Thesis: Covert Power and Manufactured Consent – The Evolution of International Relations in the Post-WWII and Multipolar World Order
Candidate: Akshat Agrawal
Discipline: International Politics and Strategic Studies
Date: June 2025
Abstract
This dissertation investigates the historical trajectory and contemporary dynamics of international relations shaped by covert statecraft, disinformation, and strategic interventions from the post-World War II era to the present multipolar world. It critically analyzes how the United States, Israel, and regional actors such as India and Pakistan have employed propaganda, proxy warfare, and secret intelligence operations to shape global politics, undermine sovereign states, and manufacture public consent for military interventions. The study further examines the ramifications of these practices in South Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, and assesses the evolution of global power in the emerging multipolar order.
Chapter 1: Introduction
- Research Questions
- Scope and Limitations
- Methodology and Sources
- Theoretical Framework: Realism, Constructivism, and Critical Security Studies
Chapter 2: The Cold War Legacy – Seeds of Modern Covert Statecraft
2.1 Rise of the U.S. Security State
- Formation of CIA, NATO, and NSC (National Security Council)
- Truman Doctrine and Containment Policy
2.2 Vietnam War and Gulf of Tonkin Incident
- False flag operations and media manipulation
- Phoenix Program and covert assassination campaigns
2.3 Cuba and Operation Mongoose
- Assassination attempts on Castro
- Biological warfare and sabotage
Chapter 3: Manufacturing Consent – The Strategic Use of Disinformation
3.1 Iraq (2003) and the WMD Myth
- Role of mainstream media and intelligence fabrication
- Center for Public Integrity’s analysis of 500+ false claims
3.2 Libya (2011) and the Humanitarian Pretext
- UN R2P doctrine misuse
- UK Parliament’s post-intervention critique
3.3 Afghanistan and the Mujahideen Legacy
- CIA’s Operation Cyclone
- Emergence of Taliban and long-term blowback
Chapter 4: South Asia – Proxy Wars and Regional Interventions
4.1 India–Pakistan Conflict and ISI’s Proxy Doctrine
- Mumbai Attacks (2008)
- Kashmir insurgency
- “Bleed India with a Thousand Cuts” strategy
4.2 R&AW and Sri Lanka
- Early support to LTTE in the 1980s
- Shift toward pro-government paramilitary support
- 2015 political engineering and China containment
4.3 Internal Securitization in India
- RSS and Modi’s majoritarian politics
- Pegasus spyware and suppression of dissent
Chapter 5: The Israeli Paradigm – Perpetual Threat Rhetoric
5.1 Netanyahu’s Iran Nuclear Claims
- IAEA reports vs. Israeli narrative
- Strategic use of fear to rally Western support
5.2 Gaza and the Global Propaganda War
- Civilian casualties and international law violations
- Weaponization of media and censorship
Chapter 6: Ukraine, NATO, and Hybrid Warfare
6.1 NATO Expansion and Russian Response
- Historical context of eastward expansion
- 2014 Maidan, Crimea, and 2022 full-scale war
6.2 Covert Cyberwarfare and Intelligence Ops
- MI6, CIA, and cyber influence operations
- Wagner Group and Russia’s paramilitary diplomacy
Chapter 7: The Multipolar Shift – BRICS, SCO, and Post-American World
7.1 Decline of U.S. Hegemony
- Economic overstretch, internal polarization
- Erosion of global moral authority
7.2 Rise of Multipolarity
- China’s Belt & Road Initiative and strategic realignment in Asia
- Russia’s balancing via energy diplomacy and military assertiveness
- India’s ambivalence: Strategic autonomy and regional power projection
- Europe’s identity crisis: Strategic independence vs. NATO dependency
- North Asia (Japan and Korea): Between U.S. security umbrella and regional realignment
7.3 Regional Developments
- South Asia: India’s leadership vs. internal discord, China’s influence in Pakistan and Sri Lanka
- East and North Asia: Technology, AI, and maritime strategy reshaping power balances
- Europe: Fractured unity post-Brexit, defense autonomy debates, and dependence on U.S. defense infrastructure
7.4 Global South and Non-Aligned Revival
- Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia’s pivot
- De-dollarization and alternative security coalitions
Chapter 8: Conclusion – Toward Ethical Global Governance or New Cold Wars?
- Summary of Findings
- Policy Recommendations
- Prospects for a fairer multipolar order
Bibliography
- Blum, W. Killing Hope: U.S. Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II
- Chomsky, N. Manufacturing Consent
- Brown University – Costs of War Project
- Amnesty International Reports
- Human Rights Watch
- UK Parliamentary Inquiry on Libya (2016)
- IAEA Reports on Iran
- UNHRC Documentation (India, Palestine, Afghanistan)
- Center for Public Integrity (WMD Analysis)
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