U.S., JAPAN, INDIA TO CONDUCT JOINT NAVAL EXERCISES
The U.S. has announced plans to conduct naval exercises with Japan and India off the northern coast of the Philippines later this year. It will mark the first trilateral exercise between the three powers in the proximity of the South China Sea. (March 3, 2016,Reuters)
INDIA EYEING $3B DEFENSE PACKAGE WITH ISRAEL
In preparation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel later this year, India's Cabinet Committee on Security has begun reviewing $3 billion in defense deals with Israel. Deals for Spice-2000 bombs and laser-designation pods have been cleared by the committee, with other platforms in the final stages of approval. (March 1, 2016,Times of India)
PAKISTAN: INDIA BIGGER THREAT THAN TERRORISM
Pakistan Foreign Affairs advisor Sartaj Aziz stated that India is a bigger threat to Pakistani national security than terrorism. Aziz considers terrorism an internal matter that can be resolved by the state, while India was creating a strategic and conventional imbalance in the region. He insisted that Pakistan would have to continue improving its nuclear deterrent capability because India's nuclear stockpile was growing faster than any other countries in the world. [Editor's Note: The global nonproliferation community is in uniform agreement that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is the fastest-growing, and one of the least-stable, in the world.] (March 2, 2016, Pakistan Today)
ISIS THWARTED IN AFGHANISTAN
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has said that Islamic State militants have been defeated and driven out of the eastern territory where they had been establishing a growing presence. IS had been in Afghanistan for over a year, comprising mainly of “disaffected Taliban fighters.” A 21-day mission by Afghan forces and aided by locals saw the deaths of at least 200 militants and ended in apparent victory. (March 6, 2016,Military Times)
TALIBAN REJECTS NEW PEACE TALKS
The Afghan Taliban is refusing to participate in new peace talks with the Afghan government. Backed by China, Pakistan, and the U.S., the talks are planned for later this month. The Taliban is refusing to negotiate before its preconditions are accepted, including the withdrawal of Western forces from Afghanistan. (March 6, 2016, Financial Times)