Category Archives: Afghanistan

Tillerson offers nothing new, just another bandwagon

Posted on October 22, 2017 by Bharat Karnad

  US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will be in Delhi Oct 24 to further what he says is President Trump’s new South Asia strategy. At a curtain raiser to the visit he made a speech at a Washington think-tank … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Africa, arms exports, Asian geopolitics, Australia, China, China military, Decision-making, Defence Industry, DRDO, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, russian military, society, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, Terrorism, United States, US., Weapons, Western militaries | 18 Comments

Is Pakistan going back on its commitments on terror?

Posted on October 21, 2017 by Bharat Karnad

Rajya Sabha TV –‘The Big Picture’ program – panel discussion with Rana Banerji, Maj Gen AS Siwach, Smita Sharma of Tribune, and your truly broadcast Oct 13, uploaded Oct 16.  

Posted in Afghanistan, Asian geopolitics, Central Asia, civil-military relations, Decision-making, domestic politics, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, guerilla warfare, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Army, Indian Politics, Intelligence, Internal Security, MEA/foreign policy, Military/military advice, Pakistan, Pakistan military, society, South Asia, Special Forces, Terrorism | 1 Comment

Future of Indo-US strategic ties

Posted on September 30, 2017 by Bharat Karnad

Rajya Sabha TV programme — Security Scan — panel discussion with Meera Shankar, fmr Ambassador to the US, Major General Shashi Asthana (Retd), and myself, broadcast 10PM September 28, 2017.

Posted in Afghanistan, arms exports, Asian geopolitics, Bhutan, Central Asia, China, China military, Decision-making, Defence Industry, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, guerilla warfare, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Intelligence, Internal Security, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Northeast Asia, Pakistan, Pakistan military, society, South Asia, South East Asia, Special Forces, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, Terrorism, United States, US., Weapons | 13 Comments

Mattis’ agenda

Posted on September 22, 2017 by Bharat Karnad

(US Secretary of Defence) The US Secretary of Defence retired General James Mattis has a two point-agenda for his trip  starting September 25 – get New Delhi to commit to purchasing the Lockheed Martin  F-16 Block 70 combat aircraft along … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, arms exports, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, Decision-making, Defence Industry, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Intelligence, Internal Security, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Pakistan, Pakistan military, SAARC, society, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, Terrorism, United States, US., Weapons | 30 Comments

Indo-US 2×2, etc.

Posted on August 23, 2017 by Bharat Karnad

The Rajya Sabha television panel discussion on the “2×2” forum (involving the Indian defence and external affairs minister and the US Secretaries of Defence and of State) as a new vehicle to advance Indo-US relations below.

Posted in Afghanistan, arms exports, Asian geopolitics, Australia, China, China military, Decision-making, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Russia, russian assistance, society, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, United States, US., Vietnam, Weapons | 1 Comment

Jihad to the finish in Afghanistan?

Posted on August 22, 2017 by Bharat Karnad

  The US will hereafter forego foreign adventurism and wars to “rebuild countries in our own image”. But in Afghanistan, American forces, the US President Donald Trump announced, will fight on and finish the job of eliminating the terrorists. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Asian geopolitics, civil-military relations, Culture, Decision-making, Defence Industry, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Intelligence, Iran and West Asia, MEA/foreign policy, Military/military advice, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Pakistan nuclear forces, SAARC, society, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Terrorism, United States, US., Weapons, West Asia, Western militaries | 11 Comments

Another TV discussion

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Bharat Karnad

‘We, the People’ on NDTV had a discussion on Modi’s foreign policy.

Posted in Afghanistan, Africa, arms exports, Asian geopolitics, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Central Asia, China, China military, Decision-making, Defence Industry, domestic politics, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, indian policy -- Israel, Indian Politics, Internal Security, Iran and West Asia, Israel, Japan, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeast Asia, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Russia, russian assistance, SAARC, society, South Asia, South East Asia, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, UN, United States, US., Vietnam, Weapons | 10 Comments

TV curtain raiser and Modi trip assessments

Posted on July 8, 2017 by Bharat Karnad

Several Rajya Sabha TV panel discussions — ‘Security Scan’ & ‘The Big Picture’ aired over the last three weeks, regarding PM Modi’s trips to the US, Israel, and the Astana summit of SCO.  

Posted in Afghanistan, arms exports, Asian geopolitics, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Central Asia, China, China military, Decision-making, Defence Industry, domestic politics, DRDO, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, indian policy -- Israel, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Internal Security, Iran and West Asia, Israel, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Myanmar, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Relations with Russia, Russia, society, South Asia, South East Asia, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, US., Weapons, West Asia | 1 Comment

Score the physical for Modi, the substantive for Trump, and danger looming

Posted on June 27, 2017 by Bharat Karnad

(Modi’s jhappi for an awkwardly unprepared Trump at the White House) He did it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi did stride across to the other lectern and envelope US President Donald Trump in a hug. Now slo-mo that entire sequence and … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, arms exports, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, Decision-making, Defence Industry, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Internal Security, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, SAARC, society, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, Terrorism, United States, US., Weapons | 15 Comments

Indo-Russian Ties — Rajya Sabha TV

Posted on June 14, 2017 by Bharat Karnad

Rajya Sabha TV program on “Indo-Russian relations: emerging frontiers” was broadcast last week, features Prabhat Shukla, former ambassador to Russia, pramit pal chaudhury and yours truly. It may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OduwYhNJ2uc&list=PLVOgwA_DiGzpWrMV__M9_rHINn7PzABlM      

Posted in Afghanistan, Africa, Asian geopolitics, Australia, Bangladesh, Central Asia, China, China military, Decision-making, Defence Industry, Europe, Geopolitics, India's China Policy, India's Pakistan Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian ecobomic situation, Indian Navy, indian policy -- Israel, indian policy -- Israel, Iran and West Asia, Iran and West Asia, Israel, Japan, MEA/foreign policy, Military Acquisitions, Military/military advice, Myanmar, Northeast Asia, nuclear industry, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, nuclear power, Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan, Pakistan military, Russia, russian assistance, russian military, South Asia, South East Asia, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, United States, US., Weapons, West Asia | 3 Comments