the auction of
Mahatma Gandhi's personal items has sparked national outrage in India. The
artefacts involved in both cases are symbols of an inglorious colonial past,
and many see the sales as a commercialization of their heritage by the Western
art collection business. - Sreeram Chaulia (Mar
5,'09)
Taliban force a China switch
China's regional allies, especially Pakistan, that have traditionally policed
Uyghur militants on its behalf, are in danger of being marginalized by a
powerful and assertive Taliban movement apparently less willing to defer to
Beijing. As a result, China is upgrading its direct contacts with non-Taliban
sectors, including Islamist political parties and intelligence forces. - Peter
Lee (Mar 5,'09)
Terror's guns don't discriminate
Cricket is a unifier across the South Asian region, and Tuesday's attack in
Pakistan on a convoy carrying Sri Lankan cricketers is unlikely to change that.
What has changed is the perception that particular segments of society, such a
sportspeople and artists, are immune from terror. (Mar
4,'09)
Pakistan's militants ready for more
The attack on the convoy carrying Sri Lankan cricketers in
Lahore on Tuesday was carried out by Punjabi militants who had planned to take
the sportsmen hostage in a bid to extract concessions from the government.
Although they were thwarted this time, more such incidents can be expected,
even as the Pakistan military prepares to dust off its iron fist. - Syed Saleem
Shahzad (Mar 4,'09)
Cricket diplomacy takes a hit
The Sri Lankan cricketers attacked in Lahore were on their way to a match they
were not originally meant to play. They had stepped in for the Indian team in a
move that was aimed at pleasing both Islamabad and New Delhi, as well as the
sub-continent's cricket-loving millions. Instead, the dark risks of cricket
diplomacy have been fatally exposed. - Raja Murthy
(Mar 3,'09)
'Cricket' attack marks a shift in
Pakistan
The brazen assault by 12 heavily armed men on a convoy carrying Sri Lankan
cricketers in Lahore, Pakistan's second-largest city, has strong similarities
to the terror attack in Mumbai in India last November. For reasons that could
be linked to the recent peace deals signed in Pakistan's tribal areas,
militants are now taking the battle into their country's major urban centers. - Syed
Saleem Shahzad (Mar 3,'09)
India dusts off free-trade banner
India has long been criticized for holding out against trade
agreements as it sought to protect its own industries, notably agriculture,
from foreign inroads. So there is more than a whiff of hypocrisy when India's
industrialists and trade groups warn against protectionist moves that will
limit their own success. - Raja Murthy (Mar
2,'09)
Power play behind Bangladesh's
mutiny
The failed uprising by the Bangladesh Rifles that left over 140 dead did not
stem simply from concerns over salaries and command structures. There is every
possibility that the Dhaka mutiny was backed by pro-Islam army officers whose
grand religious and geopolitical causes are far more profound than simple money
matters. - Sreeram Chaulia (Mar 2,'09)
DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA
The dictionary of empire-speak
Unmanned aerial vehicles called Predators and Reapers (as in Grim Reaper), both
of which use Hellfire missiles, criss-cross the skies over the Pashtun tribal
lands in Pakistan. Their names are just one example of Washington's imperial
language, which both normalizes imperial practices and, in perilous times,
blinds United States officials to crucial global realities. - Tom Engelhardt
(Mar 2,'09)
Trade stalls across divided Kashmir
Kashmiri traders looking to gain from improving ties between India and
Pakistan have seen their hopes dashed following the terrorist attack in Mumbai
late last year. Nor have they been helped by an absence of full telephone links
between the two parts of the divided territory. (Mar
2,'09)
One game India can't afford to lose
Fears are rising that New Delhi's preparations for hosting the
2010 Commonwealth Games are way off course, with the capital's creaking
infrastructure ill-prepared to deal with an influx of visitors and stadium
construction falling perilously behind schedule. Still, the organizers are
