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Type: op-ed snap

  • Coal and Mining Sector

    [op-ed snap] Mining deep

    op-ed snap | Economics | : Effects Of Liberalization On The Economy, Changes In Industrial Policy and their effects on Industrial Growth

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Not much.

    Mains level: Paper 3-Changes in policy and their effects.

    Context

    The government eased the regulations for coal mining in India.

    What does the opening mean?

    • Removal of restrictions: Until now there were restrictions on who could bid for coal mines.
    • Only those in power, iron and steel and coal washery business could bid for mines.
    • The bidders needed the prior experience of mining in India.
    • Who can buy now?: The move will open up the coal mining sector completely, enabling anyone with finances and expertise to bid for blocks and sell the coal freely to any buyer of their choice.

    Benefits of opening

    • More value extraction: The restrictions limited the potential bidders to a select circle of players and thus limited the value that the government could extract from the bidding.
    • Now the Government can extract more value from the auction of the blocks.
    • Development of coal market: Second, end-use restrictions inhibited the development of a domestic market for coal.
    • Job creation: Large investment will create jobs in the sector.
    • Increase in Demand: It will also set off demand in critical sectors such as mining equipment and heavy commercial vehicles.
    • Technology infusion: The country may also benefit from an infusion of sophisticated mining technology, especially for underground mines, if multinationals decide to invest.
    • Ease on Current account: In value terms, coal imports touched $26.18 billion in 2018-19, up from $15.76 billion in 2016-17.
    • This surge in coal imports, along with oil and electronics imports, has exerted pressure on the country’s current account in recent years.

    Why the move matters

    • 70 % of energy production in India is coal-based.
    • Until now Coal India was the only commercial miner in the country for more than four decades accounting for 82 per cent of the coal production in the country.
    • The productivity of coal is still an issue in the country. Coal is a very crucial raw material that is used in the power sector and also in cement and metal sectors.

    Way forward

    The relaxation in regulations, along with previous initiatives such as allowing 100 per cent foreign direct investment through the automatic route in commercial coal production, can aid in boosting coal production in the country and help reduce imports.

    Coal India Limited (CIL) has to be nurtured even as private players are welcomed.

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  • Issues related to Economic growth

    [op-ed snap] Limited scope for sharp recovery

    op-ed snap | Economics | : Government Budgeting,Indian Economy

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Not much

    Mains level: Paper 3-Slowdown in the economy, supply side-demand side, way forward for recovery.

    Context

    In order to revive the economy, the Government must choose between tax reductions and increasing rural spending.

    The Current Status of the Indian Economy

    • 5 % in 2019-20: The first advance estimate pegs India’s economic growth at 5 per cent in 2019-20.
    • Cause of the slowdown: The slowdown can be attributed largely to a structural demand problem in the economy along with some cyclical
    • Stagnant income and stagnant incomes: Despite largely stagnant incomes, private consumption has been financed over the past few years through lower savings, easy credit, and certain one-offs such as the Seventh Pay Commission led pay-outs.
    • Private consumption is the largest driver of growth.
    • Depleting savings: The household savings rate has dipped to 17.2 per cent of GDP in FY18, from 22.5 per cent in FY13.
    • Depleting credit in the system: Overall credit in the system has dried up.

     Rural economy

    • Low wages and stagnant incomes: Rural wage growth has averaged around 4.5 per cent over the past five years, but adjusting for inflation it has been only 0.6 per cent.
    • Weak real estate sector: The rural population, which was dependent on urban real estate/construction has faced headwinds in the recent past.
    • The sector is experiencing lower private sector investments recently.

    Limited scope for a sharp recovery

    • The following factors render the scope for sharp recovery limited.
    • Consumption issue is structural:  The slowdown in private consumption is a structural issue linked to low household income growth.
    • Low job creation: Low consumption is in turn, linked to the basic problems of low job creation.
    • Low Income: Low consumption is also linked with stagnant farm incomes.
    • None of the above factors is likely to change suddenly, limiting the scope of recovery.
    • Low Investments: Investment is unlikely to rebound sharply given the challenges on both income and balance sheet of the government, private sector, and households.
    • Stressed Government consumption: Which has been supporting growth over the past few years, remains under stress.
    • The combined Centre and states’ fiscal deficit is close to 6.5 per cent of GDP.
    • The public sector is already weighing on the limited domestic financial resources, ruling out space for an aggressive fiscal stimulus.
    • NBFC’s role: Recovery will also depend on the health of the financial sector, especially that of NBFCs.

