Soleimani’s Killing Redefines US-Iran Rivalry The situation in Persian Gulf has been on the boil with several tit-for-tat actions raising the chances of a direct confrontation. However, Iran will be cautious in choosing an all-out war given its vulnerabilities against the US military might. Md. Muddassir Quamar | January 13, 2020 | IDSA Comments
Biological Security and Health in the Post-pandemic World: The Infectious Disease Community’s ‘Mushroom Cloud’? The Cold-War During the cold war and for ten years thereafter, the United States of America (USA) and other countries developed physical and medical countermeasures to protect their military forces… Continue reading Biological Security and Health in the Post-pandemic World: The Infectious Disease Community’s ‘Mushroom Cloud’? David R. Franz | January-June 2020 | CBW Magazine
Human Capital for the Department of Military Affairs The creation of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) in the Ministry of Defence portends better civil-military cooperation. That India’s civil-military cooperation was in need of structural reform was never doubted. Yet, the implementation of such reform lacked political will, faced bureaucratic resistance, and was stymied by elements within the armed services. Prakash Menon | January-June 2020 | Journal of Defence Studies
Illicit Drug Trafficking and Financing of Terrorism: The Case of Islamic State, Al Qaeda and their Affiliate Groups The revenue generated from the drug trafficking business constitutes a fifth of the organised crime revenues, with annual worldwide value of the trade estimated to be around $650 billion. As the trafficking of drugs provides a lucrative opportunity, transnational terror groups such as Al- Qaeda, the Islamic State and their affiliates are increasingly using illicit drug trade to fund their expenses and operational costs. Further, with the increasing surveillance of the funding routes of terror by the security forces, the traditional sources of revenue have dried up. Yashasvi Chandra | January-June 2020 | Journal of Defence Studies
Influence of Alfred Thayer Mahan on Japanese Maritime Strategy The Imperial Japanese Navy’s (IJN) resurgence during the Meiji Restoration was challenged by the absence of maritime capability and an equivalent strategic underpinning. In turn, the IJN reached out to Western navies to develop its capability and establish its maritime moorings. The musings of Alfred Thayer Mahan served to fill this void. The IJN studied Mahan’s tenets and became particularly fixated on certain ideas which fuelled their tactics and hardened their war plans. Himadri Bose | January-June 2020 | Journal of Defence Studies
United Nations Peace Operations: Personal Experiences and Reflections We are passing through a decisive stage in the history of the international system. The threat of war between great states, or nuclear confrontation between major powers, is well behind us and, in fact, fading in our memory. However, new and diverse forms of threats, some clear and present, others only dimly perceived, are testing our resolve and questioning the validity of our existing mechanisms. Developments at the international level over the last two decades have exposed deep divisions within the membership of the United Nations (UN) over fundamental policies on peace and security. Satish Nambiar | January-June 2020 | Journal of Defence Studies
NRC Will Make India-Bangladesh Relations More Sustainable The issue of illegal migration in India-Bangladesh relationship cannot be swept under the carpet. It will be better if both sides look at the issue dispassionately especially when the trust levels are high. Anand Kumar | January 08, 2020 | IDSA Comments
Mitigating Fear and Regaining Trust: How to Understand China’s Response to COVID-19 Introduction There is a long history of human fears toward infectious disease and it doesn’t necessarily disappear with the development of medical science. The ancestral fear toward infectious diseases plays… Continue reading Mitigating Fear and Regaining Trust: How to Understand China’s Response to COVID-19 XIE Chao | January-June 2020 | CBW Magazine
Italy’s COVID-19 Crisis and Response After eight weeks of lockdown, Italy has gradually started to reopen. Positive cases and death numbers have begun to decline, albeit slowly, and caution, social-distancing, patience, and perseverance will still… Continue reading Italy’s COVID-19 Crisis and Response Chiara De Cuia | January-June 2020 | CBW Magazine
Active Defense: China’s Military Strategy since 1949 The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has undertaken its most elaborate reforms since the past 30 years under President Xi Jinping. The current PLA restructuring since 2016 aligns with China’s broader regional and global interests. President Xi has set 2020 as the deadline for the PLA to achieve mechanization, 2035 for informatisation and 2049 to make the PLA into a world-class army. Just a year before PLA’s first deadline, M. Taylor Fravel’s book Active Defense is a timely intervention to understand China’s changing military approaches and strategies. Suyash Desai | January 2020 | Strategic Analysis
