UN’s Role in South Asia: The Case of Nepal Nepal has conducted a slew of political experiments since 2006. By inviting the Maoists into the mainstream and collectively deciding to dump the Constitution of 1990, there was hope that a new era of peace and stability would begin with the end of the decade-long armed insurgency. The Constituent Assembly (CA) elections of 2008 saw the emergence of the Maoists as the largest party—which was a totally unexpected and surprising outcome for the international community. Nishchal Nath Pandey | November 2011 | Strategic Analysis
Political Cost of PM Bhattarai’s India Visit The visit gave an opportunity to both India and the Maoists to settle some of their misunderstandings. However, it could be a huge risk for India to engage him more at the individual level than at the party level. Nihar R. Nayak | October 31, 2011 | IDSA Comments
Gaddafi’s Death: Mission Accomplished! One monarch less is good, the mission has been accomplished and whatever else is happening in Libya is just mundane. Preeti Nalwa | October 29, 2011 | IDSA Comments
The Manipur Blockade: Symptom of a Crisis in Desperate Need of Resolution Barely a year after suffering two months of road blockade by Naga groups, Manipur is in the throes of a similar crisis again. What Manipur is in desperate need of is a resolution of the crisis." Namrata Goswami | October 28, 2011 | IDSA Comments
Ravi Kalia, ed., Pakistan: From the Rhetoric of Democracy to the Rise of Militancy Abraham Lincoln, defined democracy as: “Government of the people, by the people and for the people”. Democracy is a form of government in which the authority of government is based on the will of its individuals. Governmental authority is legitimately exercised in accordance with a written constitution which is the “supreme law of the land”. In the 60 plus years of its history, however, democracy has remained an elusive dream in Pakistan. Saroj Bishoyi | October 2011 | Journal of Defence Studies
Pakistan: Crisis of Confidence & Credibility Pakistan has all the signs and symptoms of an ailing State that may not be able to sustain itself at the current rate of deterioration. It suffers from the crisis of confidence at home. People, an important constituent of the elements that defines a State, are fast losing faith in their governing institutions. The most revered institution in Pakistan, the military, failed to detect foreign forces barging into their territory and executing an operation killing Al Qaeda supremo Osama bin Laden throwing up questions about their competence. Chintamani Mahapatra | October 2011 | Journal of Defence Studies
Bruce Riedel, Deadly Embrace: Pakistan, America and the Future of the Global Jihad This book was important when Osama bin Laden was alive and a seemingly never ending hunt was on for him. But, now, in the backdrop of his death due to an extraordinary Commando Operation in the heart of the Pakistani territory by the US navy seals and the United States having announced a withdrawal from Afghanistan by 2014, it helps to understand, the dynamics of the US-Pakistan relationship which is metaphorically a “Deadly Embrace” as the title of the book suggests. Saurabh Mishra | October 2011 | Journal of Defence Studies
Prime Minister Bhattarai’s Visit to India: Renewing Ties in a Critical Transition Phase Bhattarai’s visit was historic not for the bilateral issues that were discussed but because it provided an opportunity for meaningful re-engagement between India and the UCPN(M). Padmaja Murthy | October 25, 2011 | IDSA Comments
A Consideration of Sino-Indian Conflict There is considerable interest in a possible conflict with China. However, little discussion exists in the open domain on conflict possibilities. This Brief attempts to fill this gap by dilating upon conflict scenarios along the spectrum of conflict. It brings out the need for limitation to conflict and the necessity for a grand strategic approach towards China as against a military driven one. Ali Ahmed | October 24, 2011 | Issue Brief
Case Study of MV Suez and Anti Piracy Operations: Lessons for India and Pakistan A study of how the case of MV Suez a pirated vessel was handled would serve to provide some invaluable lessons on how India and Pakistan should join hands to take on this menace in the Indian Ocean. An otherwise well conducted rescue operations by the Pakistan navy, resulted in a near collision between PNS Babur and INS Godavari endangering the crew and the ships. Briefly put, the MV Suez was hijacked by the pirates who held the ship and its crew hostage while negotiating the ransom money for over ten months. R. S. Vasan | October 2011 | Journal of Defence Studies
