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Pakistan’s Flareup With Afghanistan, Iran Clashes, Intensifying Attacks On Chinese Interests, And Role of...
Context
As the new government settles in Pakistan, in addition to the economy, one of the key questions is how it will handle the relations...
Convergences In US-Pakistan Ties And Afghanistan
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Since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the Afghan Taliban character has been evolving and so are ties with Pakistan. The widely held...
Hamas Attack On Israel, Abraham Accords, And South Asia
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In the previous articles, we have been examining the various dimensions of the Arab-Israeli rapprochement that got underway as a consequence of the Abraham...
Will The Fear Of China Aid Middle East Peace?
Saudi-Israel Normalization and Beyond
Context
In a previous article we focused on understanding the changing geopolitics of the Middle East. Especially, the political, security, and economic...
Ukraine Conflict And Global Balance Of Power Tussles In Europe
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From time to time there is a need to ascertain the status of global Balance of Power, is it in equilibrium or moving in...
Post Withdrawal Campaign Against Extremism In Afghanistan And US-Pakistan Relations
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As great power competition has gradually picked pace, it was assumed that the Campaign Against Extremism has subsided. In fact, US has admitted that...
What Does President Biden’s Visit To Israel And Saudi Arabia Imply?
Great Power Rivalry in the Middle East - What it means for South Asia?
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The New Cold War paradigm and great power rivalry framework is...
Emerging Great-Power Rivalry; How Will The New Cold War Unfold As Ukraine Simmers?
The Return of ‘Spheres of Influence’ Politics
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While there are different angles to interpret the fast-moving flux in the global political, economic and security situation,...
New Cold War; Leadership Challenges For Middle Powers And Societal Imbalance
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Historical parallels are important in developing perspectives on present-day conundrums. They provide an illustration of where matters were and what were the important events...
Emerging US Policy Towards Afghanistan After Withdrawal
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The abrupt withdrawal of US and coalition forces from Afghanistan last August, and the arrival of Afghan Taliban at the helm, represented a key...
Renegotiating With The Taliban: The Imperative Of Focusing On A Common Denominator
Dr. Syed Mohammad Ali
Senior South Asia Fellow, PoliTact
Context
Despite a haphazard military pullout, and the subsequent despondency evoked by the rapid collapse of the Afghan...
Iran Nuclear Talks And Struggle For Influence In Middle East
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The future of Iran’s nuclear deal is the single most consequential factor related to the balance of power in Middle East. The nation’s nuclear...
The Division of British India In 1947 And War Against Extremism
Significance of Historical Parallels and the Future of Anglo-American World Order
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The historical parallels are important in developing perspectives on present-day conundrums. They provide an...
US Afghan Withdrawal And The Interplay Of Turkish, Iranian, and Arab Influences
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Now that US is withdrawing from Afghanistan and that ambiguity is out of the equation, the attention is naturally shifting how will the balance...
Recalibrating The US-Pakistan Partnership In Afghanistan
By Dr. Syed Mohammad Ali
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While longstanding, relations between the US and Pakistan have experienced much turbulence especially since 9/11. It looks like the...
US Afghan Withdrawal, Regional Geopolitics, And Biden-Putin Summit
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Now that the Biden administration has definitively announced plans to withdraw militarily from Afghanistan by September 11, the focus has shifted to the post...
Broader Implications Of Pakistan’s Omission From Biden’s Climate Summit
By Dr. Syed Mohammad Ali
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Like most other countries around the world, Pakistan was in a wait and see mode on how its relationship with...
The War Against Extremism And The Return Of New Great Game
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PoliTact has consistently maintained that the longer the Afghan imbroglio continues it is bound to intersect with the other regional and global flashpoints -...
Evolving QUAD And Australian Participation In The Malabar Exercise 2020
Dr Claude Rakisits
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India has formally invited Australia to join the large-scale naval exercises to be conducted in the Bay of Bengal (3-6 November) and...
The Future Of Middle East Peace Process, Extremism, And China-Iran Deal
Arab-Israel Normalization of Ties and US Middle East Policy
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With the normalization of ties between UAE, Bahrain and Israel, the so-called ‘Outside-In Approach’ to the...