resolutely confident, saying it is like organizing an Indian marriage. - Neeta
Lal (Feb 27,'09)
Tamil pride shines with Slumdog
win
Bed-ridden M Karunanidhi, chief minister of the southern Indian state of Tamil
Nadu, saw in Tamil composer A R Rahman's Oscar victory a chance to boost Tamil
sentiment, bruised over the continuous killings in neighboring Sri Lanka. The
celebration may have brought some redemption, but New Delhi still wants to keep
a safe distance from the avenging Tigers of Tamil Eelam. - Santwana Bhattacharya
(Feb 26,'09)
THE ROVING EYE
Backstage at the theater of
'terror'
United States President Barack Obama - even without being an
expert on the Afghanistan-Pakistan theater - has got to be clever enough to see
the surge there as a suicidal gambit. The problem is that he still seems to
believe the war is "winnable", and his newest definition for victory is "to
defeat al-Qaeda". Well, if that is the mission he must pursue, the key is
Pakistan, not Afghanistan. - Pepe Escobar (Feb
26,'09)
Pakistan needs 'urgent' help
An influential United States' think-tank has called for at
least US$4 billion in urgent aid for Pakistan, saying "time is running out" to
pull it back from the brink. Without immediate action, the task force warns,
economic meltdown and spiraling radicalism will ignite the precarious security
situation in the nuclear-armed nation. - Jim Lobe and Ali Gharib
(Feb 26,'09)
Pakistan's turmoil echoes in
Afghanistan
The court decision on Wednesday to ban the leader of Pakistan's main opposition
party and his brother, the head of influential Punjab province, has thrown the
country into turmoil. The central government in Islamabad is under threat and
the army's non-interference in the political arena will be fully tested. For
the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan, the news is most welcome. - Syed
Saleem Shahzad (Feb 26,'09)
'Conspiracies' cloud India's terror
probe
India and the United States have welcomed Pakistan's admission that at least
some part of last November's terrorist attack in Mumbai was planned on its
soil. But Islamabad's acceptance only came after weeks of denials, evasion
tactics and conspiracy theories. As after September 11, 2001, bizarre
conspiracy theories were exploited for maximum political gain. - Sreeram
Chaulia (Feb 25,'09)
Zardari draws a blank from China
visit
Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari has returned home empty-handed from China
for the second time in a few months. His country's continuing economic woes and
dismal security situation may be cooling Beijing's enthusiasm for its southern
neighbor. - Syed Fazl-e-Haider (Feb 25,'09)
China breaks its silence on Afghanistan
Beijing has spoken out about the Afghanistan "problem" in a
state newspaper commentary that might have made cautious former leader Deng
Xiaoping wince at its audacity. Apparently, the Middle Kingdom has no problem
with the United States reinforcing its presence in what it called the "tomb of
empires". Instead, China will focus on securing its own position and biding its
time - and that's a strategy Deng could surely appreciate. - M K Bhadrakumar
(Feb 24,'09)
THE FIGHT FOR PAKISTAN'S POLITICAL
SOUL, Part 2
A new face for militants emerges
From battles in the mountains of Afghanistan and Kashmir to struggles in the
country's political furnace, Pakistan's premier Islamic party, the
Jamaat-e-Islami, has remained pro-military. This could all change should a
socialist-turned-Islamist be elected as party president: militants would be
given a powerful voice in the urban centers they now plan to infiltrate. - Syed
Saleem Shahzad (Feb 24,'09)
This is the second article of a two-part report.
PART 1:
Deal emboldens opposition
'Corrupt' projects disturb Goa's
peace
The easy-going peaceful beauty that helped to make India's Goa one of the
world's great tourist spots is being disturbed by villagers' claims that their
land and life are being wrecked by poorly planned projects given the go-ahead
by corrupt officials.(Feb 24,'09)
Nepal raises brows with envoy
postings
Chalk up another blunder for Nepal's Maoist-led government,
this time related to its odd ambassadorial choices. Among these is the United
States nominee, a Green Card holder who hasn't lived in Nepal for 30 years.
