Current developments that could open up new fronts for India
1 The Taliban Terror Machine
In early December 2009, President Barack Obama’s administration finally committed 30,000 additional troops in a bid to intensify its engagement in Afghanistan. The final flourish will now happen over the next year, as the US-led NATO alliance look to close out the war in the next 18 months. Obama has made it clear that India will be a partner in the reconstruction of the war-weary nation’s democratic institutions and infrastructure. But in the past few months, the US has sought to make a distinction between the Taliban — which it considers rogue but native — and Al Qaeda, its primary enemy. This new soft strategy towards the Taliban presents a strange denouement for India. If the Taliban and its friends in Pakistan become aggressive against India, the US may not engage them as actively as it does now. So next year, India may have its hands full preparing for a scenario when the Americans leave the ’hood.
(This story appears in the 08 January, 2010 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)