The Causes of Tension on the China India Border – What’s Next?
PoliTact’s Chief Analyst Arif Ansar discusses China-India border skirmishes and the regional and global implications with Dr. Claude Rakisits, PoliTact’s Director of Strategic Initiatives,...
China-India Border Skirmishes; BRICS Versus Quad
What Is Pushing India to Extreme Policies?
Context
In the COVID-19 environment, the Asia Pacific is increasingly an active theater. A number of inquiries are being...
Core Versus Peripheral Islamic World And COVID-19 Pandemic
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The Core versus Peripheral Islamic world theory is one of the key themes PoliTact has been following for over a decade. One of the...
What’s Next In The Growing Saudi, UAE Power Tussles With Turkey, Iran
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Since 911, and even before, the world affairs are often linked to significant events that force upon a change from routine, while moving them...
What Caused Afghan Peace Talks To Stall – And What’s To Follow?
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When all seemed set and done and all that was pending was the signing of the agreement, the Afghan peace talks suddenly collapsed with...
Davos 2019, EU, And US-China Trade War
By Arif Ansar
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The international conferences where leading global thinkers
and shapers gather to share insights on the present political, technological,
and economic challenges, are crucial to...
The Growing Geopolitical Interconnections Of South Asia And Middle East; Pakistan And GCC
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In an effort to decipher the emerging geopolitical realities, PoliTact occasionally partners with leading think-tanks to understand the multi faceted tangents of these trends....
Emerging Alliances In The Middle East; Connection Between Arab NATO And CPEC
By Arif AnsarContext
As the global balance power remains in flux, some dramatic changes indicate how complicated this shift has become. The equilibrium is swinging...
Renewed US Sanctions on Iran And What They Imply For India
Arif Ansar
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...
The Conflicting Strategic Visions And US-Pakistan Relations
The Leverages of US and Pakistan
With the announcement of Trump’s South Asia policy, the US-Pakistan ties have once again entered a period of tumult....
North Korean Crisis, US-Pakistan Tensions, and Afghanistan
By Arif Ansar
Context
The North Korean crisis has emerged as another serious foreign policy challenge for the Trump administration. And this is happening at a...
Repercussions Of Growing Pakistan-Iran Ties
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Pakistan-Iran relations have been complicated since Partition, and even more so since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The two countries have worked together on trying...
Detention of Hafiz Saeed, Afghan Reconciliation, And Pakistan’s War Against Terror
A media discussion on Voice of America (Urdu Service) program Jehan Rang, hosted by Behjat Gilani on January 31, 2017. The discussion examined the circumstances surrounding Pakistan’s...
Trump, Russia, China, And Afghan Peace Process
A media discussion on Voice of America (Urdu Service) on November 30, 2016. The focus of the program was on the status of Afghan...
Uri Attack, Surgical Strikes, And The Future Of Pakistan-India Ties
The direction of Pakistan-India relations
Global Realignment, War Against Extremists, And US Pakistan Relations
A number of significant regional and global events suggest that we are entering a new phase of the global realignment, and the affairs surrounding...
Political, Security, And Nuclear Dimensions Of Pakistan, India Tensions
A media discussion on Voice of America (Urdu Service) on September 26, 2016. The program covered the political and security implications of the India-Pakistan tensions,...
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Balochistan, and Extremism
Dr Claude Rakisits
Terrorists have again struck in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populated province. The attack confirmed that this resource-rich province remains Pakistan’s weakest...
Russian Role in Middle East and South Asia
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Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited Syria and Turkey last week with a bevy of discussion topics on the agenda. From Iran to the Middle...
Anti Government Demonstrations Leave 21 Dead in Bangkok
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Against the backdrop of a longstanding enmity between the 'yellow shirts' and the 'red-shirts' full scale riots broke out in the Thai capital on...
Saudi Arabia, Russia And Syria
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By Chris Zambelis
The full repercussions of Russia’s growing involvement in the Syria conflict in the form of overt military action have yet to be...