Such moves indicate that Nepal's revolutionary leaders are concentrating the
bulk of their attention on the perks and privileges of power. - Dhruba Adhikary
(Feb 23,'09)
Obama nixed full surge in
Afghanistan
United States President Barack Obama may have approved only 17,000 of the
30,000 troops requested in Afghanistan by United States commanders, citing
their inability to tell him how they would be used, but don't expect the top
brass to give up that easily. More pressure will follow an Afghanistan-Pakistan
policy review next month, echoing the days of the Vietnam War when president
Lyndon B Johnson faced similar demands. - Gareth Porter
(Feb 23,'09)
Tigers keep Colombo guessing
The cornered Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam again showed their daring last
week in a suicide air raid on government bases in and around Colombo. Now, a
surprise ceasefire offer from the Tigers could support claims that the deadly
strike was a last, desperate act - or the mercurial rebels could be playing for
time. - Sudha Ramachandran (Feb 23,'09)
India grapples with the Obama era
A pall of gloom has descended on New Delhi's elite and with it has come
pervasive nostalgia for George W Bush. The same Indian upper class that had
worked "shoulder to shoulder" with the Bush administration, now finds itself
awkwardly placed - all dressed up but with nowhere to go. Clearly, India is at
present nowhere near as valuable an ally as Pakistan for the United States. - M
K Bhadrakumar (Feb 20,'09)
Succession worries unsettle Tibetans
As the Dalai Lama enters his 50th year in exile, Tibetans are concerned about
the future of the "Free Tibet" movement on their spiritual leader's passing.
The issue of a successor is wide open, and even when a boy is finally chosen,
it will be years before he is ready to lead his people. Meanwhile, the Tibetan
Youth Congress is anxious to pursue a less peaceful path to independence. - Saransh
Sehgal (Feb 19,'09)
Crisis challenge for Sino-Indian
trade
Trade momentum between India and China survived the onset of the global
economic crisis. The two neighbors must now look towards easing suspicions and
lowering still high trade and cultural barriers if they are to take advantage
of the opportunities emerging from the slowdown. - Pallavi Aiyar
(Feb 19,'09)
India's nuclear submarine plan
surfaces
Along with announcing a dramatic increase in its defense budget, India has
revealed that a secretive project to build three nuclear submarines is nearing
completion. As tensions with Pakistan remain high and China's naval presence
expands, the subs are part of New Delhi's plans to beef up security by
completing nuclear-launch capabilities on land, air and sea. - Siddharth
Srivastava (Feb 19,'09)
Pakistan fears poverty surge
Pakistan, where one-third of the population is considered to be living below
the poverty level, is returning to the International Monetary Fund for more
cash on terms critics say will hurt those that most need help. Funding from the
US in return for "war on terror" assistance is a preferred alternative. - Syed
Fazl-e-Haider (Feb 19,'09)
THE ROVING EYE
Obama, Osama and Medvedev
The 1,600-kilometer Karachi-Khyber-Kabul supply line envisioned by the United
States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is for all practical purposes
dead - thanks to neo-Taliban guerrillas in Pakistan's tribal areas. If
Washington and Moscow can't hash out a new route, the only other realistic
possibility for the coalition is courting Iran, which is already deeply
connected to Russia, and China. - Pepe Escobar
(Feb 19,'09)
Balochis intensify rebellion in
Iran
Violence between Iranian security forces and ethnic Baloch insurgents has
escalated in Iran's southeastern province, with Jundullah (Soldiers of God)
militants unleashing suicide car bombings and executions in response to what
they claim is state-sponsored discrimination against their Sunni Muslim
minority. There are now fears that foreign fighters could be drawn into the
battle, possibly destabilizing Iran and the region. (Feb
19,'09)
Two wars heat up India's elections
The jungles of Sri Lanka, Southeast Asian sea lanes, Pakistan's frontier tribes
