Today’s Links 9/3/2013
Ibu Sanjeeb Garg, “The India-Bangladesh Land-Swap Deal” (The Diplomat): Good breakdown of the wrangling over the negotiated land-swaps between India and Bangladesh (w/ a net gain in territory for the latter). Much of the tension comes from Assam state, which has a complicated history with migrants from Bangladesh.
Matthieu Aikins, “Enemy Inside the Wire: The Untold Story of the Battle of Bastion” (GQ): Wide-ranging reportage on one of the most destructive attacks against U.S. personnel and equipment in Afghanistan. Notable for its discussion of the various security flaws will allowed the attackers to wreak so much havoc.
Saba Imtiaz, “Reading between the lines of the ASWJ spin” (Five Rupees): Reportage on the apparent legitimization of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat in Karachi. The anti-Shia group is finding space in a city where anti-Shia feeling is widely felt by urban elites.
Shekhar Gupta, “’You either normalise with China or normalise with Pakistan. It’s easier to normalise with Pakistan. In the long run, competition will be with China’” (Indian Express): Wide-ranging interview with U.S. scholar Stephen P. Cohen on South Asian geopolitics. Key quote (in addition to the one used in the title): “ We [Americans] are still confused what we can do with that relationship, but we see both sides coming to us to influence the other side. I think the book is about this… but I think the main argument in the book is for India and Pakistan to settle this themselves.”
Greg Miller, Craig Whitlock, and Barton Gellman, “Top-secret U.S. intelligence files show new levels of distrust of Pakistan” (Washington Post): Based on Edward Snowden’s NSA disclosures, this reportage reveals the high level of mistrust between the United States and Pakistan. The U.S. has dedicated a large amount of resources to Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program, violations of human rights by sectors of Pakistan’s security establishment, and its ambiguous relationship with militant groups.
Shahid Javed Burki, “Good governance and the middle class” (Express Tribune): An argument for focusing on increasing accountability of public servants. Most of his recommendations echo the independence and autonomy of the Election Commission.
Namrata Goswami, “India’s Internal Security Situation: Present Realities and Future Pathways” (IDSA): An analysis of the multi-faceted internal challenges in India: Maoists, separatists in the Northeast, and terrorists. Most of the recommendations focus on improving internal governance, especially within the federal-state structure, an acknowledgement that these conflicts all require a political solution.