     Use of the fiscal space

    • Supply-side: The government has shown a clear preference to rely on supply-side measures (like corporate tax cut) to support growth.
    • Need to address demand-side: Expectations will be high that the upcoming Union budget addresses the demand side concerns as well.
    • Spending on rural infrastructure and employment (MGNREGA, PM-KISAN, PMGSY) can decrease pain in rural areas.
    • Given the narrow income tax base, any sacrifice of the fiscal room would be beneficial only for a limited number of people.

    Way forward

    • Widening of the tax base- Given the narrow income tax base, any sacrifice of the fiscal room would be beneficial only for a limited number of people.
    • Broad-basing of the income and consumption profile: Economic reforms in the past have worked to enhance the capacity of the top few hundred million consumers.
    • The next set of reforms should enhance the capacity of those in the middle and the bottom of the income pyramid.
    • Role of the private sector: Given the huge infrastructure gap in the country, it is essential that the private sector’s role in infrastructure creation is much more inclusive.

    Conclusion

    Reforms that increase the productivity of the factors of production, provide an enabling environment for competitive production of goods and services and ensure steady and substantial growth in purchasing power for a larger section of the population should be the focus.

     

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  • Climate Change Impact on India and World – International Reports, Key Observations, etc.

    [op-ed of the day] Weathering the storm

    op-ed snap | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 3: Disaster Management

    Context

    State of Climate of India report by IMD should occasion interventions to make people resilient to extreme weather events.

    What does the report confirm?

    • Frequent extreme weather events: The report states that extreme weather events have become par for the course in the country.
    • The report notes that excessive heat, cold and rainfall killed 1,562 people during the year.
    • Intense dry spells, even droughts, were interspersed with floods in several parts of the country
    • Above normal temperature:  The mean temperature last year was 0.36 above normal.
    • The excess rainfall: The country also recorded excess rainfall during both the southwest and northeast monsoons.

    Long-term meteorological trends:

    • The IMD report should be seen in conjunction with long-term meteorological trends.
    • The warmest decade: The World Meteorological Organisation reckons that the decade starting 2011 remains on track to be the warmest on record.
    • Increase in the relative humidity: At the same time, data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Forecast shows that the relative humidity in the mid-troposphere in the Subcontinent has increased by about 2 percent in the past four decades.
    • Such warming has increased the capacity of oceans to form intense cyclonic disturbances.

    Implications for disaster-preparedness:

    • Cyclones: Last year, as the IMD report notes, the Indian Ocean witnessed eight cyclones.
    • Cyclones don’t kill but buildings can turn hazardous during such extreme weather events.
    • The vulnerability of the poor: In Odisha winds blowing at more than 140 kilometers per hour ripped off roofs and window frames in modern houses and also exposed the vulnerability of the mud and bamboo houses of the poor.
    • Guidelines: The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs does have guidelines for climate-friendly construction.
    • But planners in coastal cities and towns rarely pay heed to its provisions.
    • Cooperation between the states: The changing dynamics of weather also demands cooperation between states that share a river basin.
    • Maharashtra and Karnataka bickered over opening the gates of the Almatti dam on the Krishna.

    Implications for the farmers:

    • For farmers, vagaries in nature mean disruptions in the entire cropping cycle.
    • This year, Kerala, southern Karnataka, and Gujarat were heavily deficient till July.
    • But within a few days in the last week of July, these states recorded surplus rainfall.
    • Rainwater storage and use: Increasing their resilience calls for efficient rainwater storage and use.

    Conclusion:

    It’s clear that dealing with exceptional weather will require interventions at the national, state and local levels. The Statement on Climate of India 2019 drives home the urgency of such interventions.

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  • Foreign Policy Watch: India-China

    [op-ed snap] A multilateral alternative, by Asia

    op-ed snap | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and agreements involving India

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Not much.

