Pak valuable ally in terror fight: US Centcom chief Michael Kurilla
US Central Command chief praises Pakistan's counter-terrorism efforts, particularly its partnership with the Taliban against ISIS in tribal areas. He highlighted Pakistan's role in the arrest and extradition of an ISIS-K planner involved in the 2021 Kabul airport attack. The General advocates for increased cooperation with Pakistan as the Taliban grapples with internal security challenges.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
New Delhi: In remarks that have raised eyebrows, the US Central Command chief has highlighted Pakistan's "value as a partner" in countering terrorism and made a case for increasing cooperation with the country to take on terror outfits. The General also said Pakistan has a 'phenomenal partnership' with Taliban in going after ISIS operatives in tribal areas and that the US has been providing intelligence.In a statement before the US Senate Committee on Armed Services, Gen Michael Kurilla said that ISIS-K remains active in tribal areas on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and that Pakistan's value as a partner will increase as the Taliban faces security challenges within its borders."The actions of our Pakistani partners that led to the arrest and extradition of Mohammad Sharifullah, the ISIS-K planner behind the 26 August 2021 suicide attack at Abbey Gate that killed 13 US service members and 160 civilians, highlights Pakistan's value as a partner in countering Central and South Asia terror external operations threats worldwide, and it will only increase as the Taliban continues to face security challenges within its borders," the officer said.He also said that Pakistani Army Chief Gen Asim Munir called him after the arrest of the terrorist and asked him to inform the Defence Secretary and US President. Gen Kurilla has been regularly meeting Munir in the past few months"ISIS-K has been disrupted through pressure by both the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, though they continue to retain a significant network and freedom of manoeuvre in the tribal areas," he said.The remarks come as India has embarked on global efforts to showcase Pakistan as a nation that supports terrorists and uses terrorism as a tool of statecraft. India has sent seven all-party delegations on a world tour to highlight Pakistan's continued support for terror outfits.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Hyphenating US-Pak: Doing business with gunmen
Howdy, phenomenal pardners! Michael Kurilla (left) & Asif Munir, Florida, 2023 The Trump regime's reported invitation to Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir to attend the 250th US Army Day celebrations in Washington tomorrow has stirred various vectors of speculation. Chief among them: Potential reset in US-Pakistan relations. Pakistan's prospective utility within an emergent Trump doctrine that views bilateral ties primarily through an economic lens. Revival of a counterterrorism partnership between Islamabad/Rawalpindi and Washington. Implications of such a warming of US-Pakistan ties on US-India relations. In New Delhi, this apparent shift in Washington's posture has come as a surprise. What is even more startling is the timing - coming on the heels of India's retaliation against Pakistan for its involvement in the Pahalgam terrorist attacks on civilians. A significant part of Trump's appeal among Indians, both in India and the diaspora, stemmed from his tough stance on terrorism. During Trump 1.0, he publicly called out Pakistan's duplicity in his very first tweet of 2018, accusing it of 'lies and deceit' while receiving billions in US aid. He subsequently cut $300 mn in aid to Pakistan, a move that built on the Obama administration's earlier decision to withhold one-third of all military assistance to the country. During Trump 2.0, consistent with his recalibrated approach toward various global actors, the US president has markedly diverged from his earlier stance, Pakistan being no exception. In February, the Trump regime departed from its broader aid-cutting policy to authorise $397 mn in security assistance to Pakistan. This was specifically aimed at supporting a US-backed programme for maintenance and technical support of Pakistan's F-16 fighter the assistance explicitly stated that it was not to be used for operations against India, reopening of funding channels to Pakistan signalled a broader trend of policy reversal. In March, Trump publicly thanked Pakistan for its assistance in the arrest of Mohammad Sharifullah, a suspect linked to multiple terrorist attacks, including the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing in recently, Trump's consistent attempts to place Pakistan on equal footing with India, particularly following the India-Pak military escalation in May, appear driven by strategic reinforcing this shift, US Centcom chief Michael Kurilla referred to Pakistan as a 'phenomenal partner' in counterterrorism efforts. Similarly, Paul Kapur, Trump's incoming assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs, affirmed that the US would 'pursue security cooperation where it is beneficial to US interests while seeking opportunities for bilateral collaboration in trade and investment'. Together, these moves reflect a deliberate and coordinated strategy for renewed strategic engagement with apparent rapprochement between the US and Pakistan may be driven largely by Trump's personal inclinations, and a possible desire to secure future economic deals. For Pakistan, warming