War with Russia: avoiding catastrophe on October 11, 2016After the attacks in Kashmir, India and Pakistan continue to glare at each other across the Line of Control. Both sides are taking steps to block and counter the other from cultivating new friends to fielding weapons and doctrine designed to exploit individual military advantages in the case of India of physical size to Pakistan’s […]
Why Putin will fail on October 5, 2016Here is a prediction: Vladimir Putin is on a course to fail as president of the Russian Federation. Do not expect failure this year or even next. However, it is as inevitable as was the overthrow of the party leader Nikita Khrushchev in 1964, and the implosion of the Soviet Union less than three decades […]
How does Putin do it? on September 28, 2016About 100 million Americans and probably an equal or greater number of overseas viewers watched the first presidential debate last Monday between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. But no matter how the debate turned out and who was seen as the bigger winner or loser, neither candidate could imagine achieving after the November 8 vote […]
Lets not start a new cold war with Russia on September 21, 2016Pakistani politicians and public may be following with interest the latest turn in American politics, at home and abroad. The Clinton-Trump presidential race seems to be tightening as Hillary’s health and unfortunate use of “basket of deplorables” have become political albatrosses with seven weeks left. And Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s dismissal of President of Barack […]
Of hacks, hackers and Russians on September 15, 2016Last week’s “Commanders-in-Chief” forum hosted by NBC TV in prime time sought to probe presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on national security issues. Sadly, the moderator Matt Lauer was ill-prepared and unsuited for the task. Instead, he wasted too much time grilling Mrs Clinton on her e-mails and not enough time challenging the […]
Love vs hate; Clinton vs Trump on September 7, 2016While Pakistanis have other more important issues about which to worry, given the sad state of relations with the United States, the presidential elections here remain one of concern. Suppose, for example, a Trump presidency might treat Pakistan as Trump is treating immigration. Would that not be a sure means of making this relationship even […]
Russia from a Russian perspective on August 31, 2016No matter how badly US-Pakistani relations have been, the unfortunate reality is that they can always get worse. 2011 was a low point. Early that year, Raymond Davis shot and killed two Pakistanis in cold blood in Lahore. The Pakistanis were following him no doubt at the orders of ISI as Davis was suspected of […]
Russia: enigma, riddle or something else? on August 24, 2016Russian President Vladimir Putin has proven to be a clever, resourceful and, in some ways, very dangerous adversary for the West, the United States and even Pakistan. There are several reasons why this is the case. First, Putin’s strategic framework is Leninist and Marxist in that he views the world in terms of contradictions, and […]
Three big, big bets on August 17, 2016Newport, Rhode Island: Life, it can be argued, is based on a series of big bets beginning from birth. Is an individual lucky enough to be born into a family with sufficient means to be comfortable? Or, for the majority of people, will life begin with the most humble and meager of the basics? From […]
The toughest job in the world on August 10, 2016While the United States is carefully observed from abroad by hundreds of millions if not billions, many do not fully understand the very nature of the American political system that is based on a system of divided government and checks and balances. The three branches — the Legislature, the Executive, and the Judiciary — were […]