Nepal’s Political Conundrum: Emerging Challenges to Tenuous Peace Nepal is witnessing relative political calm after the Maoists declared a three month ceasefire to facilitate a political solution to the insurgency, which has been marked by unabated violence, threatening peace and stability in the Himalayan Kingdom. The Maoist insurgency, which originated ten years ago in April 1996, has reached a new phase. After several rounds of unsuccessful negotiations to resolve the political crisis posed by the Maoists in the past, the current situation is characterized by anxiety and hope. The anxiety is over whether a peaceful solution can be reached. Smruti S. Pattanaik May 03, 2006 IDSA Comments
Democracy Versus People’s War in Nepal Despite the King's proclamation and the subsequent end to the 19-day anti-Monarchy protests by the seven party alliance (SPA) on April 25, 2006, Nepal is still not sure of peace and stability. The difference between the SPA and the Maoists on the new constitution seems to be the biggest challenge before the Koirala Government. Although the Maoists have declared a three-month ceasefire, they have refused to surrender their weapons before or during the elections to a Constituent Assembly. Nihar R. Nayak May 03, 2006 IDSA Comments
An Appraisal of the Indian Prime Minister’s Visit to Uzbekistan Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh concluded his two-day state visit to Uzbekistan on April 26, 2006. This was the second visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Tashkent since Uzbekistan's independence in August 1991. India and Uzbekistan signed seven agreements in the fields of energy, business, education, mineral prospecting and stepping up the joint fight against international terrorism, religious extremism and drug trafficking. This has undoubtedly increased Indian stakes in Central Asia. Ramakant Dwivedi April 28, 2006 IDSA Comments
Numbers Do Matter The fast breeding domestic debate on the size of the nuclear deterrent is taking place in the light of India's separation plan of nuclear facilities for civilian and military purposes. The scope of the debate related to India's credible minimum deterrence is complex with reference to the continuing relevance of the role of nuclear weapons in military strategies worldwide both at the conceptual and operational levels. Rajesh Kumar Mishra April 28, 2006 IDSA Comments
Import of Afghan President’s Visit to India Afghan President Hamid Karzai's four-day state visit to India from April 9-12, 2006 was the fourth since he was appointed Chairman of the Afghan interim administration in December 2001. His visit assumes significance in the backdrop of heightened violence in Afghanistan, the inclusion of Afghanistan in SAARC with India's facilitation, the recent political row between Afghanistan and Pakistan over the issue of cross-border terrorism, and the March 2006 visit of President Bush to the Subcontinent. Vishal Chandra April 26, 2006 IDSA Comments
Indian Prime Minister’s Visit to Uzbekistan Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is visiting Tashkent April 25-26, 2006 on a two-day state visit to Uzbekistan at the invitation of the Uzbek President, Islam Abduganievich Karimov who himself had visited India in April 2005. The visit will mark a new chapter in Indo-Uzbek relations. Ramakant Dwivedi April 25, 2006 IDSA Comments
Strategic Predominance and Open Market Access: The Twin Pillars of Russia’s Policy in the Central Asia-Caspian Sea Region As the Russian thinking on its near abroad is crystallizing in the wake of the US withdrawal from Uzbekistan's Karshi-Khanabad airbase in late 2005, it appears that Moscow is aiming at strategic predominance in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea region, though it seems ready to accept the reality of free market dynamics. But the fact of the matter is that Moscow has neither the will nor the resources to single-handedly resolve all the problems of the impoverished former Soviet republics of the region. Jyotsna Bakshi April 10, 2006 IDSA Comments
Charles Taylor’s Arrest: A Message to the Continent Former Liberian President Charles Taylor, wanted for war crimes by the international tribunal in Sierra Leone, was arrested on Wednesday in northern Nigeria on the Cameroon border. He was deported to Monrovia and from there transferred to UN custody in Sierra Leone. Just a day before his arrest he had disappeared from the villa in south-eastern Nigeria, where he had been living in exile since stepping down from power in 2003 as part of an arrangement brokered by AU, ECOWAS and other key international actors including the US to end 14 years of civil war in Liberia. Nivedita Ray April 04, 2006 IDSA Comments
The Indian Navy’s Amphibious Leap: ‘With A Little Help From America’ It remains to be seen how the USA would "help India become a major world power" as the US Secretary of State stated a year ago, but Washington is certainly contributing to augment India's trans-national military reach in terms of its amphibious sealift and airlift capabilities. Last year, the US agreed in principle to sell India its Austin-class LPD (Landing Platform Dock) USS Trenton at a cost of US$ 42 million. The 17,000-ton Trenton is still in commission with the US Navy and is presently being refitted at Norfolk, Virginia. Gurpreet S Khurana April 03, 2006 IDSA Comments
Water as a Source of Conflict and Instability in China China’s focus on high economic growth over the last decade and ‘economy first’ principle have put serious strain on its water resources. China has only 7 per cent of the world’s total water resources but more than 20 per cent of the global population. It increasingly faces acute challenges regarding water distribution, supply, and quality, and there are clear signs that unless the state takes urgent corrective measures serious water-related conflicts and political instability may occur. For Kathleen A. Cannon April 2006 Strategic Analysis
