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This Week at ISN

22 26 July 2013

Our Weekly Editorial Roundup

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// South Asia: Issues in Focus

After looking at South Asia's broader regional dynamics last week, we now turn to some of the specific security challenges faced by its inhabitants. We begin by profiling the weaknesses of India's national security decision-making processes and separating fact from fiction when it comes to the US' lethal drone program in Pakistan. We then examine the alleged fragility of the Pakistani state and focus on two problems it shares with its neighbors i.e., water and food security. Finally, we speculate on whether South Asian countries can collectively develop a 'non-traditional architecture' to face their security problems or whether they will remain mired in a self-help system.

National Security Decision-Making in India

22 July 2013

India may be a rising economic power but its security problems loom large. In response, Bibhu Prasad Routray argues that New Delhi needs to streamline its national security decision-making processes. Otherwise, its foreign policy will remain more reactive than proactive.More

Drones: Myths and Reality in Pakistan

23 July 2013

Nine years after the first US drone strikes in Pakistan, the US still denies the program's existence and Islamabad still denies it consents to strikes on its territory. The ICG recommends ways the US can increase the transparency of the program and ensure it complies with humanitarian law.More

State Weakness and Internal Instability in Pakistan

24 July 2013

Pakistan may be fragile, but it has just transitioned from one democratically elected government to another. In this Questions and Answers session, Chatham House's Gareth Price explores how the Sharif government can build on this momentum by mitigating domestic sources of instability.More

Water Security in South Asia: Running Dry?

25 July 2013

With over 250 million 'food-insecure' people competing for the scarce water resources of the Indus basin, South Asia does indeed have serious security problems in these areas. Our partners at the Atlantic Council address these challenges and how India and Pakistan might tackle them together.More

The Future of South Asian Security

26 July 2013

Non-traditional security threats will be the major drivers of conflict in South Asia through 2025, argues Mahin Karim. She explores the possible impact of these threats and the prospects for a 'non-traditional' regional security architecture to help combat them.More

// Security Watch
US Rebalancing Asia, Not Containing China
22 July 2013

Cooperation or conflict which option will the US and China pursue as the 21st century unfolds? When it comes to this familiar question, Robert Manning has no doubt by focusing on economic interdependence and their common vulnerabilities, the two countries can opt for mutual reassurance rather than distrust.More

Azerbaijan: Courting Enhanced Pakistani Support

23 July 2013

To strengthen its hand in the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, Azerbaijan is upgrading its military relations with Pakistan. According to Shahla Sultanova, however, such cooperation is also raising fears of nuclear proliferation and other forms of instability in the South Caucasus.More

Tough Job Ahead for Under-Resourced Afghan Forces

24 July 2013

Last month, Afghan forces formally took over the lead responsibility to provide security within their own borders. But are they truly ready to do so? According to Abdol Wahed Faramarz, serious doubts remain over whether they are up to the task.More

NATO: Time to Refocus and Streamline

25 July 2013

Is it time for NATO's European partners to assume a greater array of roles and responsibilities? Samir Tata thinks so. He outlines the changes the Alliance needs to make, especially if it wants to cope with a resurgent Russia and the dangerous instability of North Africa.More

Start Thinking Now About Transitional Justice in a Post-Transition North Korea

26 July 2013

Although the collapse of the DPRK could be years away, Oknam Yi and David Sungjae Hong believe it is time to start thinking about post-transition scenarios. Because transitional justice is particularly difficult to establish in a short timeframe, they argue that the time to prepare is indeed now. More

// Blog
How France 'Set the Standard' for Crisis Intervention
22 July 2013

With the Tuaregs having signed a peace deal in June and national elections planned for 28 July, it seems Operation Serval has given Mali a new lease on life. According to Julian Lindley-French, it also "set the standard" for future military interventions in crisis situations.More

Fragile Cities Rising

23 July 2013

With most of the world's population growth expected to occur in poor urban areas, 'mega-slums' and 'feral cities' will become the battlefields of the future, or so Robert Muggah argues. It's therefore time to adapt military doctrines and practices to meet the challenge.More

Europe's December Surprise?

24 July 2013

Is economic recovery finally around the corner in Europe? Not so fast, argues Robert Kahn. With limited agreements on long-term solutions and more financial transfers to its periphery in the offing, a nasty "December surprise" is more likely.More

The Coup in Egypt Strikes a Blow for Turkey's Position in the Middle East
25 July 2013

How has the toppling of the Morsi government in Egypt affected other countries in the Middle East? According to the OSW's Szymon Ananicz, the coup has weakened Turkey's influence in the region, even if it has also provided Ankara an opportunity to trumpet its democratic credentials.More

New Opium Elimination Plan in Myanmar

26 July 2013

The recent peace initiative in Myanmar's Shan State should facilitate poppy eradication in the world's second largest opium producer. According to IRIN, however, it remains unclear whether the current ceasefire will last long enough to set up a viable elimination plan.More

// Video
Dr E Sridharan: Challenges to Political Stability in India
In this presentation, Dr E Sridharan, who is the Academic Director of the University of Pennsylvania's Institute for the Advanced Study of India (UPIASI), describes the challenges of maintaining political stability in such a heterogeneous country.More

Nigeria: Strengthening Democratic Values in Leadership, Policy & Constituent Outreach

This video features a group discussion on the present political landscape in Nigeria. In particular, the discussants focus on 1) the challenges the country's political parties face, 2) the opportunities that exist for political engagement in the forthcoming 2015 elections, and 3) the demands Nigerian civil society continues to make for socio-political change, and how the government is responding to them.More

Nepal: The Role of Media in the Peace Process

In this video, Ameet Dhakal, who is a former Editor-in-Chief of the Nepalese Newspaper "Republica", elaborates on the role of the media in what remains a fitful peacebuilding process in a country recovering from a decade of civil war. More

Coming Up
Next week, our editorial focus considers some of the factors currently shaping Central Asia's increasing geopolitical significance.

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