Media and Counter-terrorism: The Indian Experience Linked to the terrorist goal of intimidation of a targeted population, there is an inherent objective to spread fear and undermine the declared values of the targeted political system by pushing a frightened society and government into overreaction. On the other hand, the counter-insurgent state wishes to downplay the impact of the terrorist attack and works towards keeping the morale of the population as well as the security forces intact. In this battle, the media plays an important and influential role. Shanthie Mariet D’Souza | September 2009 | Strategic Analysis
Identity and Conflict: Perspectives from the Kashmir Valley Based on interviews with a cross-section of people from the Kashmir Valley including aspirants of self-determination, academics, media persons, members of the civil society, and security forces this article argues that perceptions about identity are central to the conflict in Kashmir Valley. Having successfully stemmed the tide of armed conflict militarily, it is now crucial for the government to take cognizance of and address these issues in an appropriate manner as management of these perceptions will be critical to bringing enduring peace to the Kashmir Valley. Arpita Anant | September 2009 | Strategic Analysis
Will NATO Stay On in Afghanistan? A new actor was inducted in the decades-old Afghan conflict when the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) assumed command of the UN-mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in August 2003. NATO's entry into the Afghan theatre took place in the backdrop of the US invasion of Iraq in March 2003. With the United States diverting its resources and greater attention to Iraq, NATO was to expand its operations throughout Afghanistan in support of the US-led coalition force in a phased manner. Vishal Chandra | September 2009 | Strategic Analysis
Abolishing Nuclear Weapons by George Perkovich and James M. Acton Satish Chandra | September 2009 | Strategic Analysis
Positive Trends in Cross-Strait Relations Democracy came to Taiwan under the leadership of Chiang Ching-Kuo, which brought an end to almost four decades of one-party dictatorship. Chiang Kai?Shek had harboured the dream of overtaking the whole of China and establishing the rule of Kuomintang (KMT). But with the passage of time and a shift in the international political scenario, he realized that this would not be possible. Gunjan Singh | September 2009 | Strategic Analysis
Terrorism: Patterns of Internationalisation by Jaideep Saikia and Ekaterina Stepanova (eds.) Ali Ahmed | September 2009 | Strategic Analysis
The Next Security Frontier: Regional Instability and the Prospects for Sino-Indian Cooperation This article explains how growing economic interests have made China and India more prone to various non-traditional security threats in their neighbourhood. It examines whether this evolution has led both countries to mitigate their struggle for influence in favour of security cooperation, and found that despite shared security interests, China and India are not able to overcome mutual distrust. The conclusions are that the quest for short-term gains impedes substantial security cooperation and that economic ambitions have added new impetus to the regional struggle for influence. Jonathan Holslag | September 2009 | Strategic Analysis
Shared Histories India in the Making of Singapore by Asad-ul Iqbal Latif Arvind Gupta | September 2009 | Strategic Analysis
The Game: A Rational Actor Approach to the US-led Invasion of Iraq, 2003 This article employs game theory to explain the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, seeking in particular to improve the understanding of why the Iraqi dictator chose a path of action that ultimately led to his downfall. The main argument is that Saddam Hussein lacked information about his opponent's payoffs and was lured by the possibility of becoming the undisputed leading figure of the Arabic world. The analysis shows that even if the threat of an allied attack in the end proved credible, Iraq could - quite rationally - have chosen to stand firm. Tor G. Jakobsen , Jo Jakobsen | September 2009 | Strategic Analysis
Contemporary Debates in Indian Foreign and Security Policy: India Negotiates Its Rise in the International System Ali Ahmed | September 2009 | Strategic Analysis
