Comments & Briefs

By concentrating only on the inequities of the blasphemy law, Pakistani ‘moderates’ and commentators elsewhere are missing the point that the real battle is against radical Islamic thought.

North Korea’s offer of a dialogue is unlikely to elicit a positive response from South Korea which instead is militarily drawing closer to Japan to enhance deterrence.

After Lisbon, the next step for NATO and Russia should be addressing issues relating to deployments of arsenals and arms control.

Given the strategic importance of Sudan, it will be in India’s interest to push for a fair and just referendum and influence both the North and the South to respect the outcome of the vote.

The peace process was deadlocked, with extreme polarization within and among the political parties on various issues.

It is vital that the framework of the talks be informed by the element of inclusiveness based on a ‘problem solving’ approach.

The absence of a credible interlocutor in Pakistan who can exercise effective control over the Pakistan army leaves India with little choice except to open a parallel dialogue with the military establishment in Pakistan.

The success of the visit was limited to strengthening links of economic diplomacy between the two Asian giants, ignoring the geo-political and strategic issues that act as de-stabilisers in Sino-Indian relations.

The durability of the New START will depend largely on how both sides value it as a means towards disarmament rather than for strategic competition.

If the achievements of Premier Wen’s visit to India were more pronounced in terms of economic content, his visit to Pakistan was more characterised by political and strategic significance.