    Mains level: Paper 2-Relations with China and the U.S.

    Context

    After the gap of 200 years, Asian economies are once again larger than the rest of the world combined.

    The Asian Century

    • Providing an alternative order: With the rise of India and China, Asia is providing a multilateral alternative to the world base on values.
    • Asian Century corresponds to the re-emergence of the two countries, leveraging the size and technological competence
    • Civilizational values: Both countries have civilisational values that are different from the west.
    • Peaceful existence: In the case of India and China balance of power is a western construct and both lived in peace across the ages.
    • The rise of China on the global landscape: In 2013, after attaining 15% of global wealth, announced the multilateral Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In 2014, launched the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, challenging the global governance paradigm.
    • India in 2015, established the International Solar Alliance, laying out a distinct global sustainable development framework.
    • Current multilateralism and its problems: The U.S. has recognised the ‘Asian Century’ bypassing multilateralism and recognised Indo-Pacific construct.
    • The U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the inclusion of intellectual property rights into the trade regime point to the colonial origin of the present order.

     

    New Framework- Country-specific to global value chain

    • Changing competition: Competition is moving from country-specific to fragmented competition based on global value chains.
    • Imposing the U.S. determined national security standards has led to only a handful of countries agreeing to ban Huawei for 5G technology.
    • The U.S. imposed sanctions on Iran that have affected India’s interests.
    • A different approach of China: It is based on “common interests” as different from the agreed goals of a negotiated treaty. BRI is an example of this.
    • It optimise not maximise the financial returns with countries remaining out of it.
    • The BRI offers the benefit of integration and connectivity with European markets to the member countries.

    Potential of BRI

    • It acts as a strategic framework: It provides a strategic framework for new global institution building.
    • Its scope is as wide as multilateral treaties.
    • Internationalizing the Renminbi: With state-owned enterprises in the infrastructure sector in the sector in BRI and backing from national banks is internationalising the Renminbi.
    • Developing blockchain bases infrastructure: As a leader in digital transactions, China is developing blockchain-based infrastructure in BRI countries. Thus reducing the dependence on the dollar.

    The shared interest of India and China

    • RCEP: China and the rest of the countries are eager that India joins the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which is poised to become the largest trading block.
    • Security and border dispute: With the U.S. pivot to Asia, China is eager to resolve the dispute with India to avoid constraints.
    • Huawei: India has rejected American opposition to Huawei taking part in 5G trials, India allowed all applicants to participate.

        The emergence of new values

    • The emergence of the new order should not be seen through a western prism.
    • The triumvirate: India, the U.S., and China are intertwined with each other. China was the largest supplier of the goods to the U.S. in 2018 and it has been India’s major trading partner.
    • They take part in limited sectoral cooperation on a regional basis.
    • Both the U.S. and China have a regular high-level discussions on strategic issues with India.

        Area of future differences

    • In Asia, differences will center on overlapping priorities.
    • Security-The U.S.’s effort to maintain hegemony.
    • Economy-China’s emphasis on connectivity, markets, and growth.
    • An equitable and sustainable development-India-led framework of digital infrastructure designed as a public good.

       Conclusion

    With the rise of India and China in Asia and the presence of the U.S. with them is going to make the new order centered around Asia a new reality in the near future.

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  • Citizenship and Related Issues

    [op-ed snap] The Indian Constitution’s unitary tilt

    op-ed snap | Polity | Mains Paper 2: Federalism

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Not much.

    Mains level: Paper 2-The Constitution in favour of strong Centre

    Context

    The Centre-State conflict over CAA, and the Constitutional obligation on the state to implement the laws made by the Parliament, has once again brought to the fore the fault lines in the Indian federalism.

    The opposition of the States to the Central law

    • Several state governments have declared that they would not implement the CAA.
    • Legislative Assembly of Kerala passed the resolution stating that the law contradicts the basic values.
    • The resolution is only symbolic.
    • Passage of such a resolution is not constitutionally barred.
    • But it may not be in tune with the federal scheme under the Constitution.

    What are the obligations on the States?

