Here is the latest from my contact, Mr. Vikram Sood, former head of India's Intelligence service, RAW.  It is interesting to note that he is not very much up on Pakistan's prospects of becoming a democracy.  Alternatively, he thinks that, since Pakistan has started its march toward (hopefully) becoming a stable democracy, it should stop "hallucinating" about India. 

My own take is that neither India nor Pakistan are too rational about or toward each other.  I am sure you will make up your own mind.

Login is required to see Mr. Virkam Sood's message.

Colleagues:  Pasted below is a review of two books on the important subject of "political Islam."  As much as I believe that that phrase is artificial and is the creation of the Western scholars and media--since politics is very much part of Islam, which is a subject that I cannot even partially address in this short note--it discusses some interesting questions. 

My take is that we need to read such debates, but should keep in mine that in any endeavors to lower the intensity and contentious aspects of the so-called "political Islam," Muslims should not only participate in such a debate, but they must also lead it.  This is not just my opinion.  It is also the requirement of Ijtihad.  The US military officials should be paying special attention to this point.  So the DOS officials.

Cheers,

Ehsan Ahrari
Professor, Security Studies (Counterterrorism) Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS)
2058 Maluhia Road, Honolulu, HI 96815
Phone: 808-564-5036
Home: 808-988-7786
Bio:  http://www.apcss.org/core/BIOS/AHRARI/ahrari.htm

Login is required to see the review.

Some of you might remember our meeting with Professor Nye, who is known for his book on "soft power."  He, along with Richard Armitage, co-chairs a commission on soft (or smart) power.  If a Democrat is elected, you can be rest assured that this idea will get a lot of attention along the line of Kennedy administration's emphasis on the Peace Corps or Vista (which was focused domestically).

Here is Nye's latest essay for your reading.

Ehsan M. Ahrari, Ph.D.
Professor, Security Studies (Counterterrorism) Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies
2058 Maluhia Road
Honolulu, HI 96815
Phone: 808-564-5036
Fax: 808-971-8949
Biography: http://www.apcss.org/core/BIOS/AHRARI/ahrari.htm

Login is required to download the essay.