What Does The Chinese One Belt One Road, American Pacific Pivot Imply For South...
Context
By Kulsoom Belal
This article is part of PoliTact’s recently launched initiative to look at the events of the Pacific region from the vantage point...
The UAE, China Growing Strategic Partnership
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By Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat
Throughout the 21st century, China’s ties with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have strengthened in various domains. China and the UAE’s...
Pakistan, China Facilitated Afghan Peace Talks; What To Expect?
Context
PoliTact’s Arif Ansar was a guest on a VOA Urdu video program ‘Jehan Rang’ on July 27 hosted by Asad Hassan. The program...
What Does Pakistan’s Pivot to China Imply?
Context
Dr Claude Rakisits
In the last few months, Government of Pakistan has taken a number of steps which have entrenched that country even further into...
IS, AQ Rivalry In South, Central Asia And Afghan Reconciliation
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Recent media reports indicate the Afghan reconciliation process is once again picking pace. While the Afghan officials have confirmed the development, Afghan Taliban are...
Indian, Chinese Anxiety Grow Over Afghanistan
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While the world attention is focused on Gaza and the seemingly slow undoing of Middle East, another crisis is looming on the horizon. This...
The Arab Fissions And Gaza Crisis
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As the Gaza crisis unfolds, the Arab world is also engulfed in the Arab Awakening and the ever widening War and Terror. Meanwhile, the...
Differences Between Israeli Operation Protective Edge, Pillar Of Defense, And 2006 Israeli-Lebanon War
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Gaza crisis has erupted once more. Rockets are being fired at Israeli cities, just like in 2012, 2009 and 2006, and the Israeli ground...
Making Sense; North Waziristan Operation, Talks With TTP, Afghan Reconciliation
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All the pieces are slowly falling in place; Indian election is over and that of Afghanistan is also moving towards a closure. Whoever is...
Why North Waziristan Operation May Finally Happen
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The demands and expectations for a military operation in North Waziristan have arisen a number of times in the past. Each time they did...
Assessing The Chances Of Success For A Potential Counter Terrorism Operation In North Waziristan
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If an offensive goes ahead, Pakistan’s military will be unable to take full control of North Waziristan, a ruggedly mountainous zone slightly larger than...
India, Pakistan And The Race For Controlling The Arctic
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Since China declared its new air defense identification zone over a chain of disputed islands in East China Sea, the region has been tense....
Turbulence In East China Sea, Unrest In Ukraine, Thailand
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As the American influence wanes in the Arab world, Russian and China are likely to gain. One of the important reasons why the US...
Resurgent Iran; Implications for Middle East, AfPak, And Security Council
These are interesting times indeed. Many of the international relations global norms and systems that have come to be accepted as the bedrock of...
Emerging US Policy Towards Middle East, North Africa
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Media discussion on VOA Urdu Radio Program ‘Today's Topics.’ This was a special edition of the program covering 68th session of the United Nation....
Post 2014 Afghanistan, Reconciliation And Central Asia
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Without doubt, all major stakeholders are now worried about the post 2014 Afghanistan. As the date of US withdrawal approaches quickly, many of the...
Russia And China Veto UNSC Resolution On Syria
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China and Russia vetoed the UN Security Council resolution that condemns Assad’s crackdown and backs Arab League plan calling for Bashar Assad to step...
Russian Strategy For The Islamic World And Pakistan
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Pakistan-Russia ties have come a long way since the days of the Cold War. It was Gen. Musharraf who travelled to Moscow in 2003...
Congressional Debate And Action On Syria
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Media discussion on VOA Urdu Radio Program ‘In The News.’ The discussion revolves around the Congressional debate on President Obama’s decision to strike Syria.
Panel...
International Reaction To Potential Syria Strike
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Media discussion on VOA Urdu Radio Program ‘In The News.’ The discussion revolves around the international reaction, including from Pakistan’s Advisor to Prime Minister...
Making A Case For Striking Syria
Contaxt
Media discussion on VOA Dewa Radio Pashto Program ‘From Washington2Khyber.’
The discussion revolves around the challenges towards striking Syria and President Obama’s decision to seek Congressional...
