The Two K’s – Kashmir And Kalashnikov

It was not the lethality of the AK that India feared, for it had a million-strong army to counter it. It was the psychological change that the assault rifle unleashed everywhere it went. AK stands for Avtomat Kalashnikova, and 47 denotes 1947, the year of its adoption by the Soviet military. The assault rifle made […]

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Testing Relationships

Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan‘s new prime minister, faces important challenges if he is to improve his country’s economic and security situation, as well as make progress in relationships with Kabul, New Delhi and Washington. His first priority, however, will be to forge a good working relationship with the military. Read Here – IISS

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Surrounding China

The United States Air Force will dramatically expand its military presence across the Pacific this year, sending jets to Thailand, India, Singapore, and Australia, according to the service’s top general in the region. For a major chunk of America‘s military community, the so-called “pivot to Asia” might seem like nothing more than an empty catchphrase, […]

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In Pakistan It’s Now About Judges, Not Generals

Today, judges in Pakistan seem to be more powerful than military generals, who are apparently no more the “movers and shakers” in domestic politics. Under Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, over the past three years, the court has become powerful enough to challenge a sitting prime minister. Last year, the court disqualified and removed former prime […]

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Egypt’s Pretenders

Egypt has had its fill of heroes in the form of Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar al-Sadat, Mubarak, and Morsi — all false prophets of particular versions of modernity — but it is crying out for leadership. Unfortunately, the politicians stocking the new government do not inspire confidence that Egypt will finally get what it needs. […]

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China And Its Military Transparency

When China published her defense white paper “the Diversified Employment of China’s Armed Forces” in April 2013, the western critics lauded the efforts but pointed out that China didn’t put much meat on the bone and that the paper is again short on details that people would like to see. Read Here – China US […]

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The New Killing Machines

More and more, unmanned machines such as drones are waging war. So far, governments kept humans as the operators. But now militaries worldwide are developing armed autonomous robots with the capacity to use lethal force on their own. Read Here – Foreign Affairs

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A Trial That Pakistan Needs

General (retired) Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s former military strongman and once Washington’s trusted ally in the war on terror, may soon be prosecuted, the first time in the country’s history that a former army chief will face legal action for violating the constitution and tampering with its democratic institutions. Read Here – The Hindu

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