ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Pakistan on Thursday said the "discriminatory trends and policies" involving nuclear technology could have "serious implications" for its national security and the global non-proliferation regime. The remarks came just days after American media reported that the US has allocated billions of dollars for monitoring Pakistan's nuclear programme. A meeting of Pakistan's highest nuclear forum Thursday "reviewed developments at the regional level and reiterated that, as a responsible nuclear weapon state, Pakistan would continue to adhere to the policy of credible minimum deterrence, without entering into an arms race with any other country." "Pakistan, however, would not remain oblivious to the evolving security dynamics in South Asia and would maintain a full spectrum deterrence capability to deter all forms of aggression," the National Command Authority (NCA) said. The NCA emphasised that Pakistan will continue to participate constructive

Russia has dismissed Britain as ‘a small island that nobody listens to’ at the G20 summit of world leaders. A spokesman for host President Vladimir Putin, Syria’s big ally, tried to dismiss the UK saying that Britain is a small island – nobody pays any attention to them apart from the Russian oligarchs who have bought up Chelsea. The extraordinary slur came at the meeting in St Petersburg while world leaders were discussing over Syria gas attacks. According to the Mirror, Russia’s remarks were clearly aimed at deflating the importance of British Prime Minister David Cameron’s backing for America’s proposed air strikes against Bashar al-Assad regime. Cameron was left furious over Russia’s remarks and claimed he had fresh evidence of chemical weapons use in Syria. But America was the major target of Russia’s anger. US Secretary of State John Kerry was branded a ‘liar’ who misled his own Congress to get a vote in favour of bombing Syria. Putin also said he has doubts over US cla

STRELNA, September 6 (RIA Novosti) – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged G20 nation leaders at their summit in the Russian city of St. Petersburg to find a political solution to the “unprecedented” humanitarian crisis in Syria. At a Friday morning meeting on the sidelines of the summit, the UN chief called on world leaders to convene as soon as possible the international conference on Syria in Geneva (known as “Geneva 2”), with the participation of senior Russian, US and UN officials. Secretary General Ban said the humanitarian crisis in Syria is unprecedented in scale in recent history and the world should do everything to put an end to the sufferings of the Syrian people. He urged the participants to study the possible options for preventing further militarization of the conflict. Russia and the US agreed in early May to hold an international conference aimed at facilitating a solution through political dialogue to the Syrian crisis. The US postponed the conference in l

By David Jackson September 05, 2013 - " USA TODAY " - Things aren't exactly warming up between the Obama administration and Vladimir Putin, even as President Obama arrives in St. Petersburg for the G-20 summit. Putin called Obama Secretary of State John Kerry a liar over Kerry's testimony this week before Congress. The question may be al-Qaeda's influence on the Syrian rebels, an issue Kerry has downplayed. Speaking to his human rights council Wednesday, Putin said, "This was very unpleasant and surprising for me. We talk to them (the Americans), and we assume they are decent people, but he is lying and he knows that he is lying. This is sad." Putin has criticized Obama administration claims that Bashar Assad's government attacked the rebels with chemical weapons. Last month, Obama canceled a summit meeting with Putin after a series of U.S.-Russian disputes, including Russia's decision to grant asylum to National Security Agency leake

Analysis The unusual Sept. 4 arrest of a South Korean member of parliament highlights the continuing divisions seen in South Korean politics and has reignited calls for the reform of the National Intelligence Service. The agency's dual internal and external roles have long been the subject of debate, and if that debate is reopened, Seoul's intelligence efforts with regard to North Korea could be hampered in the short term. The South Korean National Intelligence Service detained opposition United Progressive Party member Lee Seok Ki on Sept. 4, just hours after the country's National Assembly approved the rare arrest of a sitting lawmaker. Lee is accused of attempting to foment an uprising against the South Korean government in coordination with North Korea. He is also charged with calling on supporters to prepare arms and explosives for a strike against South Korean infrastructure in the event that Pyongyang launches an attack. Because lawmakers are immune t

Analysis The Naval Update Map shows the approximate current locations of U.S. Carrier Strike Groups and Amphibious Ready Groups, based on available open-source information. No classified or operationally sensitive information is included in this weekly update. CSGs and ARGs are the keys to U.S. dominance of the world's oceans. A CSG is centered on an aircraft carrier, which projects U.S. naval and air power and supports a Carrier Air Wing, or CVW. The CSG includes significant offensive strike capability. An ARG is centered on three amphibious warfare ships, with a Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked. An MEU is built around a heavily reinforced and mobile battalion of Marines. Carrier Strike Groups The USS Nimitz CSG with CVW 11 embarked is conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet AOR. The USS Harry S Truman CSG with CVW 3 embarked is under way in the U.S. 5th Fleet AOR supporting maritime security op

White House praises committee vote, which sets 60-day limit on any Syria engagement and bars use of U.S. ground troops in combat operations. The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a resolution on Wednesday authorizing a limited U.S. military intervention in Syria , setting the stage for a debate in the full Senate next week on the use of military force. The committee voted 10-7 in favor of a compromise resolution that sets a 60-day limit on any engagement in Syria and bars the use of U.S. troops on the ground for combat operations. Haaretz in depth coverage of the crisis in Syria : Obama, Syria and the prospect of an Israeli attack on Iran (Amos Harel ) || Former Syrian defense minister defects in break with Assad (Reuters) ||   U.S. intervention in Syria - humanitarian action or a new imperialism (Aeyal Gross)  ||  What Congress should learn from Auschwitz before the Syria vote (Gregory J. Wallance) The White House praised the decision, which was voted on on