Gray Smoke

The recent 'stopping of fire' between India and Pakistan, brokered by the United States, marks a significant shift in the region's geopolitical landscape. While President Trump has claimed credit for this diplomatic breakthrough, the underlying strategic calculations reveal a more complex reality. Pakistan's Dual Doctrines Pakistan has long recognized its conventional military disadvantage against India's superior size and resources. This recognition led to the development of two complementary doctrines: asymmetrical warfare (the strategy of "bleeding India by a thousand cuts" through proxy forces and terrorist activities) and nuclear deterrence. In the global geopolitical jungle, India has a very large forest compared to the small wooded area of Pakistan, with tigers, sharks, and eagles as conventional forces. Pakistan developed two additional security strategies: releasing annoying mosquitoes over the fence (asymmetrical warfare) and installing a comi...

  As a child I was fascinated with spy thrillers and one of the oldest spy thriller is Rudray Kipling’s book Kim . I first came across the word “Great-game”, and it has been a subject of interest to me. The “Great Game” originally described the 19th-century rivalry between the British and Russian Empires for dominance in Central Asia. Today, this concept has evolved into a multifaceted competition among major powers — primarily the United States, Russia, China, and regional actors — for global influence. Historically, Britain’s role in the Great Game transitioned to the U.S. post-World War II, with America inheriting the mantle of maritime power and the strategic imperative to prevent a single power from dominating Eurasia. It is important to understand how this has played out over the last century in today’s geo-politics. It provides context for current events, reveals power dynamics, highlights historical patterns, and supports informed decision-making.   The Gre...