Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Upfront WAR IN YEMEN WAS A RESULT OF a failed political transition, and by 2017 a resolution was becoming increasingly difficult. The uprising that had toppled Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2011 was supposed to usher in a new era of dialogue and reform, but the transition collapsed under the weight of factionalism, regional rivalries, and external interference. As the New York Times reported, the Houthis, a Zaydi Shia movement long marginalised, capitalised on discontent and expanded their influence, while the central government faltered. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, saw Iranian expansionism in Shia centred areas of Yemen and Lebanon as a direct threat, and actively supported Sunni movements in the Arab world to counterbalance Tehran. The Guardian noted that Riyadh’s military budget had soared to $87 billion in 2016, the third largest globally, with US approved arms sales during the Obama administration and military aid from the United Kingdom bolstering its ar...

Source: Internet By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Upfront C hina has been Pakistan’s number one friend for a number of reasons under the current strategic context.  It is not only extending its military and political backing, but is also willing to lend a push to the economic environment inside Pakistan as well.  CPEC is a mega-project investment and is perhaps the biggest of its kind in the region. The assistance is bigger than what the United States has given Pakistan since 2002. The corridor has been in the news for all the right and wrong reasons. It is yet again showing that Islamabad is getting closer to Beijing and its alliance with Washington is slowing declining. Infrastructure development capabilities and harnessing the potential of Pakistan’s natural reserves will strengthen CPEC goals, but lack of transparency in their financial agenda has recently caused retaliatory attacks. Economic experts believe that it will add immense econ...