Where Is Change Heading In Egypt And Middle East?
Context
Media discussion on VOA Urdu Program ‘Round Table.’
The discussion revolves around the future of Middle East and Egypt, emerging dynamics of Islamist movements, and...
Future Of Egypt And US Policy
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Media discussion on VOA Dewa Radio’s Pashto program - Hello VOA. The discussion revolves around the situation of Egypt, future of Muslim Brotherhood, challenges for the US-Egypt ties,...
Media Discussion: Jail Breaks, Afghanistan, And Iran
PoliTact’s Chief Analyst Arif Ansar on VOA Urdu Program ‘In the News’.
The discussion covers the following Issues:
Jail breaks in Pakistan, Iraq, and Libya
Attack on...
China, US And The Balancing Act In South Asia
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The South Asian chess game is unfolding in quite an intriguing way. Despite the rhetoric on both sides, the interdependence of Pakistan and India...
Biden’s Trip To India And Afghanistan
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US Vice President Joe Biden’s four-day visit to India got underway on Monday, July 22nd. The items being discussed include issues related to trade,...
Pakistani Taliban, Afghan Reconciliation, And Syria
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The situation of AfPak region is entering a particularly peculiar stage. The continued delay is jumpstarting the reconciliation process has meant that the situation...
Egypt And Societal Imbalance Of The Islamic World
Egypt and Pakistan have a lot in common, and different as well. Like Pakistan’s famous Indus civilization, Egypt has the ancient Nile. Anne Patterson,...
The Connection Between Afghan Settlement, TTP, And Middle East
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As the new government in Pakistan settles in, Afghan reconciliation appears to be picking pace. The opening of the Taliban political office in Doha...
US-China Summit: Is The Pivot To Pacific Boomeranging?
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The presidents of China and US met informally over the June 7th weekend at a resort in southern California. The agenda for the talks...
Foreign Policy Challenges For Pakistan’s New Government
As the date for US withdrawal from Afghanistan approaches rather quickly, there is little news to show progress towards the goal of reconciliation. Ironically,...
Challenges For Indian Passage To Central Asia
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India’s foreign minister Salman Khurshid carried out a three-day visit to Iran starting May 3rd, and was in Beijing last week, as Pakistan conducted...
Britain’s Pivot To The Middle East And War Against Terror
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When Pakistan came in to being in 1947, the world was passing through a peculiar phase that was marked by the end of World...
Syria, Boston Bombings And US-Russia Terror Cooperation
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The situation in Syria has reached a critical stage. Many fears associated with the state of affairs there appear to have materialized one by...
Pakistan’s Election; The Influence of External Environment
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In an earlier analysis, it was noted that while the extensive focus is on who might win the upcoming elections; little attention has gone...
Implications Of Syrian Spillover
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Quite a bit of media attention was focused on the BRICS conference in Dublin, including the two-day 24th Arab League Summit held in Doha...
The Future of Cyber Space; Free Flow Versus Control
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While most defense and security analysts are still focused on the traditional threats that emanate from the sea, land, air, and recently space, a...
Growing Assertiveness Of Pakistan Navy And Regional Maritime Tensions
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Pakistan conducted an international naval exercise AMAN-13 in the North Arabian Sea from March 4 to 8. It was the fourth drill in this...
The Path to Great Reconciliation In Afghanistan
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To gauge where the Afghan reconciliation presently stands has become a complex task. The process itself is quite confusing and there is no clear...
Outlook For Pakistan-Iran Ties
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Pakistan certainly seems to be passing through one of it toughest phases, with turmoil internally and in the neighborhood. Since the dismemberment of the...
Transformation of Al Qaeda And Islamic Maghreb
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Since the elimination of Osama bin Laden, the hype about Core AQ has decreased and the narrative adopted presents the organization as a much-diminished...
Outlook For Pakistan-US Ties
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As Afghan reconciliation picks the pace, Pak-US relations are also entering a new phase. From most accounts, matters are beginning to stabilize between the...
Afghan Reconciliation And The Perilous Outlook For TTP
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The brazen attack on Peshawar Air Base on December 15 and the assassination of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Senior Minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour on December 22...