ties with Washington represent a strategic gain, however temporary. Any signs of improving relations between Islamabad/Rawalpindi and Washington stand in sharp political contrast to the stance of former PM Imran Khan and his supporters in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).Khan had accused the US of orchestrating the fall of his government, and maintained that he would never have agreed to American demands for military bases in his country. If PTI continues to remain a significant political force, any future US requests for enhanced military presence - even under the guise of counterterrorism - are likely to face resistance. Conversely, if Trump intensifies efforts to strike an economic deal with Pakistan, the resulting political reverberations within the country could become even more tough posture during his first term - marked by launching a trade war with China, pursuing a 'maximum pressure' strategy against Iran culminating in the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, and publicly calling out countries like Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism - is now giving way to a policy of modus vivendi, driven by an outsized prioritisation of US interests, particularly economic US-China economic deal reportedly 'finalised' on June 11 underscores this clear shift in US diplomacy - one that increasingly sidelines concerns of Washington's allies, partners and friends. While this approach may serve immediate US interests, especially in economic terms, it risks prompting a strategic recalibration by other nations in how they engage with the the shadow of recent military escalation between India and Pakistan, Pakistan's detente with the US may present an opportunity for Trump. But the strain this reset places on India-US relations could prove detrimental to both countries in the long run. The divergence between New Delhi and Washington is now most pronounced on the issue of Pakistan and, more broadly, on India has strongly reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance against terrorism following the Pahalgam attack, the Trump regime appears increasingly willing to engage Pakistan as a counterterrorism partner. In doing so, Trump seems to be prioritising unilateral US interests over shared strategic concerns that have long underpinned the India-US partnership. Unlike his first term, when Trump's South Asia policy broadly aligned with the US-India strategic convergence, his bilateral bets in his second gig risk further destabilising an already fragile region. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. How a nudge from Cyrus Mistry helped TCS unlock a USD1 billion opportunity Explainer: The RBI's LAF corridor and its role in rate transmission Is Zomato under siege? Quick commerce may be the next telecom Operation Sindoor, Turkey, Bangladesh played out as India hosted global airlines after 42 years Coal on one hand and green on the other; this company balances both Stock Radar: Bandhan Bank stocks break out from 1-month consolidation; what should traders do? Check target & stop loss Combination of strong brand & higher margins equals long-term investment: 5 stocks with an upside potential of up to 23% Two Trades for Today: A PSU energy major for 7.5% rise, a large-cap refinery stock for close to 6% upmove These mid-cap stocks with 'Strong Buy' & 'Buy' recos can rally over 25%, according to analysts
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Client services for client state: Trump's reset with Pak is marked by a transactional, short-horizon foreign policy
US anxiety seems to centre around India's destruction of Pakistan's Nur Khan airbase. According to Imtiaz Gul, it's 'under American control'. Our forefathers believed that we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life. Our religion is different. Our customs are different. Our traditions are different. Our thoughts are different. Our ambitions are different.… That was the foundation of the Two-Nation Theory. It was laid on the belief that we are two nations, not one.' That was Pakistan Army chief Gen — now Field Marshal — Asim Munir speaking at the Convention for Overseas Pakistanis in Islamabad on April 17. Less than a week later in Pahalgam, Pakistani terrorists killed 1 Christian and 24 Hindu tourists, as well as a local Muslim who resisted the assailants, after the killers established their victims' religious identities. A link between Munir's rant and the Pahalgam massacre is a possibility. But the rage in India in response to the attack went far beyond what Pakistan had expected. Perhaps it had assessed that India would do what it had done after the 2016 Uri attack when 18 Indian soldiers were killed. Or, in response to the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing, which killed 41 Indian paramilitary soldiers. On both earlier occasions, India had reacted with one-off counterattacks in POK and Balakot. Rawalpindi probably expected a similar reaction post-Pahalgam. This time, the storyline changed. India's counter, launched on May 7, forced the Pakistani DGMO to speak to his Indian counterpart on May 10, and seek a ceasefire. The world is now aware of what transpired between May 7 and 10, although many would not want to talk about it. Suppliers of military equipment to Pakistan — the US, China, and Turkey — will probably be reevaluating their equipment that succumbed to Indian, Russian and French equipment. Inevitably, the Americans got into the act, mostly to save their major non-Nato ally. The resounding success of the Indian response had