Middle East Politics.Net » India

Just What is The Middle East Anymore?

davidhulme — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:06:18 +0000

Robert Kaplan, writing in the NYT today, proposes that what is understood by the term “Middle East” needs revision. What recently happened in the terrorist attack on Mumbai requires recognition that South Asia cannot be left out of the ME definition. Students of the region know that it often also includes North Africa, due no doubt to the gradual spread of Islam beginning in the 7th century and in part to the creation of the 22-member Arab League in the 20th. But Islam also spread north, east and then south. In his analysis, Kaplan makes clear that his elongated Greater Near East is, in fact, dependent on an old alignment when Kabul and Delhi were ruled by a single Muslim power, the Mughal dynasty, in the 16-18th centuries. Anticipating Kaplan’s point, it’s interesting that India has had observer status in the Arab League since 2007.

David Hulme

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Israel Debates Protection for Chabad Houses

jbhughes — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:28:16 +0000

In the wake of last week’s terrorist rampage in Mumbai, Israel is faced with new security questions. The Nariman House, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish run hostel and religious center, was one of the targets in the attacks. The question for Chabad Houses around the world, such as Nariman, is how to protect them when they are so lightly guarded and filled with unarmed citizens.

It’s clear that we don’t want our Chabad Houses to turn into barricaded forts,” said Rabbi Menachem Brod, official Chabad spokesman in Israel. “The whole idea of Chabad is that we are open and accessible to Jews traveling abroad.”

However, Israel is at a loss when it comes to defending Jews abroad. “Of course we care, of course we worry, but there’s not much we can actually do,” said Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry. “Not only is it not governmental, it’s not even Israeli.” According to a former head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, the Jewish state is heavily restricted in what kind of protection it can offer nongovernmental institutions like Chabad when they are abroad. Realistically, the best they can do is coordinate with other governments to keep the organizations informed of any potential threats or warnings.
“Israel does not enjoy sweeping global authority for securing its people outside Israel’s sovereign control, and this must be well understood,” Halevy said. “I would say that any Jew in the world who wants absolute security and safety as a Jew is invited to come live in Israel.”

Official Israeli government buildings around the world have been on heightened alert since the assassination in Syria of a military commander with Hezbollah. Israeli officials denied involvement, but still braced for retaliation. It is unlikely, though, that the alert led to any serious security modifications at any Chabad Houses.

According to multiple accounts, it only took two gunmen to seize the Chabad House. However, it should be noted that the Taj Mahal fell almost as quickly and it had its own private security.

The troubling issue that Israel also has to deal with is what appears to be a new terrorist template with Chabad Houses and other soft Jewish targets in the cross hairs.

“What is clear is that Israeli sites, or at least sites that are connected to Israel, have become targets — be they primary or secondary — for the loose network of global jihad,” wrote one Israeli journalist.

According to the Times of India, the lone surviving gunman claimed that they hit the Chabad House with the intent of killing Israelis.

Jamie Hughes

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Israel Calls Chabad House Attack “Enemy Action”

rooparad — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:53:12 +0000

The Times of India announced earlier today that the Israel Defense Ministry has taken great offense to the attack on the Chabad House in Mumbai, calling the event “enemy action” against the State of Israel. The Israelis harmed in this terrorist attack will have the same financial benefits as those individuals who are affected by terror attacks in Israel. So far, there are 8 Israelis who have been identified as victims of the Mumbai attacks; further investigation is being done by Israeli police.

The Israeli Police Victim Identification Unit has actively been helping identify Israeli victims in Mumbai. Their bodies have been placed in a few central locations within Mumbai where the Israeli police say they are to begin their work to try and identify as many Israelis as they can. In fact, identification kits have been prepared and the Israeli Defense Ministry has given all the information they know about the Israeli victims.

Roopa Radhakrishnan

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Somali Pirates Hijack Oil Tanker

brgordon — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:12:14 +0000

On Monday, the U.S. Navy confirmed that Somali pirates seized the Sirius Star, owned by Aramco, t he Saudi oil company. The ship, carrying a crew of 25, was boarded by the pirates while it was near the Kenyan coast. It was located by the Navy after the pirates had taken it about 450 nautical miles to the southeast. Along with the U.S. Navy fleet that is currently in the Gulf of Aden, a NATO flotilla of seven warships, a Russian frigate and Indian vessels have gone to help. The Sirius Star is the size of an aircraft carrier and is drawing so much attention because of the two million barrels of oil it is carrying.

Brandie Gordon

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Iran in Talks with China and India on Caspian Oil and Gas

bjrussel — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:01:57 +0000

Iran is in talks with the Chinese National Petroleum Company (CNPC) and India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) concerning oil and gas development in the Caspian Sea. Though nothing has been finalized, Tehran already has a memorandum of agreement with Beijing to store strategic reserves in China. Iran currently produces oil below industry standards due to lagging technology and lack of capital. Three rounds of sanctions by the United Nations Security Council have cutoff Iran from Western, especially U.S., investment and so it has turned to Asia. Due to the burgeoning petroleum needs, fast-growing, populous Asian countries are eager to insure continued supplies for their economies.

Talk of placing strategic reserves in Africa in order to get crude oil closer to buyers has also been confirmed. It seems that while the West continues sanctions against Iran, the rest of the world is lining up to get a piece of the second largest oil-pie around.

Bridget Russell

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