Introduction “Terrorism is (largely) a psychological warfare. Terrorists try to manipulate us and change our behavior by creating fear, uncertainty, and division in society.”—Patrick J. Kennedy The specter of resurgent terrorism has become the most threatening challenge of the twenty-first century. The monster of terrorism coupled with militancy has continued to wreak havoc in most…
“The rebels (khawarij) are the dogs of the Hell.” [Ibn Majah 173]; “There will be division and sectarianism in my nation and a people (the Kharijites) will come with beautiful words and evil deeds. They will recite the Quran but it will not pass beyond their throats. They will leave the religion as an arrow…
Another Afghan peace process has caught international attention, albeit belatedly. Russia, China and Pakistan got together in Moscow on December 27 for the third round of secretary level talks. Though earlier two rounds went almost unnoticed, the recent one invoked an overreaction from Kabul, while Washington also radiated a feeling of unease. Nonetheless, the outcome…
Dear Reader, South Asia presents a dismal picture for regional integration. It accounts for only 3 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) with almost 40% of its inhabitants falling below the international poverty line of $1.25 per day. Daunting challenges from climate change, environmental degradation, increasing inequalities, etc. pose serious threats to growth…
“We always take criticism from our friends. If we are wrong, we need to hear that we are wrong. But if we are not wrong, we need to hear support from our friends. What I request is that the thing you actually believe, to say it”. Saudi Defence Minister and Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman.1…
The Central Commission for Election and Referenda of Turkmenistan has announced the results of recently held Presidential Election 2017. According to the CEC, incumbent President H.E. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov won the election by clear majority. Voter turnout was 97.27 percent which reflected the high civic engagement and the conscious desire of the people to directly participate…
Pakistan has opted to launch another outreach effort to improve relations with its two unpredictable neighbours India and Afghanistan. However, this sort of diplomatic impatience is not likely to work. What needs attention is identification of fault lines which come back in circles to haunt each such effort by Pakistan, and then try to rectify…
The tragic incident of 9/11 and the onset of American-sponsored war on terror internationally significantly changed the traditional patterns of world politics. The conventional standards for dealing with the security challenges have become an outdated outfit in the twenty first century. The overwhelming wave of non-traditional security challenges forced states to formulate a multilateral framework…
Context As Donald Trump settles down in his role as the new president, a considerable amount of discussion is focused on how he is likely to deal with the ongoing campaign against extremism. Since its inception in the aftermath of 9/11, the war against terror is continually evolving, and thus the question of how best…
February 2017 marks the 25th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide, which is one of the blackest and bloodiest pages of human history. Even after 25 years, the scars remain raw and the trauma as stark as ever. Khojaly Massacre The Khojaly massacre is one of the most heinous and bloodiest events of the 20th century….
