Latest news with #ChristopherClary
The Print
13 hours ago
- The Print
US updates travel advisory for India citing violent crimes, potential terror attacks
The advisory highlighted rape as one of the 'fastest-growing crimes in India' and warned that violent incidents, including assaults targeting tourists, remain a serious concern. 'Do not travel alone, especially if you are a woman,' the advisory says. The advisory, updated by the US Embassy last week outlined growing concerns over violent crime—including sexual assaults at tourist destinations—and the potential for terrorist attacks in both urban and rural areas. New Delhi: The United States has expanded on a Level 2 travel advisory for India, urging American citizens to 'exercise increased caution' due to heightened risks of crime and terrorism across the country. It also included new restrictions, requiring US government employees to seek permission before travelling to parts of India. The US government also said terrorist attacks could occur with little or no warning and often target heavily populated public spaces such as transportation hubs, marketplaces, and government buildings. While the travel advisory covers the entire country, it includes specific warnings for regions considered particularly dangerous. The US government explicitly cautioned its citizens against traveling to certain zones known for insurgent activity and regions with ongoing civil unrest. According to the advisory, among the most at-risk areas are the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the India-Pakistan border, and several parts of central and eastern India affected by Maoist insurgency. A travel advisory is a notice issued by the US Department of State to inform American citizens about all the safety risks of travelling to foreign countries. The advisories are updated annually for Level 1 and 2 countries, and at least every six months for Levels 3 and 4. These advisories use a color-coded system: Level 1 (blue) means normal precautions, Level 2 (yellow) indicates increased caution, Level 3 (orange) advises reconsidering travel, and Level 4 (red) warns against all travel. Advisory levels are based on risk indicators such as crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health concerns, natural disasters, and events like elections or large gatherings. Additional concerns may include kidnapping, wrongful detention, or other safety threats unique to specific regions. According to Christopher Clary, an associate professor of Political Science, University at Albany, while India has always been on Level 2, 'Previously the advisory was largely concerned with risks of terrorism and insurgency, especially in certain states. Women were encouraged not to travel alone. Those concerns about violence against women have been foregrounded in most recent update.' Also Read: India is re-hyphenating itself with Pakistan all over again. It needs a new 3D strategy Regions out of bounds: LoC, Northeast, central India In addition to general security risks, the advisory includes detailed restrictions for US government employees in India. Officials are now required to seek special authorisation before traveling to regions such as eastern Maharashtra, northern Telangana, and western West Bengal due to heightened terrorist threats in those areas. Approval is also necessary for travel to most districts in Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Meghalaya, excluding the capital cities. The advisory also warns American travelers against carrying satellite phones or GPS devices into India. Possession of such equipment is considered illegal under Indian law and could result in a fine of up to $200,000 or a prison sentence of up to three years. Among the most severe warnings is the advisory against travel to Jammu and Kashmir—excluding eastern Ladakh and its capital, Leh—due to the persistent threat of terrorism and the risk of civil unrest. The advisory cites incidents of violence in popular tourist destinations within Kashmir, including Srinagar, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam. The US also warns that travel to areas near the Line of Control (LOC) between India and Pakistan is strictly prohibited for foreign tourists under Indian government regulations. The India-Pakistan border is also designated as a 'do not travel' zone. The advisory notes the presence of heavy military forces on both sides and emphasises that the only authorised crossing point for non-citizens is the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab. It warns that US citizens must obtain a Pakistani visa in their home country before attempting to cross into Pakistan from India, unless they already reside in India. The US also advises against crossing the India-Nepal border by land, citing a pattern of immigration-related detentions and fines imposed on US citizens. According to the embassy, electronic visas are not accepted at land border crossings into India, and even travelers holding valid physical visas have faced arrest and prolonged legal proceedings due to misunderstandings about visa rules. In the northeastern state of Manipur, the US government warns against all travel due to ongoing ethnic violence, attacks on Indian government institutions, and widespread displacement of communities. American officials stationed in India must obtain prior approval before