Mounting Concerns Regarding Afghanistan’s Regional Motives
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A sea change in the approach to Afghan conflict is coming to the fore. From primarily a military method, matters evolved to a strategy...
Israeli Objectives For Operation Pillar Of Defense In Gaza
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As Israel initiated operation Pillar of Defense, it assassinated the commander of Hamas’s military wing Ahmad Jabari in Gaza on Wednesday. The event has...
Russia’s Emerging Posture Towards Middle East, AfPak
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The Intelligence Chief for the Lebanese Internal Security Forces, Wissam al-Hassan, died in a bombing October 19, and the Syrian leader Assad has been...
US, Israeli Strategy On Iran Converging
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The debate continues about Israel’s intent and readiness to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities and what Iran would do if that was to occur. The...
The Changing Middle East And Pressures On American Policy
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The assassination of US Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, has created a foreign policy crisis of sorts for the country. The American think tank...
The AfPak Vision And North Waziristan Operation
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The talk about the military operation in North Waziristan has picked up feverish pace. This is not the first time, in the last decade,...
The Evolving Dynamics Of Islamic Spheres Of Influence
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During the World Wars the region of South Asia, especially modern day India and Pakistan, were responding in their own peculiar way to the...
NATO Afghan Supply Lines And Iran
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Pakistan has finally resumed the NATO Afghan supply lines after a hiatus of about seven months, with US rendering a sorry. The opening of...
The Triumph Of Muslim Brotherhood In Egypt – The Rise of Islamists In...
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Ending months and decades of speculations, the Muslim Brotherhood has finally emerged triumphant by working within the Egyptian system. Traditionally and ideologically, what happens...
Downing Of The Turkish Jet By Syria Escalate Tensions
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News emanating from Turkey has confirmed Syria has shot down a Turkish fighter plane. There are conflicting reports on if Syria has apologized over...
The Question Of Military Intervention In Syria
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As the crisis in Syria worsens, the calls for military intervention are getting louder. However, the prospect of foreign military involvement remains fraught with...
Pakistan Attempts To Reassert Its Sovereignty As Afghan Quagmire Worsens
Context
US-Pakistani relations have always been fraught, but for the past year there has been a particularly frosty period between Washington and Islamabad. Relations soured...
Examining GCC’s Role In Bahrain, Syria
Context
While the media hype may have lessened somewhat over the Arab Spring revolutions, the region is no less in turmoil than when the Jasmine...
Chicago Summit; NATO’s Strategic Posture Towards The Islamic Regions
Context
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was born in 1949 in the aftermath of World War II. NATO's first Secretary General, Lord Ismay, famously...
Missile Race In South Asia Enters Space
Context
As the saga of Prime Minister Gilani’s contempt case continued, some other crucial developments were taking place in the region. The first ever Bangladesh-US...
India Launches A Satellite, Develops Anti-Satellite, Anti Missile Weapons
After the test of Agni-V long range Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), India launched the Risat-1 microwave radar imaging satellite on April 26. India has...
Pakistan’s Dwindling Energy Supplies And Economy; Regional Instability And Cooperation
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Energy shortages in Pakistan are worsening overtime and the nation faces a two-fold challenge. On the one hand, the country is struggling to meet...
Emerging Alignments In The Middle East
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Relationships in the Middle East are shifting dramatically over the issue of Syria and Iran. On the one hand, Turkey and the BRICS countries...
Gen Allen, Mattis Arrive in Pakistan; US Seeking Cooperative, Complementary Operations
Context
Gen Mattis and Gen Allen arrived in Pakistan today to meet senior Pakistan military officials, including Gen Kiyani. PM Gilani and President Obama met...
Homegrown Threat In the West And War Against Terror
Context
The murder of three French soldiers and the killing of four people at a Jewish school in Toulouse France have once again raised the...
US-Pakistan Relations; Regionalism And Cooperation
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Pakistan and US officials continue to trade statements elaborating and reiterating their position on the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project. Meanwhile, the NATO Afghan supply...
