US Foreign Policy Today: American Renewal? by Steven W. Hook and James M. Scott President Barack Obama entered office in January 2009 with a plateful of domestic and international challenges. The worst economic recession in decades, a financial system teetering on the brink of collapse, two increasingly costly and unpopular overseas wars, festering nuclear tensions with Iran and North Korea, isolation and distrust from the international community and the threat of international terrorism were some of the challenges Obama inherited from his predecessor, George W. Bush. US Foreign Policy Today: American Renewal?, edited by Steven W. Hook and James M. Saroj Bishoyi | March 2012 | Strategic Analysis
Chinese Engagement with the Maldives: Impact on Security Environment in the Indian Ocean Region This article explores the objectives of China's engagement in the Maldives and how the current administration of the country is responding to it. The article also looks at how the Maldives has been used by major powers in the past. On the basis of these analyses, it envisages the path that Maldivian foreign policy is likely to follow in the future and its likely impact on the security environment in the Indian Ocean region. Anand Kumar | March 2012 | Strategic Analysis
The US–India Nuclear Pact: Policy, Process and Great Power Politics by Harsh V. Pant The Indo-US nuclear deal not only opened the gates of international nuclear trade for India, but it also showed that India was ready to take its rightful place among the comity of nations as an emerging power. For three long years from 2005 to 2008, the world's strongest and largest democracies were involved in intense diplomatic parleys. At stake in these negotiations was not only the normative order in the form of the non-proliferation treaty (NPT), but also the very existence of the ruling political dispensation in India. Yogesh Joshi | March 2012 | Strategic Analysis
The Role of the National Solar Mission in Climate Change Mitigation and the Twin Objective of Energy Security This article outlines the National Solar Mission's role as India's major climate change mitigation policy, arguing that India's National Solar Mission (NSM) was initially conceived to bolster India's position against legally binding commitments on carbon emissions. However, the NSM also has twin objectives in energy security. Progress in the NSM is outlined before its problems are examined in order to clarify how the Indian government may direct its development to fulfil energy security and energy access goals. Nigel Singh | March 2012 | Strategic Analysis
Reopening the Debate on Limited War The commentary makes the case for reopening the Limited War debate in order to inform explicit articulation of a Limited War doctrine. Ali Ahmed | February 29, 2012 | IDSA Comments
Anti-Talk ULFA Faction: Why a Comeback is Unlikely Given the hostility of Assamese society to indiscriminate violence and the sullied image of the ULFA leaders due to their amassing of wealth through extortions, the anti-talk ULFA faction would not be able to make a determined come back. Namrata Goswami | February 29, 2012 | IDSA Comments
Tougher US Sanctions against Iran: Global Reactions and Implications US President Barak Obama recently signed a tougher sanctions law against Iran in a continuing bid to coerce Tehran into abandoning its nuclear programme. This Backgrounder discusses the reactions of the emerging powers to the new sanctions and their implications. M. Mahtab Alam Rizvi | February 28, 2012 | Backgrounder
Obama and the Israel-Palestine Peace Process The Israeli-Palestinian peace process is so dependent on the vagaries of the US political and electoral system that any change in administration in November 2012 would certainly make or delay the implementation of the steps necessary to secure lasting peace. Sam Kuruvilla | February 27, 2012 | IDSA Comments
Growing Maoist Activism in Assam: Sinister and Calculated Moves Although law enforcement agencies have been receiving timely reports about growing Maoist activities in Assam, it appears that they do not pay much attention to the issue. Nihar R. Nayak | February 24, 2012 | IDSA Comments
A Gloomy Syrian Scenario Overthrowing Bashar is likely to result in an Islamist regime, which might turn out to be far worse for the country’s Kurdish, Christian, Druze and Armenian minorities. Jagdish N Singh | February 24, 2012 | IDSA Comments
