Strategic Comments 2010

Moscow plays both sides on Nagorno-Karabakh Russia is striking a new balance in its relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan, which have long been at loggerheads over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was in Baku on 2–3 September to meet Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, continuing to promote warmer ties between their countries after a history of diplomatic distance. The visit followed unconfirmed reports of a major sale of Russian arms to Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, Russia and Armenia – traditionally Moscow's cl
India's Maoist challenge India's long-running Maoist insurgency has increased in intensity in recent months. In April, 76 paramilitary police were killed by Naxalite guerrillas in a brutal hit-and-run ambush near Chintalnar in Dantewada district in the central state of Chhattisgarh – the largest Naxalite strike in the group's 43-year history. There were further attacks in May and June, including the ambush of a patrol killing 27 policemen, and suspected involvement in a train crash that killed 147. This followed an outbreak of viol
Northern route eases supplies to US forces in Afghanistan The United States has established several new transit corridors to deliver non-lethal goods to its forces in Afghanistan. Pakistan had previously been the main transit point for all types of supplies, but the increasingly fragile security situation along its border with Afghanistan convinced the US authorities of the need to establish alternative routes. A major component of this strategy is the Northern Distribution Network (NDN), a series of rail, water and road links to deliver cargo to Afghanistan throu
Kuwait: signs of renewal Many in Kuwait and beyond regard the emirate as having stagnated since the Iraqi invasion of 1990 and the expulsion of Saddam Hussein’s forces in 1991. Though the oil has continued to flow, an enduring political impasse has held back development of the economy and infrastructure. Frustrated Kuwaitis have watched as other more autocratic Gulf states that lagged behind the emirate before the invasion have caught up or surpassed it. However, there have recently been signs of a growing recognition among leading
Balkan crime jeopardises EU accession hopes Progress is finally being made in the effort to clean up corruption and root out organised crime in the western Balkans. While this should be good news for the people of the region and the ambitions of their leaders to move their countries as swiftly as possible towards joining the European Union, it is also a double-edged sword. Recent evidence of the depth and scale of criminal and corrupt activities have bolstered the arguments of those who believe that these countries have a long way to go before they c
Hizbullah's alleged Scuds raise storm clouds over Lebanon On 13 April 2010 Israeli President Shimon Peres gave public voice to serious Israeli concerns that Syria had recently supplied Scud missiles to Hizbullah in Lebanon. Damascus dismissed the charge as a fabrication designed to justify Israeli aggression against Lebanon, a line echoed by Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri. But on 27 April, while not repeating Peres’s specific allegation, United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates warned of the destabilising impact of such an acquisition by Hizbullah.
Unrest in Thailand indicates deeper problems A crackdown by the Thai authorities on 19 May 2010 finally ended two months of major street protests by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), known as the ‘red shirts’. The protests were part of a wider political crisis that has been raging for nearly five years. Demonstrators were challenging the legitimacy of the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and demanding an election. More fundamentally, however, their actions seemed to be questioning the legitimacy of the Thai state
Elections in Myanmar offer hope of change Myanmar is preparing to hold its first national elections in 20 years. Although no date has been set as yet, the educated guess among Burmese is that they will take place in the last quarter of 2010. The military junta – which is holding the elections primarily to ensure its own survival in the face of widespread and long-running popular dissent, as well as international opprobrium – has passed election laws which have been heavily criticised internationally. Nevertheless, they still offer some hope for cha
US presses ahead with Iran sanctions As part of its effort to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, the United States is seeking to tighten sanctions on it. The US has tabled a draft United Nations Security Council resolution that would place heavy restrictions on Iran’s nuclear industries, military procurement and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Meanwhile, the US Congress is close to finalising its own bill expanding sanctions on Iran, including on those energy companies with significant interests there. In an apparent

Page: [1] [2] [3]

[ Next » ]

Strategic Comments 2010

Latest Strategic Comments

Latest IISS Publications

Strategic Comments