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Russia Today
a day ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Pakistan a ‘phenomenal partner' in counterterrorism
US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief General Michael Kurilla has called Pakistan a 'phenomenal partner' in counterterrorism efforts. Testifying before the US House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Kurilla said Pakistan's military has captured at least five ISIS-Khorasan terrorists using limited intelligence provided by the US. 'Since the beginning of 2024, Pakistan had over 1,000 terrorist attacks in the western area, killing about 700 security personnel and civilians, and 2,500 were wounded – they are in an active counter-terrorism fight right now and they have been a phenomenal partner in the counter-terrorism world,' he said. In March 2025, Pakistan assisted the US in arresting Mohammed Sharifullah, an alleged co-conspirator in the 2021 Kabul airport attack. After the arrest, Pakistani Army chief General Asim Munir reached out to Kurilla and asked him to pass on the information to US President Donald Trump, according to the CENTCOM chief. Pakistan, which was a close ally of the US during the Cold War, has claimed that it was a victim of terrorism in the region stemming from the policies of Western governments during the Soviet-Afghanistan war in the 1980s. In an interview in April with Sky News, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said his country previously did the West's 'dirty work' by 'training and indoctrinating jihadists.' He called it a mistake and stated that Pakistan now bears the consequences of its previous policies. JUST IN - U.S. Central Command Chief General Michael Kurilla has praised Pakistan as 'a phenomenal counter-terrorism partner' in the fight against terrorism. The U.S. commended Pakistan for its continued support in operations against ISIS. Pakistan, a designated major non-NATO ally, possesses a significant amount of US military equipment, such as F-16 fighter jets. It has, however, reduced its dependence on American weapons, relying more on Beijing over the last decade. During his testimony on Tuesday, Kurilla advocated for strengthening relations with both Pakistan and India, highlighting the importance of cooperation in the region. His comments came a month after a major military escalation between the two South Asian neighbors.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Top US general praises 'phenomenal partner' Pakistan
Lieutenant General Michael Kurilla testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on his nomination to become Commander of Central Command during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, February 8, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE Listen to article In a stunning rebuke to the Indian attempts seeking Pakistan's international isolation, a top US general on Tuesday publicly praised Pakistan as a "phenomenal partner" in the global fight against terrorism and insisted Washington must not ignore Pakistan while pursuing strategic ties with India. The testimony of General Michael Kurilla, Commander Central Command (CENTCOM), was seen as a major diplomatic win for Pakistan at a time when India was trying to build a narrative that Islamabad was sponsoring terrorism. The testimony stands in sharp contrast to persistent efforts, particularly from Indian lobbying groups, to paint Pakistan as an unreliable partner in the fight against terrorism. Gen Kurilla's candid remarks not only validate Pakistan's ongoing sacrifices but may also recalibrate the tone of future US policy in South Asia. Gen Kurilla's statement before the House Arms Services Committee led to a meltdown in India where the media and commentators questioned the US loyalty. The CENTCOM chief terming ISIS-Khorasan the most active terrorist groups, said the Afghan Taliban went after them and pushed "a lot of them into the trial areas on the Afghan-Pakistan border". "Through a phenomenal partnership with Pakistanthey (Pakistan) have gone after ISIS Khorasan, killing dozens of them," he told lawmakers. "Through our relationship we have with them, and providing intelligence, they have captured at least five ISIS Khorasan high-value individuals. They extradited back Jafar, who is one of the key individuals behind the Abbey Gate bombing," he added. "And the first person [ ] the [Pakistani] chief of the army staff Munir [called] me and said, "I've caught him, ready to extradite him back to United States, please tell the Secretary of Defense and the President." "So, we are seeing Pakistan, with limited intelligence that we provide, and go after them using their means to do that, and we're seeing an effect on ISIS Khorasan," General Kurila said. "And I would also tell you that since 2024the beginningPakistan has had over 1,000 terrorist attacks in the western area, killing about 700 security and [2,500] civilians. They have an active counterterrorism fight right now, and they have been a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world." Gen Kurilla