    • Article 256 obligates the State governments to ensure the implementation of the laws made by Parliament.
    • The Centre may give such direction as may appear to be necessary to ensure compliance with the laws made by Parliament.
    • The refusal to enforce the law even after the Centre issues direction would empower the President to impose the President’s Rule in the State.
    • Neither the refusal to implement not the official protests registered by the States carry much legal force.
    • The Calcutta High Court directed the state government to remove anti-CAA advertisements from the website.
    • The High Court barred the state from campaigning against a parliamentary law.

    The diminishing role of the Opposition

    • The parliament has been reduced to a site for procedural formalities.
    • There is a poor understanding of the role of the parliamentary Opposition in Indian politics.
    • Once the elections are over the Opposition is expected not to meddle in the governance.
    • The absence of Leader of Opposition in the Parliament for the last 6 years manifests this attitude.
    • Further, in the absence of the Opposition showing any resilience, national politics seems to be operating without a credible political check.

    The unitary tilt of the Constitution

    • Single-party dominance at the Centre has always revealed the tendency of our Constitution to concentrate the power.
    • The concentration of power is embedded in the very structure of the Constitution.
    • A ‘centrist bias’ of the Constitution further augments the power of single-party dominance.
    • Against the backdrop of the fissiparous tendencies in the backdrop of partition, it was justified for the founders to be hesitant in favour of stronger federalism.

    The rise of Electoral federalism

    • Change in voting patterns.
    • Over the last couple of years, there is huge vote swings between national and State elections in the same constituencies and separated by only a few months.
    • In other words, federalism is not a mere legal division of power, the democracy and voters too are becoming federal.
    • This embrace of electoral federalism may be one of the most significant achievements of Indian democracy.
    • Hence, parties that lose in national elections can still win State elections and form governments.
    • The State governments are thus filling the opposition deficit at the Centre.
    • This shift of opposition from Delhi to State capitals is likely to become the politics over federalism.

    Conclusion

    • The conflict that CAA triggered might become a template for future contestations over the federal question, while the politics seem to be ripe for the advancement of federalism.

     

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  • Defence Sector – DPP, Missions, Schemes, Security Forces, etc.

    [op-ed of the day] There is a design flaw with this military post

    op-ed snap | Security Issues | Mains Paper 3: Various Security Forces, Agencies & Their Mandates

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: The post of CDS and its responsibilities.

    Mains level: Paper 3-Security forces and their mandates.

    Context

    Recently Chief of Defence Staff post was created by the Government. The utility of this post and the problem it could create are debated.

    History leading to the post

    • First World War brought to the fore the command and control dilemmas of concurrent conflicts.
    • During the colonial years of Great Britain, an issue that received consideration was the British higher command and control structures.
    • With the declaration of the Second World War, the responsibility of higher command fell on War Cabinet serviced by the Chiefs of Staff Committee.
    • Winston Churchill as prime minister given the supreme power but remained responsible to the parliament.
    • After the U.S. entered the war, a unified command required a single commander.
    • After the war ended and the Cold War started, Eisenhower became the supreme commander of NATO.
    • While political powers were vested in the NATO council.
    • Despite the experience of the World Wars the U.S. has not created CDS.
    • In the U.S., the military chain of command runs directly from theatre commanders to civilian secretaries to the President.
    • Britain, however, created the post of the Chief of Defence Staff.

    The outline for India

    • The three-tier defense management structure was adopted by Jawaharlal Nehru.
    • Cabinet Committee on security has served India for well over the years.

    Role of CDS

    • Department of Military Affairs, headed by CDS will deal with the Army, Navy and Air force and The Territorial Army.
    • Works related to procurement related exclusively to the services except for capital acquisition.
    • He will also act as a Principal Military Advisor to the Defence Minister.
    • CDS will not exercise any military command, including the three Service Chiefs, so as to be able to provide impartial advice to the political leadership.

    A subordination

    • There would be an implied subordination of the three service chiefs to the CDS notwithstanding any declaration to the contrary.
    • CDS is tasked with facilitating the restructuring of military commands.
    • Bringing about jointness in operations including through the establishment of joint/ theatre command.
    • This could encroach upon the domain of the service chiefs.
    • The CDS would outrank the three service chiefs even though all are four-star.
    • CDS could override the Service Chiefs on critical tactical and perhaps even strategic issues.