and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation: these are strange issues to be
buzzing around in the run-up to the usually self-absorbed Indian national
elections. This year, however, the globalized recession and the threat of
transnational terrorism have forced opposing parties to focus on events and
people beyond India's borders. - Santwana Bhattacharya
(Feb 18,'09)
Yadav celebrates Indian rail triumph
Lalu Prasad Yadav has completed his task of transforming India's railways from
loss-making disaster to profit-churning behemoth. The next goal is another
transformation no less remarkable - from jail-bird and heading one of India's
most backward regions to the office of prime minister. - Raja Murthy
(Feb 18,'09)
The Taliban get their first wish
The guns are silent in the Swat Valley in the Malakand division of Pakistan's
North-West Frontier Province following Monday's peace agreement between the
government and militants. Islamic law will also be implemented. This is a
significant victory for the Pakistan Taliban and their al-Qaeda colleagues
after two years of fighting, and an extremely ominous development for the
United States-led troops just across the border in Afghanistan. - Syed Saleem
Shahzad (Feb 18,'09)
Tigers unleash fury on fleeing
'shields'
As Sri Lankan forces close in on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Tamil
civilians leaving the war zone are bearing the brunt of the separatist group's
last-ditch survival measures. These include being targeted by Black Tiger
suicide bombers - a mainstay in the Tigers' arsenal. Rumors are also swirling
of plans for a mass suicide involving Tiger leaders. - Sudha Ramachandran
(Feb 17,'09)
US and Japan build a new Silk Road
By helping establish a new Eurasian transport corridor, Japan can honor
commitments to its ally Washington in the "war on terror", and revive its
long-lost Central Asian initiative. This re-energized role in the region -
namely, sending troops to Afghanistan - fits in well with Tokyo's vision for an
invigorated Japanese diplomatic strategy in the 21st century.
(Feb 17,'09)
Obama and the counter-insurgency
era
US President Barack Obama campaigned on keeping counter-insurgency as a key
element of US power, and it is likely that such "irregular warfare" will remain
at the forefront of US policy, strategy and operations for the foreseeable
future. Still, a shift in rhetoric now emphasizes "smart power" as the
administration scrambles to "re-brand" the US's image. - Anthony Fenton
(Feb 17,'09)
CHAN AKYA
Slumdog communists
A successful and critically acclaimed film may well do more to get Indians out
of their self-inflicted rut than any other media in this movie-crazy country.
The more everyone around the world praises the film Slumdog Millionaire,
the greater the embarrassment for the Indian middle classes who look but do not
see the abject poverty and low living standards around them.
(Feb 13,'09)
A flying road for Asia's
embattled elephants
For India's endangered population of Asiatic elephants, tragic accidents
involving human encounters are fast contributing to their demise. One national
park has come up with a solution: the world's first exclusive flyover for
elephants, which promises to keep them safe from trains, automobiles and even
angry villagers. - Raja Murthy (Feb 13,'09)
Pakistan recovery fragile at best
Pakistan's economy has shown signs of recovery since the
government reluctantly accepted terms for a US$7.6 billion standby agreement
with the International Monetary Fund late last year. Yet further progress will
be hard, as exporters struggle, and terrorism still overshadows daily life. - Syed
Fazl-e-Haider (Feb 12,'09)
India scoffs at Pakistan’s evasion
tactics
Pakistani claims that it needs more information on the Mumbai terror attacks of
last November before it can register a case against the perpetrators are being
met with cries of "rubbish" from India. With politicians gearing up for
national elections, New Delhi faces mounting pressure to take action - though
al-Qaeda says India will pay a heavy price if it attacks Pakistan.
