EndISISFlickrDawn Endico Courtesy: Dawn Endico
3 December 2015

Can ISIS be defeated?

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.

damascus Courtesy: Arian Zwegers/Flickr
5 March 2014

Save Damascus, now

If the violence in Syria shifts focus to Damascus, the destruction will be incalculable. Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the world, a cultural and religious centre. It is a collective heritage. Forces on both sides, led by the U.S. and Russia, must get all parties to declare Damascus a weapons-free zone

UNSC Syria UNSC Courtesy: United Nations
4 October 2013

Decoding the UNSC Resolution on Syria

The recent UNSC Resolution, which mandates the complete destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons, demonstrates that after more than a year, a degree of international agreement on the Syrian issue has been possible. In the evolving situation, Russia will now emerge as a major player

bob obama Courtesy: Systemman/WikimediaCommons
10 September 2013

Obama: Syria, spying and sellouts

Twelve years since the Taliban attacked the country, U.S. President Barack Obama is preparing for yet another war with a country in West Asia, for breaching a ‘red line’ he had drawn. However, the red line he needs to draw is about where the moral fiber of his presidency lies in the waning months of his tenure.

assadobama Courtesy: Freedom House/Flickr
6 September 2013

Syria: An unwarranted intervention

Despite rising international opposition, U.S. President Barack Obama is ready to penalise the Syrian regime for an alleged chemical attack in Ghouta, Syria, last month. The justifications given by the U.S. for an armed attack are questionable, and such retaliatory action will destabilise the entire region

khameini Courtesy: Dragonfire and Georgethewriter/WikimediaCommons
29 November 2012

Iran-Egypt: old foes, new competitors

Rivals Iran and Egypt have become the two most important powers in today’s West Asia. Yet, Iran is looking for neither a smooth victory nor a quick failure for Egypt’s rise. Tehran will remain the key regional player, while it’s too early to tell if Cairo is capable of overcoming Iran’s influence.

Courtesy: FREEDOM HOUSE2/FLICKR
24 August 2012

Syria: What next?

With the Free Syrian Army being supplied aid by the West and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the endgame for the Syrian regime has begun. Does Assad's exit guarantee the replacement of autocracy with democracy? What implications will it have on regional politics?

Neelam on Syria Courtesy: FreedomHouse2/Flickr
6 July 2012

The unique tragedy of Syria

Simultaneous efforts to resolve the problem in Syria remain stymied even as more and more high level meetings and consultations take place. The more countries treat the situation as a proxy for political differences, the more it creates the conditions for a wider conflagration with an unpredictable outcome.

5825395379_5d725a53f4_z Courtesy: Flickr/freeedomania
21 April 2012

UN: a return to ‘mandated colonialism’

By forcing regime change in Libya, and attempting the same in Syria, and by promiscuously arming disparate groups of Wahabbis and Salafists to achieve this aim, NATO is creating more room for instability in the region. What Syria needs is engagement, not isolation; it needs dialogue and not the arming of rebels.

Business Insider logo Courtesy:
26 February 2012

India Joins the West to Call for End of Violence in Syria

Business Insider republished Samir Kapadia's article on India's decision to oppose the violence in Syria. On February 16, India voted in favor of a UN resolution that passed by an overwhelming margin in the General Assembly joining the call to end the violence.