    Conclusion

    • The Department of Military Affairs would exercise control over the three services and also most problematic is the erosion of the civilian supremacy which could result with the creation of the post.

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  • Foreign Policy Watch: India-Australia

    [op-ed snap] Amidst a tragedy, an opportunity

    op-ed snap | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and agreements involving India

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Not much.

    Mains level: Paper 2- International relations.

    Context

    The raging fire in Australia gives provides an opportunity for India and Australia to deepen their dialogue including on energy.

    Scope for the two countries

    • At this moment India and Australia have a rare opportunity to translate their converging interests into a partnership.
    • At Australia India Leadership Dialogue last month in Melbourne, the breadth and depth of the relationship was evident.
    • As a consequence of the bushfires, the debate on global warming, climate change and fossil fuels is going to intensify in the weeks ahead.
    • Environmental activism has gained ground throughout Australia.
    • Indian Ocean Dipole may have triggered the drought that is related to the fires.
    • The campaign against fossil fuels and the export of coal is sure to intensify.
    • India and Australia are two economies with a great stakeholding in fossil fuels.
    • It is critical for India and Australia to ensure that their dialogue on energy acquires momentum.
    • Both countries must simultaneously strengthen the International Solar Alliance and the search for other alternative green fuels.

    Common threat of China

    • Leadership Dialogue also recognised that we are living through a period of immense turbulence, disruption, and even subversion.
    • Presence of assertive China is the single biggest challenge to our two countries.
    • In India, there is a consensus that the Australia-India relationship is an idea whose time has well and truly come.

    Area of coordination

    • India and Australia can work on the area of water management to trauma research to skill and higher education.
    • Both the countries can also work in the area of maritime security, cybersecurity, counterterrorism,
    • In a survey, Indians ranked Australia in the top four nations towards which they feel most warmly.
    • Both have a strategic interest in ensuring a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.
    • Indians are today the largest source of skilled migrants in Australia.
    • there is need for an early conclusion of a bilateral Free Trade Agreement.

     Conclusion

    There is a large scope for both countries to coordinate on wide issues like energy, research, security and work together for the benefit of both countries.

     

     

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  • Mother and Child Health – Immunization Program, BPBB, PMJSY, PMMSY, etc.

    [op-ed snap] Children of lesser gods

    op-ed snap | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Health & Education

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Not much.

    Mains level: Paper 2- Health.

    Context

    The deaths of nearly 200 children in Kota, from largely preventable diseases, lays bare the condition of the healthcare system in India.

    Where does India stand?

    • According to UNICEF’s ‘State of World’s Children 2019’ report, India reported the maximum number of deaths of children under five in the world in 2018.
    • 8,82,000 children under five died that year.
    • That means around 2,416 deaths per day.
    • The death of children due to largely-preventable illnesses is a matter of serious concern and calls for urgent introspection.

    Factors that govern child health

    • Most of the children who died in Gorakhpur, Muzaffarpur and Kota belong to the lowest strata of the society.
    • It won’t be wrong to conclude that they were victims of structural violence.
    • This structural violence is unleashed through a multitude of social, political and economic factors apathy of healthcare professionals, poor health services/infrastructure
    • And low rates of female literacy, economic inequality, the rigid caste system, social apartheid, lack of political will and patriarchy play role.
    • As a society, we have stopped looking at the deaths of our citizens through the prism of compassion and concern.
    • Structural violence influences the nature and distribution of extreme suffering.

    What is being done in the wrong way?

    • The government is considering the takeover of 750 district hospitals by private medical colleges through a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
    • This, despite ample evidence about the failure of the model in the country’s healthcare system.
    • Nobel laureate Kenneth Arrow demonstrated that profit and private involvement in healthcare lead to an erosion of trust.
    • An Individual’s demand for medical services is irregular and unpredictable, the involvement of a private market model for such services can be disastrous.
    • The U.S.’s experiences in the PPP model in healthcare have shone a light on the deficits in transparency and highlighted the lack of care of vulnerable groups.