(Feb 12,'09)
Taliban send a bloody warning
The United States and Britain are working overtime, with help from Russia, in
preparation for what they believe will be the biggest-ever offensive against
militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Wednesday's brazen multiple terror
strikes in the Afghan capital of Kabul underscore the urgency of the task,
while also sending a clear message that the Taliban and al-Qaeda now have the
capability to strike anywhere in the region, at any time. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(Feb 12,'09)
India's vote-seekers blaze new
trails
With campaigns of unprecedented sophistication highlighted by an increased
focus on multimedia outlets - all orchestrated by pricey blue-chip advertising
agencies - India's politicians are pulling out all the stops in the runup to
national elections. The ruling coalition has budgeted US$30 million, while the
opposition hopes to avoid a repeat of its disastrous "India Shining" campaign
from 2004. - Neeta Lal (Feb 12,'09)
Tata's global dream turns nasty
Ratan Tata's goal as head of his eponymous Indian industrial giant has turned
from global leadership to survival as ambitious debt-financed expansion meets
the oncoming train of the world economic downturn - Tata's iconic car brands
Jaguar and Land Rover are looking to European bailouts for survival. Another
concern is what legacy will be left when the septuagenarian hands over power of
the 140-year-old Tata dynasty three years hence. - Raja Murthy
(Feb 10,'09)
It's official - India is not ready
for war
India's defense minister says red tape, not budget deficits, is holding back
the military's modernization. The revelation is telling, given the army's
apparent inability to take part in retaliatory strikes in Pakistan after last
November's Mumbai terrorist attack. Still, an emerging post-Mumbai consensus at
the top could open the floodgates for all kinds of defense spending. - Siddharth
Srivastava (Feb 10,'09)
Maoists see red in Nepal
There is increasing concern in Nepal as the ruling Maoists continue to defy
their pledge to stick to the democratic process. The most recent case relates
to three caste-related ordinances, but what's even more worrying is the
revolutionary zeal with which the Maoists might handle the writing of a new
constitution. - Dhruba Adhikary (Feb 10,'09)
Unholy row in India's election
commission
An internecine war over the Election Commission of India's impartiality has
become a swirling controversy that has dragged in the high office of the
president, divided the entire polity, and embroiled the legal fraternity. The
ugly spat has politics written all over it, and national polls are just 10 or
so weeks away. - Santwana Bhattacharya (Feb
9,'09)
Everyone wants a piece of the Afghan
war
Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will be allowed to negotiate
with Tehran on an individual basis to have their supplies for Afghanistan
transported via Iran. This dramatically increases Iran's influence in this
region. At the same time, China is entertaining members of Pakistan's main
Islamist political party in a bid to strengthen its relations with key players.
And in Islamabad, leaders are imposing their own terms and conditions to fight
the American war in Afghanistan. - Syed Saleem Shahzad
(Feb 9,'09)
Whistling past the Afghan graveyard
In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the question is no longer whether the United
States is in command, but whether it can get out in time. If not, don't expect
the other pressed powers of the planet to help out. The Europeans are already
itching to get out of town. The Russians, the Chinese, the Iranians, the
Indians ... who exactly will ride to the rescue? Perhaps it would be more
prudent to stop hanging out in graveyards. - Tom Engelhardt(Feb
6,'09)
Sri Lanka's end game brings new woes
The Sri Lankan government may be confident the Tamil Tigers will be defeated in
a few days, but the military offensive against the rebels has opened a whole
new powder keg of problems. In the little remaining territory held by the
Tigers, civilians are trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea. - Sudha
Ramachandran (Feb 6,'09)
Iran and the US: United over
Afghanistan?