Turning Point Fast Approaching in Afghanistan
Context
PoliTact recently issued an alert pointing out that the NATO and US exit strategy is in serious trouble after the Quran burning incident just...
US, Pakistan Continue Exchanging Comments On IP Project
Pakistan Promoting Regionalism
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has stated that Pakistan plans to go ahead with projects with Iran and the nation will not...
The Threat From Horn of Africa And London Conference On Somalia
Context
In the last 10 days, a number of key international gatherings have taken place. The trilateral summit between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran was held...
The Role Of Qatar In The New Middle East
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Qatar is billing itself as a new regional power broker in the Middle East, with a rigorous campaign to paint itself as the bastion...
Khar To Have Key Meetings With Hague, Clinton in London
Context
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar is expected to meet US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday during her current visit to UK....
Pakistan-Iran-Afghanistan Summit Agree To Evolve Joint Framework For Cooperation
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Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan agreed to develop a joint framework for trilateral cooperation particularly in the areas of counter terrorism, antinarcotics and border management...
Iran Exhibits Nuclear Expertise, China Offers to Mediate As Russia Warns of Summer Conflict
Context
Iran has started using domestically made nuclear fuel rods for its reactors. The loading ceremony was widely publicized and was attended by President Ahmedinejad....
Status Report: NATO Afghan Supply Line, Drone Strikes And Iran
Context
Media reports from Pakistan indicate the NATO Afghan supply line that have remained blocked since the NATO strike on the Mohmand check post last...
The Status Of Afghan Reconciliation
Context
Conflicting reports have emerged on where the Afghan reconciliation process currently stands. The situation is murky and it has hard to decipher the positions...
The Potential Nationalist-Conservative Alliance In Pakistan
Context
Any given society is represented by different schools of thoughts, often taking the form of ideologies. These various expressions, often known as liberalism, socialism,...
The Scope Of Growing US-China Tensions
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Navigating the stormy waters of relations with China has always been a delicate job for the US, especially if China refuses to follow suit...
The Future Of Civil Military and Inter-Institutional Tensions In Pakistan
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This video clip evaluates how the civil-military and inter-institutional tensions are likely to play out in Pakistan, in the coming days and weeks. It...
US Oil Sanctions On Iran And Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline Project
This video clip evaluates the implications of US sanction on Iran oil exports, on Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline Project.
PoliTact’s Chief Analyst Arif Ansar discusses the...
Implications Of The New Extremist Alliances: Shura-e-Murakeba and Pakistan Defense Council
Context
Media reports indicate that prominent Pakistani Taliban commanders have held meetings with Al Qaeda leaders and Afghan Taliban on November 27 in Wanna –...
The Roots Of Tensions Between France And Turkey
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The relations between France and Turkey have taken a dramatic turn for the worse. This was mainly due to the French Lower Chamber passing...
Civil-Military Tensions And The Emerging Political Dynamics Of Pakistan
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Public mood in Pakistan has been shifting away from its partnership with the US in the war against terror. Similarly, opinion in US is...
Leon Panetta’s Holiday Tour And Geopolitics
Context
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta embarked on an extensive ‘holiday tour’ to the horn of Africa, Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq and Turkey. Panetta was visiting US...
The US Asia-Pacific Strategy And Australia
Context
Last month’s whirlwind visit to Australia by US President Barack Obama brought with it some important news for the Asia Pacific region. The US...
NATO Mohmand Attack and Bonn Conference – Part II
Context
As the Bonn Conference gets underway, a peculiar situation is developing in the aftermath of the NATO attack on Pakistan’s check post in Mohmand...
The Search for A Political Solution in Afghanistan and Mohmand Tragedy – Part 1
Context
As US moves closer to the election year, it has begun to withdraw forces from Iraq and has also started to lay the foundation...
Loya Jirga And The Future of Afghan Reconciliation
Context
In addition to the Afghan-US-NATO alliance, the main issue under deliberation at the Loya Jirga was the signing of a long-term security pact between...
Istanbul Regional Conference – Setting The Stage For Political Reconciliation In Afghanistan
Context
On November 2, 2011 a daylong conference on the future of Afghanistan was held in Istanbul. The conference was titled "Security and Cooperation in...
