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Understanding the Terrorist’s Mind
--Laurent Metzger
Islamic terrorism is quite apparent in our time. Numerous articles, books, films, television programs, video clips, etc. have been produced on the topic. They have helped us understand the phenomenon which has been noticed worldwide. Yet one aspect of it seems to have been left out, or rather not given due consideration. It is the question pertaining to the individuals who indulged in such terrorist activities. Who are they? Why do they resort to such extreme behavior to promote their cause? Was there something in their upbringing which led them to such violent attacks? This paper would like to address this issue. Indeed, clear-cut answers cannot easily be found, but a better knowledge of the youngsters who decide to become jihadi, either in their country or in another one, would help us understand their motives and allow us to find ways and means to prevent them from joining such criminal organizations. © 2015IUP. All Rights Reserved.
The Geopolitical Dimension
of Political Boundaries in South Asia:
A Security Perspective
--Sachin N Pardhe
Political boundaries are the key structural elements of nation-states and there is an intrinsic relationship between political boundaries and the security of states. The demarcation of political boundaries in postcolonial South Asia has been one of the major sources of conflicts. A combination of political and economic interests mingled with a geopolitical dimension has been at the crux of the tense relations shared by the South Asian states. From a strategic and security point of view, geography, though not the only security determinant, yet has been the most prominent one in defining regional security dynamics. The present paper is an attempt to understand the geopolitical dimension of security in South Asia primarily in the context of the political boundaries. It attempts to answer the questions like why political boundaries are critical in defining the security relations between states and what the geopolitical implications of the demarcation of political boundaries in South Asia in postcolonial era are. © 2015IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Mapping India’s Look North Policy:
Why Central Asia Matters
--Ramakrushna Pradhan
Central Asia is a buffer between two nuclear powers—the Russian Federation and China. Major geopolitical massifs—the Eurasian, Islamic, Chinese, and Indian— intersect here. Central Asia is also the geographical center of Asia where four world civilizations—Islam, Buddhism, Christianity and Hinduism—meet. India being the proximate player has some immediate geopolitical and geostrategic interests. The goodwill gesture from Central Asia was well received and reciprocated by India through certain favorable policy initiatives in the early 1990s. However, the economic slowdown in India and global power competition in Central Asia have discouraged India from playing a major role in the region for a larger part of the 1990s. However, the 21st century has brought a new aroma in India-Central Asia relationship. Yet, bilateral and multilateral engagements between both the proximate neighbors are far from satisfactory. India requires strategic clarity and importantly out-of-the-box thinking to forge and foster economic integration and political cooperation with the North-Central Asia. © 2015IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Accelerating Western Sahara’s Decolonization by
Unleashing Nigeria’s Experience in the Context of
Global Geopolitics, Geoeconomics and Neoliberalism
--Richard Ingwe and Joseph Ukwayi
The enormous academic work concentrating on Western Sahara’s colonization is understandable considering that this form of modern slavery has persisted long after Africa’s decades of democratization (the 1950s and the 1960s). The objective of the paper is to contribute to the understanding of the challenges faced by Western Sahara. Victimized by colonialists from Europe (Spain) since the first “scramble for Africa” in the 19th century and recolonized by its neighboring North African nation-states (Morocco and Mauritania) since the 1970s, various stakeholders have raised their interests in the decolonization of Western Sahara for various reasons. The paper also presents the concept of geopolitics and geoeconomics of major natural resources and the neoliberal approach to international relations. It also indicates the strategies that nations and regional politicoeconomic organizations could follow to pressurize Morocco to move out of Western Sahara. A need for further understanding of the characteristics of entities that may be sympathetic to Western Sahara’s cause is also stressed. © 2015IUP. All Rights Reserved.
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