Crises & Consequences in Southern Asia

Regional Conflict Dynamics and Crisis Management

Reducing nuclear dangers and fostering strategic stability on the subcontinent

In South Asia Research

Nowhere is the risk of strategic instability and nuclear exchange greater than in South Asia. India and Pakistan are nuclear-armed neighbors who have fought several wars over the past seven decades and continue to risk potentially catastrophic escalation during recurring crises. Even more concerning, chances of miscalculation appear to be growing along with both sides’ tolerance for risk, strengthened arsenals, doctrinal shifts, and more frequent confrontation.

The project produces policy analysis and academic research on strategic trends and geopolitical dynamics in Southern Asia to better understand the causal processes, patterns, and lessons from previous crises on the Subcontinent. We empower rising analysts, carry out field research, and convene forums for regional engagement to mitigate strategic risk in South Asia. This dispassionate, reasoned approach is vital to generating the informed analysis necessary to undergird a more stable and secure region.

WEBSITE

This website highlights a South Asia program book, Investigating Crises: South Asia’s Lessons, Evolving Dynamics, and Trajectories. This book builds on three decades of Stimson research and writing on the threat of conflict in South Asia. Within these ten chapters, authors from China, India, Pakistan, and the United States offer analysis based on their personal experiences and scholarship.

Latest

Commentary
For Pakistan, the lessons from 2019 represent a dangerous move towards limited war below the nuclear threshold
Brig. Imran Hassan
Commentary
In a South Asian Voices interview, Lisa Curtis reviews the U.S. response to the Balakot crisis and offers advice to future policymakers.
Lisa Curtis
Commentary
After the Balakot crisis both India and Pakistan claimed victory, which has implications for the use of military force in a future crisis.
Lt. Gen. Deependra Singh Hooda (Retd.)
Commentary
Geopolitical alignments in South Asia are not the sole lens through which China sees India-Pakistan tensions
Zhang Li
Commentary
A new survey experiment finds public support for escalating rather than de-escalating a crisis in response to provocation from an adversary
Sameer Lalwani • Niloufer Siddiqui • Christopher Clary
Issue Brief
Despite statements to the contrary, India’s military remains resource-constrained, overstretched, and vulnerable to a two-front threat from China and Pakistan.
Sushant Singh
Op-Ed
The debate over staying or leaving tends to fixate on the Afghan political process. Instead, it should focus on developing a coherent risk-management strategy.
Sameer Lalwani
Op-Ed
Those who work on South Asian security issues expect another crisis is inevitable — one that will test the Biden administration.
Sameer Lalwani

News & Commentary

Commentary
For Pakistan, the lessons from 2019 represent a dangerous move towards limited war below the nuclear threshold
Brig. Imran Hassan
Commentary
In a South Asian Voices interview, Lisa Curtis reviews the U.S. response to the Balakot crisis and offers advice to future policymakers.
Lisa Curtis
Commentary
After the Balakot crisis both India and Pakistan claimed victory, which has implications for the use of military force in a future crisis.
Lt. Gen. Deependra Singh Hooda (Retd.)
Commentary
Geopolitical alignments in South Asia are not the sole lens through which China sees India-Pakistan tensions
Zhang Li
Commentary
A new survey experiment finds public support for escalating rather than de-escalating a crisis in response to provocation from an adversary
Sameer Lalwani • Niloufer Siddiqui • Christopher Clary
Op-Ed
The debate over staying or leaving tends to fixate on the Afghan political process. Instead, it should focus on developing a coherent risk-management strategy.
Sameer Lalwani
Op-Ed
Those who work on South Asian security issues expect another crisis is inevitable — one that will test the Biden administration.
Sameer Lalwani
Commentary
The US–India relationship—described as “a defining partnership for the 21st century”—has seen a dramatic rise over the past two decades.
Sameer Lalwani • Frank O’Donnell • Tyler Sagerstrom...

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