entering Manipur. Although the advisory stops short of banning travel to the broader Northeast, it advises travellers to reconsider plans to visit regions where insurgent groups have historically carried out attacks, including bombings on buses, rail infrastructure, and marketplaces. While there have been no recent incidents in Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Sikkim, or Tripura, US personnel must obtain approval before traveling to Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh or outside the capital cities in Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Tripura. The travel advisory concludes by encouraging all US citizens to carefully review the full India Country Security Report published by the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), prepare an emergency action plan, and ensure compliance with all Indian immigration laws. The US government emphasised that while it maintains consular services across major Indian cities, its ability to provide emergency support in rural or high-risk areas remains limited. Correction: An earlier version of this report incorrectly suggested that India was previously at 'Level 1'. This has been updated to reflect that India was always in 'Level 2'. (Edited by Sanya Mathur) Also Read: India-Pakistan terms of engagement: H-word, M-word & the Trump hyphenation
Miami Herald
09-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
India to Get New Spy Planes to Counter Nuclear Rivals Pakistan and China
India is preparing to bolster its intelligence and surveillance capabilities with the acquisition of advanced I-STAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance) aircraft, in a major boost to the Air Force's ability to counter challenges posed by Pakistan and China, according to news reports. Newsweek has reached out to India's Defense Ministry and the Pakistani government for comment. The reports follows the worst confrontation in decades with Pakistan and underlined India's plan to strengthen aerial reconnaissance and to reduce reliance on foreign arms. Pakistan performed strongly in air combat in May with the help of jets from China, which is another strategic rival of India's and is also locked in territorial disputes. Tensions remain high between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, despite U.S. diplomatic efforts that helped bring about a ceasefire. The project, at an estimated cost of 10,000 Indian Rupee (approximately $1.2 billion), involves integrating indigenous sensor systems onto foreign-made airframes and is expected to be reviewed by the defense ministry, according to news agency ANI, citing defense officials. The systems for I-STAR have been developed by the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) which integrates advanced airborne surveillance platforms for the Indian military. The I-STAR could mark a leap in the Indian Air Force's (IAF) ability to conduct precision strikes and monitor enemy movements. High‑altitude surveillance planes will allow the IAF to conduct target enemy radar sites, mobile air defense units, and command posts-including from stand‑off ranges, according to The Economic Times. India has fast-tracked the modernization of its air power-jets, drones, and advanced systems-following its recent armed exchange with Pakistan, where it caused damage but was also challenged by Pakistani air defenses. India accelerated its defense buildup with $4.6 billion in emergency procurement, advancing stealth jet development, a $470 million drone deal, and a $7 billion purchase of 26 Rafale naval fighters, according to Reuters. In March, Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi, said new Delhi "can no longer overlook" threats resulting from the military ties between Pakistan and China, especially in advanced cyber and electronic warfare tools, according to India Today. Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi said in March, according to India Today: "There is a high degree of collusion that we must acknowledge. In the virtual domain, it is nearly 100 per cent. Physically, most of the equipment present is of Chinese origin. The two-front war threat is a reality." Christopher Clary, Non-resident fellow at the Stimson Center's South Asia program wrote in an analysis in May: "This crisis involved the use of several weapons systems, often in innovative ways, which neither India nor Pakistan possessed at the time of their last crisis in 2019. While this crisis provides a baseline for the next India-Pakistan crisis, the pace of military technological change means that the contours of that next crisis might be meaningfully different. Both sides' perceived setbacks and failures will serve as a major driver for defense acquisitions and doctrinal innovation." India aims at acquiring three aircraft from foreign manufacturers including Boeing and Canada's Bombardier for the spy planes, ANI reported. Related Articles India Holds Major Air Drill Near Pakistan After Giant DogfightFBI Working With India to Disrupt Chinese Fentanyl Network-Kash PatelG7 Invite for Modi Signals India's Growing Weight for Democratic AllianceWorld's Highest Rail Bridge Opens to Reshape Nuclear Rivals' Power Map 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Express Tribune
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Did Modi inadvertently confirm Pakistan's S-400 claim?
