Courtesy: Dawn Endico
Today ISIS is the gravest international security threat. To defeat ISIS, the world should pay heed to India’s experience of the need to isolate state sponsors of terrorism. Ultimately, only when Saudi Arabia acknowledges the danger to its own survival from past policies of alleged support to extremist groups, can it be a reliable partner in the fight against ISIS.
Courtesy: Wikipedia
The announcement in June of a Saudi-Israeli alliance against Iran has to be seen in the context of the strategic dimensions of India’s relations with Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iran, and the U.S. And it has far-reaching implications for India’s policy towards West Asia
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Currently, it appears that the Wahabbis have the upper hand over the "Sabahis" in the middle east. But the war for the hearts and minds of a people as gifted as the Arabs, is far from over.
Courtesy: sodere.com
The last ten years had signalled the Saudi intention of building closer relations with India based on their immense crude oil resources and India’s growing market and skill sets. With a new king on the throne and the on-going turmoil in West Asia it is in New Delhi’s interest to initiate high-level visits with Riyadh as soon as possible
Courtesy: wikimedia
The fall in oil prices is creating new complexities for the energy exporting economies of West Asia. With smaller profits, these countries may not be able to buy off political dissent at home and fund client governments and rebels abroad. Lower energy prices could also mean a renewed chance for peace
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With the growth of the Islamic State and of terrorist groups in Africa and other parts of the world, global coordination to combat terrorism is imperative. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the UNGA to adopt the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, but divergent national interests remain a hurdle
Courtesy: U.S. Staff Sergeant Aaron Allmon
Obama’s strategy to target the IS in Syria within the framework of a U.S.-led international coalition has met with a tepid response. There are reports that the U.S may offer India a non-NATO ally status during Modi’s upcoming visit in a bid to seek greater support – a gesture that India will do well to disregard.
Courtesy: Synthesio.com
Many Arab Republics are mired in political discord after the departure of the old tyrannical regimes opened up spaces for new struggles. In Iraq, Yemen, Libya, and Sudan, attempts to address the turmoil through constitutional reform are facing challenges. Will a democratic federalism be attained when the battles are done?
Courtesy: Cibin Varghese
The Khilafat movement started in Mumbai nearly 100 years ago in response to the dismantling of the Caliph-headed Ottoman Empire by the Allied powers. The present revival of the office of the Caliph by the Islamic State in West Asia, although rooted in a different context, evokes this sliver of Mumbai’s history
Courtesy: Telegraph.co.uk
Indian security establishments are closely monitoring developments in West Asia in the wake of the recent threat against India by the Islamic State and the Al-Qaeda. While the possibility of terror violence cannot be ruled out, careful attention needs to be given to the attempts to spread Wahhabi ideology in India