US Pakistan Relations – Managing The Expectations
Context
PoliTact's Chief Analyst Arif Ansar was a guest on the special edition of TV Program Jirga. Pakistan's current affairs channel Geo News aired it...
Implications Of The India-Afghan Strategic Deal And US-IranTension On AfPak Region
Context
On October 4, 2011, India and Afghanistan signed a strategic partnership agreement that outlined the future cooperation of the two neighbors in numerous levels,...
BRICS, Arab Spring And AfPak
Context
The emergent world has become increasingly multi-polar in nature, represented in the form of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). Additionally the...
Afghanistan-India Strategic Deal And Haqqani Network
Context
Part II
The Haqqani network is still center stage in a troubled US-Pak relationship. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that US officials met...
The Regional And Global Dynamics Around The Palestine’s Bid For Statehood
Context
On September 23, 2011 a line will be drawn in the sand. The Palestinian Authority is adamant they will go through with their pledge...
Pakistan’s Domestic Nightmare, Relations with US and Strategic Future Direction
Context
Pakistan’s internal politics has never been straightforward. However, since the end of August and the bombshell accusations thrown by former PPP leader Zulfiqar Mirza...
The Struggle for New Balance Of Power In Libya and Middle East
Context
The Qaddafi regime has fallen, but the fight for Libya is just heating up. In the aftermath of the Libyan rebellion the National Transitional...
Riots In UK And The Potential Of A European Spring
Context
The recent spate of riots in Britain has sparked debate over whether we are on the brink of a “European Spring” in a similar...
The Dynamics of Pakistan Afghanistan Relations and the Future of AfPak
Context
The present dynamics of relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan is directly tied to Pakistan relations with the US and India. There is a plausible...
The Evolving Role of Turkey in the Middle East and the Arab and Persian...
Context
Turkey began the year already considered a runner for increasing influence in the Middle East and North Africa. With the aftermath of the May...
The Status of Arab Spring in Syria
Context
After Egypt, the country that can have the most significant implications for the region is Syria. The change of power in Syria will have...
German Chancellor’s Visit to US; Implications for The Arab World, EU and Afghanistan
The recent visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the United States was observed with great interest by major powers in Europe and the...
The Elimination of Osama and Implications for Change in South Asia, Middle East, and...
Context
The circumstances surrounding the elimination of Osama bin Laden have served to complicate the already tense US-Pakistan relations. The focal point of debate in...
Pakistan Reaches Out to Other Powers in the Post Operation Geronimo Environment
Context
Facing an unprecedented security situation in the aftermath of US Operation Geronimo that eliminated Osama bin Laden, Pakistan is reaching out to other regional...
FATA Situation – Status Report, April 2011
Context
PoliTact’s recent assessment suggested that US and Pakistan at are both posturing to move ahead with their respective visions of the future, without concern...
What Connects and Divides the Uprisings in Middle East
Context
Middle East Situation - VideoTwo contrasting narratives have emerged on understanding the dynamics of unrest in the Arab world. The primary argument supports the...
Future of Drone Tactics in Pakistan
Exclusive Video: The Future of Drone Tactics in Pakistan
Two significant developments have occurred recently in FATA, one of them indicated that Pakistan is moving towards...
The Attacks On Mowlana Fazlur Rehman, Chaos Of Afghanistan And Uprisings in Middle East
Context
Two assassination attempts were recently made on the life of pro-Taliban leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) Mowlana Fazulur Rehman. The first attack took place...
Uprisings In The Arab World – Are They Connected?
Context
Two contrasting narratives have emerged on understanding the dynamics of unrest in the Arab world. The primary argument supports the notion these revolutions are...
The Debate of No-Fly Zone Over Libya and Shape of Future Alliances in Middle...
As the situation in Libya worsen, the discussion on establishing a no-fly zone there is also intensifying. The positions being taken by various global...
Iran Joining Russia in Building Naval Bases in Syria
The Middle East balance of power is changing swiftly, dramatically impacting the geopolitics of the region and beyond. Israel is in a heightened mode...
