Context When all seemed set and done and all that was pending was the signing of the agreement, the Afghan peace talks suddenly collapsed with a dramatic announcement from President Trump on September 7th. The debate about the cause of this sudden change of heart started in earnest. Was the deal too lopsided in favor…
Context “The history repeats itself, “the first as tragedy, then as farce.” These profound quotes, irrespective of the source, are often repeated but then we see them unfolding right in front of our eyes. PoliTact has been observing the connection of the affairs of the Middle East and South Asia, while contending that what transpires…
Context The three-day visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to the US was a significant icebreaking moment for the otherwise downward spiraling US-Pakistan ties. Aside from the positive optics, the broader implications remain vague. The Afghan peace process was supposed to be the focus of the meetings, however, President Trump’s comment on Kashmir has opened…
Context As the alliances associated with the global balance of power remain in the heightened state of flux, the organizations through which these tectonic shifts are being manifested, such as United Nations, BRICS, NATO and SCO are critical to observe. An inquiry that goes along with this examination is to understand the purposes of these…
Context As the direct peace talks between the US and Afghan Taliban move along the sixth round of talks took place in Doha. Meanwhile questions are being raised regarding the prospects of success. Any negotiations have to con sider the positions of various stakeholders. More importantly, first the stakeholders have to agree to talk and then…
Context While the Pakistan-India tensions are known to flare up occasionally, the present one over the February 14 Pulwama incident has calmed down for the time being. However, in the absence of any political dialogue related to Kashmir, there is likely to be a next episode. Most assessments of the incident have examined the conflagration…
Context The international conferences where leading global thinkers and shapers gather to share insights on the present political, technological, and economic challenges are crucial to observe. Their thought processes help build a narrative and assist the rest to gauge the future direction. The Davos World Economic Forum held every year in late January is just…
Context In an endeavor to decipher the emerging geopolitical realities, PoliTact occasionally partners with leading thought centers to understand the multi-faceted tangents of a particular theme. On November 16, 2018 PoliTact collaborated with the Middle East Institute to examine the political, security, and economic interconnections between South Asia and the Gulf States, and one of…
Context As the global balance power remains in flux, some dramatic changes indicate how complicated this shift has become. The equilibrium is swinging between the established and the emerging powers with both striving to shape the process of change towards their camp. As the tug and pull continues between US, Russia, and China, the Cold…
Context President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May this year has ironically put its strategic ally India in a testing position. The energy related sanctions are planned to go into effect on November 4, but other sanctions known as “snap-back” sanctions got implemented on August 7. Snap-back sanctions will…