This weekend's Munich Security Conference, which brings together a dozen world
leaders and top diplomats and defense officials, has a lot on its plate,
particularly the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. Destabilizing problems
in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are a major concern, but a potential grand bargain
between the United States and Iran is the main talking point. - Syed Saleem
Shahzad (Feb 6,'09)
India sees sense in lobbying America
Aggressive lobbying efforts by Indian diplomats after the Pakistan-linked
terror attack on Mumbai last November went a long way towards the passing of
the United Nations resolution that unanimously condemned the attack and praised
India's restraint. New Delhi is now applying similar tactics in Washington over
its ailing software sector. - Siddharth Srivastava
(Feb 5,'09)
Russia anchors ties with India
On the surface, Russia's recent joint naval exercises with India were held to
increase counter-terrorism capabilities and combat piracy. But Moscow's
participation was also part of its aim to show the international community the
country's resurgence. India, meanwhile, has its sights set on military
procurement, with a Russian aircraft carrier still at the top of its wish list.
- Roger McDermott (Feb 5,'09)
Now, where were we in Afghanistan?
Seven years after United States-backed forces chased out the Taliban,
Washington's precise aims in Afghanistan are still anyone's guess. In the face
of what most analysts and officials concede is a deteriorating situation, the
Pentagon is actively downgrading the original hopes of ushering in a thriving
democracy, while also undertaking a comprehensive review of strategy. - Jim Lobe
(Feb 4,'09)
Kabul faces a constitutional crisis
The Afghan parliament has accused the nation's election commission of
overstepping its legal authority by delaying national elections until August
20, while politicians warn of a political crisis that could harm the country's
fragile democracy. Because President Hamid Karzai's term constitutionally ends
in May, declaring a state of emergency may be his only legal way to remain in
power. (Feb 4,'09)
India's unofficial number two
While Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recovers from bypass surgery,
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has stepped into his shoes - sort
of. Though he's taken on many of the leader's duties, he lacks official power,
highlighting a conspicuous absence of a functional head of government. This
suits the ruling Congress party just fine, keeping any powerful threats from
derailing Rahul Gandhi's candidacy as premier. - Neeta Lal
(Feb 4,'09)
India looks to pick up Sri Lankan
pieces
As the Sri Lankan military's offensive on the remnants of rebel Tamil Tiger
territory approaches the end game, India is preparing to play a major role. The
political settlement Delhi seeks is not only for the hundreds of thousands of
civilians caught in the crossfire, but also expedient at a time pro-Tamil
tensions in its Tamil Nadu state threaten to bring turmoil and separatism to
its territory. - Sudha Ramachandran (Feb
3,'09)
Security peddlers eye Afghan
windfall
With the United States poised to send more troops into Afghanistan, the world's
private military and security firms are gleefully awaiting the contracts that
will follow. But those looking for a new gold rush in Afghanistan could be
disappointed. For starters, their presence isn't exactly welcome and their
record is far from spotless. David Isenberg (Feb
3,'09)
Taliban ideology echoes in the
valley
 From
being Pakistan's premier tourist destination, the Swat Valley is essentially
off-limits as the Taliban forge ahead in their quest to implement sharia law.
Taliban leader and spokesman Haji Muslim Khan traces the roots of this struggle
to the system of government the country inherited from the British, and laments
how his countrymen have become "slaves". Khan gives his side of the story over
alleged Taliban misdeeds and in sourcing weapons, and reserves his strongest
vitriol for "traitorous" Pashtuns. He speaks to Syed Saleem Shahzad.
(Feb 2,'09)
The is the final article in a four-part series.
Part 1:
A battle before a
battle
Part 2:
Faceless Taliban rule
Part 3:
Swat Valley: Whose war
is this?
Political goons shock India
In a series of attacks on what they see as violations of Indian culture,
raucous political fringe groups have unleashed their fury on businesses and
schools in Mangalore and Mumbai, including a brutal assault on a group of girls
for drinking in a bar. Rights groups have called it a "Talibanization" of
India, and fear the attacks will grow in intensity as national elections near.
- Neeta Lal (Feb 2,'09)
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ATol
Specials
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Syed Saleem Shahzad in
Pakistan's Swat Valley (May '09) |
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By Syed Saleem Shahzad
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Syed Saleem Shahzad reports on
the Afghan war from the Taliban side
(Dec '06)
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A series by Syed Saleem Shahzad
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