The Evolving Middle East – Emerging Geopolitics of Middle East and AfPak
Context
PoliTact has been pointing out to the decisive shift in the Middle East balance of power since the Gaza aid flotilla incident in May...
Peace Agreement In Kurram Agency, Raymond Davis And US-Pakistan Relations
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After years of sectarian bloodshed between Shia and Sunni tribes of Kurram tribal district, the warring sides have reached a peace agreement. Shia and...
The Significance NATO’s Lisbon Meeting
Context
The NATO Lisbon meeting, held 20th November is only the third such strategic meeting since the end of the cold war for the North...
Escalation as the New US Afghan Strategy – and a Reality Check
Context
There are two factors crucial to an understanding of President Obama's address yesterday explaining the new Afghan strategy: the escalating global recession and the...
The Connected Geopolitics of AfPak and Middle East -The Upcoming Visit of Ahmadinejad to...
Context
Iran and the US have a long history of political animosity, mistrust and a war of words worthy of a couple of bound volumes....
Pakistan’s Operations in Khyber and Orakzai Agency
Context
As Pakistan continues to rely on aerial strikes against Taliban in Waziristan, it has launched a ground and aerial operation in Khyber Agency and...
US-Pakistan Relations: The Irritants
Context
Pakistani officials have stated recently that they will conduct an operation in the North Waziristan Agency, however the country has also emphasized that only...
Implications of Kyrgyzstan Unrest
Context
Since the April revolution in Kyrgyzstan, the country's security situation has spiraled out of control, leading to widespread violence, and pleas for international help...
The Future of NATO and the evolving SCO Alliance
The 9th Summit Meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
At the 9th Summit Meeting of SCO in Russia this week, a number of side events...
US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue – Part III The Status of US-China Relations
Context
2010 has already been a rocky year for US-China relations, with the sale of weapons to Taiwan by the US, Google threatening, then finally...
The Evolution of Maoist Insurgency in India
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More than 1,000 Maoist fighters, armed with sophisticated weapons and mines, recently killed 75 Indian paramilitary soldiers and one policeman in the insurgency-hit central...
Part III – Can the New US Strategy Save Afghanistan?
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In Parts I and II, we at Politact analyzed the roles played by US domestic politics, India, Pakistan, the EU, NATO and the global...
The Changing Balance of Shiite and Sunni Influence in the Middle East and its...
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Turkish and Persian Dimension
Recent developments in the relationship between Turkey and Iran point toward an emerging shift in the Middle East balance of power....
America’s New Myanmar Policy and its Implications for the Region
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President Obama has defined his administration's foreign policy as one of "engagement" with adversaries and "reengagement" with allies. This is, of course, in marked...
The Post-Baitullah Environment
The Pakistan armed forces and law enforcement agencies viewed Baitullah as their most important enemy, the embodiment of terrorism. He was responsible for dozens...
The Multiple Implications of Baitullah’s Demise
With confidence levels running in the 90th percentile, it is all but certain that Baitullah Mehsud did die in the August 5th Drone Attack....
Understanding the New Zeal behind the Pakistan Counter-Insurgency Strategy and the Next Phase of...
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How can one explain the recent successes of Pakistan military operations in Swat? Many observers say that these successes are mainly due to strong...
The Major Pakistan Mountain Passes and Success in the Swat Operation
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It is becoming clear that the military strategy in Pakistan involves a three-pronged centripetal approach: one team is conducting operations in Dir in the...
What to Make of Swat Operation
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Changing Winds - a Rare Alignment
Surprised observers have called attention to the operations conducted by the Pakistani Army in Buner, Dir and the Swat...
North and South Korea arms race, China and North Korea relations, missiles race in...
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North Korea finally tested its Taepodong-2 missile on April 5th, apparently with the intent of launching a satellite. Experts believe the Taepodong-2 can also...
The Aftermath – NATO Air strikes in Kunduz, Afghanistan Conflicting Statements from the US...
Just in the last two days, conflicting messages have emanated from members of the top echelon of the Pentagon regarding the role of Pakistan...