Listen to article India's Prime Minister Modi posed in front of an S-400 missile launcher during a visit to the Adampur airbase on Tuesday, a move Indian media framed as a 'fact-check' of Pakistan's claim that it had neutralised two of the advanced systems during Operation Bunyanum Marsoos. But the photo-op may have inadvertently lent weight to Pakistan's assertion — precisely because of what was missing in the image. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), US-based South Asia expert Christopher Clary noted that while there is still no concrete evidence of Pakistani success against the S-400, Pakistan would be 'at least as likely if not more likely to target the command centre or the radar than they are the launcher' of the air defence system. I don't think there's any real evidence of Pakistani success against the S-400 but on the other hand presumably Pakistan is at least as likely if not more likely to target the command center or the radar than they are the launcher. Perhaps those systems are in other photos. — Christopher Clary (@clary_co) May 13, 2025 In a subsequent post, he shared photos of an S-400 command and control centre destroyed in the Ukraine war, alongside two radar vehicles commonly paired with the system. For people with more time than I have today, here is a 2023 photo of a reported S-400 command and control center destroyed in the Ukraine war and here is a photo of two different styles of radar vehicles previously associated with the S-400. — Christopher Clary (@clary_co) May 13, 2025 The S-400 Triumph, known by NATO as the SA-21 Growler, is a long-range, surface-to-air missile system developed by Russia's Almaz-Antey. According to a TRT World Research Centre explainer, the system is designed to detect and destroy aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. A 2021 research paper titled 'India's Acquisition of the S-400 Air Defence System', published in the Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, states that each S-400 system includes two batteries. Each battery comprises a command-and-control unit, one surveillance radar, one engagement radar, and four launch trucks referred to as 'transporter–erector–launchers.'
CNA
12-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Associate Professor Christopher Clary on India-Pakistan ceasefire
A ceasefire holds for a third day as India and Pakistan's military chiefs hold talks. Tensions have eased along the disputed border, with both countries keeping communication lines open. CNA speaks to Christopher Clary, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science at the University at Albany.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
India says it targeted Pakistan's air defenses, as conflict heats up
India says it targeted Pakistan's air defenses, as tensions increase between the countries. On Thursday, Pakistan said it shot down 25 drones over its airspace. India and Pakistan have been trading blows following a terror attack in Kashmir last month. India says it targeted Pakistan's air defenses in strikes on Thursday, in a sign of escalating violence between the two nuclear-armed countries. India's defense ministry said its forces had "targeted Air Defence Radars and systems at a number of locations in Pakistan." "It has been reliably learnt that an Air Defence system at Lahore has been neutralised," the government said in a statement. This was the first time India acknowledged going after Pakistani military installations. Targeting air defenses threatens to deepen the crisis, as it removes defenses and clears the way for further and deeper strikes. India's statement doesn't detail how the attacks were carried out. Clashes between the two countries have ramped up in recent days, after India carried out military strikes overnight on Wednesday. It said these were in retaliation for a terrorist attack that killed 26 people in the contested region of Kashmir last month. For its part, Pakistan claimed Thursday to have shot down 25 Indian drones, including Israeli-made HAROP long-range drones that can scout and strike targets. The Jerusalem Post reported in 2019 that India had bought several batches of HAROP drones from Israel, including the purchase of 10 drones in a $100 million deal. "Debris of Israeli-made Harop drones is being recovered from various areas across Pakistan," the Pakistani military said in a statement. India also said in the statement that it had neutralised Pakistani missile and drone attacks on its territory. The use of drones in clashes between India and Pakistan is a worrying new development in a long-simmering conflict over Kashmir, and points to the growing influence of warfare techniques and technologies used in the war in Ukraine. Both countries have used drones for years for reconnaissance in Kashmir, Christopher Clary, a professor at the University at Albany in New York, told BI, but never before "for apparent attacks on the other." "It seems possible both Pakistan and India were probing enemy air defenses," he said of the strikes. Pakistan said that 31 people have been killed in Indian strikes since Wednesday, while India says Pakistan's attacks have killed 16. The exchange of blows comes after an attack by Pakistani militants on Indian tourists in Kashmir on April 22, which killed 26 people. India has accused Pakistan of being behind the attack, an accusation Pakistan denies. Read the original article on Business Insider