    Conclusion

    • What urgently a sincere engagement by the state in matters concerning peoples’ health.
    • We need to question the government’s priorities in a country where nearly a million children die every year

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  • Forest Fires

    Blaze down under

    op-ed snap | Enviro & Biodiversity | Mains Paper 1: Important Geophysical Phenomena

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Not much.

    Mains level: Paper 1-Climate change,Forest fires.

    Context

    In Australia, forest fires, among the worst in the country’s history, have been raging since September and show no signs of abating.

     Unabated fire in Australia

    • The fire, worst in Australia’s history, has been raging since September and shows no signs of abating.
    • At least 24 people lost their lives, 500 million animal have perished, and more than 12bn acres of land has turned to cinders.
    • New South Wales, the country’s worst-affected state, declared an emergency last week in its southeastern region.

    Climate change and the fire

    • Australians have vented their anger at Prime Minister for playing down the blaze’s association with climate change.
    • Bushfires are actually a part of Australia’s ecosystem. Many plants depend on them to cycle nutrients and clear vegetation.
    • Eucalyptus trees in Australia depend on fire to release their seeds.
    • The prolonged blaze this year has coincided with Australia’s harshest summer.
    • Parts of the country recorded their highest recorded temperature in December.
    • Much of Australia is facing a drought that is a result of three consecutive summers with very little precipitation.
    • This, according to climate scientists, is unprecedented.
    • Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s 2018 State of the Climate report had given a hint of the change.
    • It said “Australia’s climate has warmed by just over 1 degree Celsius since 1910, leading to an increase in the frequency of extreme heat events.’’
    • This has led to more rainfall in northern Australia but created drought-like conditions in the more densely populated southeast.

    Damage caused to the flora and fauna of Australia

    • Australia is home to nearly 250 animal species.
    • Some of them like the koalas and kangaroos are not found elsewhere.
    • The region also has the highest rate of native animals going extinct over the past 200 years.
    • Experts, for example, reckon that more than a quarter of the koala habitat has been consumed by the blaze.
    • The fires have also caused a drop in the bird, rodent and insect populations.

    Conclusion

    • These creatures perished are the building blocks of the ecosystem and the fall in their population is bound to have long-term impacts. In Australia’s bushfires lies a warning about the complex ways in which climate variables interact.

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  • The Crisis In The Middle East

    [op-ed snap]The U.S. is weakened by Soleimani’s killing

    op-ed snap | International Relations | Mains Paper 2: Effect Of Policies & Politics Of World On India’S Interests

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Not much.

    Mains level: Paper2 – International relations

    Context

    Targeted killing of powerful Iranian Major-General could have done more bad than good for the U.S.

    Series of events after the assassination

    • The Iraqi parliament voted to expel the U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and deny them access to its airspace, land or water.
    • Pro-Iranian groups could attack across the region where thousands of U.S. troops and official personnel are stationed.
    • Soleimani’s assassination has awakened the deep strain of Iranian patriotism.
    • And Iran is not alone.
    • In Beirut, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called Soleimani the “glue that held the Resistance Axis together”.
    • The U.S threat of striking “52 Iranian sites” did not win the U.S. any support on the international stage.
    • Even the Europeans, otherwise steadfast with the U.S. in these sorts of adventures, hesitated.
    • Arab League’s Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit expressed concern over the situation and asked for calm.
    • This is the same man who had, only a few weeks ago, accused Iran of sowing chaos in the region.
    • It is likely that China and Russia will table a resolution at the UN that calls for calm as well as criticises the U.S.
    • This will certainly be vetoed by the U.S.

    Desperate and irrational policy

    • Till now the U.S. has not been able to extricate itself from its illegal war against Iraq.
    • That war provided a massive advantage to Iran not only in Iraq but also across the region.
    • This is what terrified two of the U.S.’s allies, Israel and Saudi Arabia, both of whom pressured Washington to increase its threats against Iran.
    • S. create the conditions for the rise of the worst kind of violence in Iraq, and later Syria
    • It also weakened the strategic position of its allies.
    • No attempt by the U.S. to regain its authority has worked.
    • The U.S. policy against Iran and Iraq appear desperate and irrational.

    Conclusion

    • The U.S recklessness has isolated it further and deepened anxieties amongst its increasingly isolated regional allies, Israel and Saudi Arabia.

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