Context After numerous promising starts and hard stops, the Afghan peace process is once again making progress. The initiation of intra-Afghan peace process is now almost certain despite the hick-ups related to the release of last tranche of Taliban prisoners held by the Ashraf Ghani’s government. While many challenges have been overcome, several intricate obstacles…
Context Never before have there been so many conflicts been brewing at the same time, in particular in the regions of Middle East – and the adjoining areas of South Asia and North Africa. There is a tendency to view these conflicts as separate with their individual dynamics. However, they intertwined and there is a…
Context In the COVID-19 environment, the Asia Pacific region is increasingly an active theater. A number of inquiries are being contemplated on the role and policy of China as the world grapples on how to deal with the pandemic. Then there is the angle of how China was able to tackle the virus quickly while…
Context The Core versus Peripheral Islamic world theory is one of the key themes Politact has been following for over a decade. One of the premises of this construct is that the Core of the Islamic world represented mainly by the Arab Gulf states, including Iraq, Syria, and Jordan have been gradually losing influence. On…
Context According to the World Health Organization, the Corona Virus linked pandemic was first reported from the Wuhan city of China around the end of December 2019. Now it has pretty much engulfed the whole world. At the time this article was written, CNN reported global cases totaling around 823,479 with deaths standing at 40,636….
Context Since 9/11, and even before, the world affairs are often linked to significant events that force upon a change from routine, while moving them towards a different direction. The often-quoted assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 is a case in point that directly led to World War I. Then there are natural catastrophes that…
Context It’s no secret that the technology and communication revolution has caused manifold socio political consequences. While there have been many advantages, these advancements are also producing numerous headaches for the existing political, economic, and security systems that were meant to preserve order. Change is inherently dynamic but overtime is slowed down by the human…
Context The election of Donald Trump in 2017 and unveiling of the ‘America First’ Doctrine signified a marked departure from the political, economic, and security framework set in place in the aftermath of WWII. This vision championed by the US and premised on economic interdependence and free trade, also known as Globalization, was presented as…
Context When all seemed set and done and all that was pending was the signing of the agreement, the Afghan peace talks suddenly collapsed with a dramatic announcement from President Trump on September 7th. The debate about the cause of this sudden change of heart started in earnest. Was the deal too lopsided in favor…
Context “The history repeats itself, “the first as tragedy, then as farce.” These profound quotes, irrespective of the source, are often repeated but then we see them unfolding right in front of our eyes. PoliTact has been observing the connection of the affairs of the Middle East and South Asia, while contending that what transpires…
