Comment & Briefs

India will have to take a call on whether the pivotal position of Iran for reaching Afghanistan and Central Asia outweighs the benefits India derives from its relationship with the West and the Arab world.

In the wake of the selection of the Rafale the offset clause currently in force must be used to revamp India’s domestic aerospace industry, making it more technologically current and capable of taking on advanced design and development tasks in future.

There is a real danger that India’s strategic space in West Asia could be further constricted due to the rising political tensions on account of the Iranian nuclear imbroglio.

The challenge before India is to make sure that it stands on the side of popular aspirations, democratic and secular values and representative forces in its immediate periphery.

The 13/2 terrorist attack against the Israeli diplomat exposes India to the possibility of a more potent and professional group, which may have already raised the capability levels of indigenous terror cells and created a threat which is both real and potent.

The current trajectory of developments is likely to lead to the point where the US and the Sein government find ways to resolve outstanding points of contention between them, leading to Myanmar moving further along the path of greater political freedom, better human rights and good governance.

As long as the army remains loyal to Bashar, the rebels are unlikely to make much headway, although their continued ability to secure weapons through the Turkish border would plunge Syria into a protracted civil war.

India must deal with the situation in a calm and mature manner since an unstable Maldives can have serious regional security implications as well as impact upon India’s security.

The story of the Asian Security Conference is the attempt by IDSA to capture the complex issues involved in Asia’s emergence as the new locus of international affairs in the 21st century and India’s emergence as a factor in the continent’s evolving economic, political and security dynamics.

The range, speed, armament carrying capacity and the ability to accurately deliver a variety of weapons against different targets make the current IAF fleet of just over 32 squadrons far more formidable than when the IAF had almost 39.5 squadrons.