Jairam Ramesh

Making waves but also giving the go ahead to Posco and Lavasa after raising the ruckus

in reference to: Maverick Jairam Ramesh makes waves | Reuters (view on Google Sidewiki)

An Effective Training Tool

On the job training in the midst of operations in Kandahar is one way of ensuring that the troops can build their capacities while being actively engaged in operations during short breaks. While such troops would not require basic training in counter insurgency skills, scenario building technique provides an effective medium to enhance those skills which require to be progressed based on short comings noticed and the likely type of encounters faced in the ongoing operations. Mobile training teams may therefore prove to be a highly useful and very dynamic mechanism to enhance operational competencies while actual engagements are ongoing in the country.

in reference to: Mobile Training Teams Teach Counter-Insurgency in Kandahar (view on Google Sidewiki)

Google Sidewiki entry by rahul

The East Point for you

in reference to: Afghanistan’s “East Point” Military Academy (view on Google Sidewiki)

Do we really know the Critical Naxal Affected Districts

Some debate over numbers has been ongoing and the number of districts affected varies from 200 plus with critically affected up to 33 plus. So what is the real dimension?

in reference to:

"For instance while 8 states are in the Naxal affected list, only 3 Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa and just over 50 out of 200 plus districts may qualify to be critically impacted based on the geographical spread and pattern of violence. For the push model of development and also security modernisation adopted by the Central government, empirical evidence is not important, political and 'other' considerations dictate disbursement. T"
- Indianexpress.com : comments : Red corridor, red economy (view on Google Sidewiki)

NATO Afghan partnership

Partnership between the Afghan and NATO forces after involvement of NATO for the past many years in training and operational support of the Afghan Army is now welcome. This would set the stage for long term capacity building between the two entities and substantially enhance the potential of the Afghan Army and the Air Force in the days ahead. This will also attain the larger NATO objective of stabilizing the region and handing over a stable area to the Afghan Army thereby enabling it to continue with a good security foot print across the board, therefore this is an important facet of the relationship which has to be developed over the years and the opening with the visit of Maj Gen Ali is the first step in this direction.

in reference to:

"Afghanistan may be perceived by a worldwide audience as an under"
- Afghanistan closer to NATO Partner for Peace membership (view on Google Sidewiki)

Payment to Afghan Soldiers

he proposal for the Afghan National Army personnel to draw their pay and allowances from the ATM driven banking system is a progressive one as it would also reduce the level of corruption which is said to be high when some seniors have in the past been accused of denying pay and allowances to soldiers which has been a cause of concern. However the ATM driven system will provide leeway to the Afghan soldiers to directly draw their pay and allowances and thus eliminate middle men. However how far the banking system will be able to cope up with this all over the country remains to be seen.

in reference to: Problems Paying Afghan Soldiers (view on Google Sidewiki)

Mustafa Abu Yazid Dead SITE

Yazid the financial chief of the AQ is reportedly dead as per SITE

in reference to:

"Also known as Sheikh Saeed, he is an original member of al-Qaeda's Shura leadership council and has been a trusted adviser to bin Laden for more than a decade. When bin Laden and the al-Qaeda leadership were exiled from Pakistan to Sudan in the 1990s, Yazid served as financial manager for some of bin Laden's business enterprises there."
- Al-Qaeda's New Leadership: Mustafa Abu al-Yazid (washingtonpost.com) (view on Google Sidewiki)