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May 30, 2009

SOUTH ASIA CONFLICT MONITOR

Rampaging Taliban Militants Spread Chaos Across Pakistan

Amid ongoing battle between Taliban and Pakistan security forces in Swat province in NWFP, Taliban and Al Qaeda elements in Pakistan have targeted two major urban centers. Lahore and Peshawar witnessed suicide blasts and shootings in a span of two days. Thursday’s (May 28) twin blasts in Peshawar, the provincial capital of North West Frontier Province killed at least six people in Qissa Khawani market area in Kabari Bazaar in the evening. The militants used two motorbike fitted explosives in these markets.
North Korea’s Nuclear Noise

North Korea has conducted an underground nuclear test and couple of missile tests on May 25, sending shockwaves across the world. With condemnation from the international community has been pouring fast, the fears of further isolation of this communist country increased substantially. According to its state run media, KCNA, the latest test was “part of measures to strengthen country’s nuclear power in self-defense.” In early October 2006, North Korea had tested its first ever nuclear device .
Indo-Pak Citizen Diplomacy at the Time of Mutual Distrust!

The Composite Dialogue process between New Delhi and Islamabad is in jeopardy especially after Mumbai attacks and episodic terror acts perpetrated by Pakistan based terror groups in recent past. However, the decade old Track-II diplomacy between the two rival nuclear powers is on the cards now and scheduled this week when important delegation from India would visit Pakistan.
The Great Nuclear Arms Race Returns to Haunt South Asia

The nuclear anxiety of late 1990s is back to haunt South Asia. Following the fears of Taliban jihadist taking over Pakistan’s coveted nuclear assets, reports are emerging about Islamabad’s nuclear weapon stockpiling along with expansion and modernization of its arsenal.
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OPINION / ANALYSIS

Naxalism in India: Southward Movement?

The dwindling Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) Karnataka State Committee may get fresh issue to revive and consolidate after Arcelor Mittal and POSCO’s interest for investments in that State. Land acquisition, displacement and minority issues may dominate their agenda. Recent Industrialization programme in the state could be a major issue for the Maoists to seek public support. The Karantaka State government has decided to acquire one lakh acres of land in June 2009 in and around all the second tier cities excluding around 2,000 acres adjoining Bangalore.

December 15, 2009
Transnational Terror: Lashkar-e-Taiba’s Chicago Plot

Three names have been doing the rounds in India these days: Maulana Ilyas Kashmiri, David Coleman Headley (a.k.a Dauod Geelani) and Tahawur Hussein Rana; one hard core veteran Jehadi and two motivated ‘would be’ terrorists. They are in the news for plotting major assaults in India. Among them, Ilyas Kashmiri who was rumored to be dead early this year, in fact survived three drone attacks in Pakistan’s Waziristan region, belongs to the Al Qaeda- Harkat-Ul- Jihad- Al-Islami (HuJI) lineage and heads Al Qaeda’s deadly 311 brigade. He still carries a head money of US $ 600,000 dollars.

November 9, 2009
Shrouded in Mystery: Indo-China Border Issues

After the 17th Chinese Communist Party Congress National Meeting 2007, China started focusing on South Asia, specifically India. Both have been favorably disposed towards multilateralism, with India joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as an observer, while China joining SAARC summit in April 2008, also as an observer. Besides, people to people diplomacy expanded with mutual tourist visits.

November 7, 2009
Hacking: Novel Threat

Of late, the menace of computer ‘hacking’ has become a punishable offense when it compromises national security. Of course not all acts of hacking will be amounting to terrorism, and sometime used as a tool for pranks or profit. This could be regarded as terrorist action only if the hacking is designed to disrupt government’s activities, or to advance anti- national causes, or to intimidate its citizens. Either a threat or real use of it, is a potential act of terrorism, or rather can be regarded as cyber-crime or cyber-terrorism in a broader context.

November 2, 2009
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BOOK REVIEW

SSPC IN MEDIA
War and Gender: How Gender Shapes the War System and Vice Versa
Joshua S. Goldstein
Cambridge University Press, New York, 2003. [Paperback] Published in 2003