taken them aback. One wondered about the urgency of Trump's self-described 'intervention' to stop matters escalating on the India-Pak front when the Ukraine war and IsraelHamas conflict — or even the Houthi battles in Yemen — have been allowed to last for years. Indian denials about US intervention have been ignored by the Americans. The Pakistanis, of course, eagerly accepted this rescue. US anxiety seems to centre around India's destruction of Pakistan's Nur Khan airbase. Remember, according to Pakistani journalist and security expert Imtiaz Gul, the base is 'under American control', where even senior Pakistan Army officers are not allowed to has been extremely useful to the US. Its defence minister Khawaja Asif asserted that they had been fighting America's dirty wars for 30-odd years. From a strategic perspective, it's well-known that the US has been helping Pakistan to keep India 'occupied', while they get a geographic toehold near Iran and China. Both China and the US would like to have total control over Pakistan, to have a base looking at their interests to the east and economic rise, its decisions to choose its sourcing and look after its own interests, cause concern to the US. India tends to get under its skin, as its commerce secretary Howard Lutnick grumbled recently. Which is why the restart of the old game of hyphenating India and Pakistan, ignoring Indian sensitivities, while propping up these decisions may have been made earlier, announcements of $1 bn to Pakistan by IMF, $40 bn by World Bank, and another $800 mn during Operation Sindoor were bad optics. The latest signallings include inviting Munir to attend the 250th US Army Day celebrations in Washington on June 14 — which also happens to be Trump's 79th birthday. Undoubtedly, Munir will meet officials from the State Department and Pentagon, and get promises for military Central Command commander Michael E Kurilla, testifying before the House Armed Services Committee in Washington earlier this week, described Pakistan as a 'phenomenal partner' in anti-terrorism operations. He emphasised the need for the US to maintain relationships with both India and Pakistan, stating that he didn't 'believe it is a binary switch that we can't have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India'. In that case, the US shouldn't have a problem with India's relations with Russia and the a matter of conjecture if this US-Pak partnership is about Iran, Central Asia or even India. Pakistan is looking at buying 40 more Chinese J-35A stealth fighter aircraft, a rival of the US F-35, with a listed price of $9 bn, but on offer at 50% the value. This will mean that 80% of Pakistan's military purchases will be from China. Pakistan's debt to China, including CPEC, already amounts to nearly $70 April 26, World Liberty Financial (WLF) agreed to help build Pakistan's blockchain infrastructure, promote stablecoin-based remittances, and tokenise real-world assets. The agreement seeks to position Pakistan as a crypto-forward nation. Eric Trump, the president's son, is associated with WLF, whose executives met Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif as well as Munir. Enough such conditions, India should be prepared for Pahalgam-style attacks in the future, while expecting no assistance from China, and ambivalence from the US. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. How a nudge from Cyrus Mistry helped TCS unlock a USD1 billion opportunity Explainer: The RBI's LAF corridor and its role in rate transmission Is Zomato under siege? Quick commerce may be the next telecom Operation Sindoor, Turkey, Bangladesh played out as India hosted global airlines after 42 years Coal on one hand and green on the other; this company balances both Stock Radar: Bandhan Bank stocks break out from 1-month consolidation; what should traders do? Check target & stop loss Combination of strong brand & higher margins equals long-term investment: 5 stocks with an upside potential of up to 23% Two Trades for Today: A PSU energy major for 7.5% rise, a large-cap refinery stock for close to 6% upmove These mid-cap stocks with 'Strong Buy' & 'Buy' recos can rally over 25%, according to analysts
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
MEA: Pakistan record on terror clear
A day after United States Military General Michael Kurilla called Pakistan a 'phenomenal partner' in counter-terrorism, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) criticised Islamabad for its continued support to terrorism, calling the terror attack in Pahalgam 'the recent example of cross-border terrorism'. In response to a question on Central Command Chief General Kurilla's comments at the Congressional hearing a day earlier, during the weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal recalled how one of the conspirators of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, Tahawwur Rana, was recently extradited from the US to India and also mentioned how Osama bin Laden was given shelter in Pakistan. 'The record of Pakistan, of what Pakistan actually is, is very clear, we all know Pahalgam's attack is only a recent example of cross-border terrorism. Only recently, the conspirator, one of the conspirators of 26/11, Tahawwur Rana, was extradited from the US to India. Obviously, none of us has forgotten that Pakistan gave shelter to Osama bin Laden …You would be aware that Dr Shakil Afridi, who helped locate Osama bin Laden, is still imprisoned by the Pakistani military,' the MEA spokesperson said. Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More