highlighted the staggering toll terrorism continues to take on Pakistan itself, citing over 1,000 terrorist attacks in 2024 alonekilling approximately 700 security personnel and 2,500 civilians. "They have an active counterterrorism fight right now," he stated. "And they've been a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world." The CENTCOM chief emphasized that Pakistan's efforts over the last several months have severely degraded ISIS-K's capabilities. According to intelligence gained through interrogations and exploitation of captured militants, the terrorist group is currently at a "low point", though it still poses a transnational threat. "These are the same individuals that carried out the Crocus City Hall attack in Moscow and the bombing in Kerman, Iran," Kurilla said. "There are even ties to plots against the U.S. homeland, which I can discuss in a classified setting." In a significant diplomatic note, Gen Kurilla rejected the idea that US relations in South Asia must be zero-sum between India and Pakistan. "It's not a binary switch," he asserted. "We can't have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India. We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has." Paul Kapur Paul Kapur, US President Donald Trump's nominee for Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday that he would prioritise security cooperation with Pakistan where it aligns with US interests. He also expressed intent to explore opportunities for enhancing bilateral collaboration in trade and investment, He previously served on the State Department's Policy Planning Staff during Trump's first term, where he played a role in shaping US strategy in South Asia. Kapur, an academic of Indian origin, acknowledged the region's volatility, referring to the recent escalation between India and Pakistan. He said the crisis was narrowly averted due to "intense engagement" by US Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "If confirmed, I will pursue security cooperation with Pakistan where it is in America's interest," says Paul Kapur who is set to become Trump's top diplomat on South Asia. On Pakistan, he said that if confirmed, he would "pursue security cooperation where it is beneficial to US interests while seeking opportunities for bilateral collaboration in trade and investment." He noted that "South Asia recently avoided a costly conflict with Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio intensely engaged on the issue." He added, "If confirmed, I will continue to promote long-standing US security interests with India and Pakistan through the pursuit of peace and stability and the fight against terrorism."
Arab News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
US CENTCOM chief calls Pakistan ‘phenomenal partner' in ongoing fight against militancy
KARACHI: The head of United States Central Command (CENTCOM), General Michael Kurilla, this week praised Pakistan as a 'phenomenal partner' in counterterrorism efforts, citing continued operations against militant groups and active intelligence-sharing between the two countries. Pakistan and the United States have a long, if at times turbulent, history of counterterrorism cooperation dating back to the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. Islamabad was a key partner during the US-led war in Afghanistan, and over the years has captured and handed over numerous Al-Qaeda operatives to US authorities. In a more recent high-profile case, Pakistani officials last year arrested and extradited a Daesh militant accused of planning the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul, which killed 13 American service members and more than 160 Afghan civilians during the US military withdrawal. 'They're in an active counter-terrorism fight right now and they have been a phenomenal partner in the counter-terrorism world,' Kurilla said during a testimony before the House Armed Services Committee in Washington on Tuesday. Kurilla pointed to recent Pakistani operations targeting Daesh (ISIS-Khorasan), particularly in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. 'Through a phenomenal partnership with Pakistan, they have gone after Daesh Khorasan (Daesh) killing dozens of them through a relationship we have with them providing intelligence. They have captured at least five Daesh Khorasan (Daesh) high value individuals,' he said. 'So, we are seeing Pakistan with limited intelligence that provided them go after them using their means to do that and we're seeing an effect on Daesh (Daesh).' Kurtis added that both Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban were conducting parallel operations against Daesh along the border. Kurilla also noted the close personal coordination between military leaders, recalling that Pakistan's army chief had informed him directly of a major capture. 'Field Marshal Asim Munir called me to tell me they had captured one of the Daesh-K individuals,' he said. While Pak-Us relations have often been strained by mutual mistrust — particularly over drone strikes, militant sanctuaries, and geopolitical alignment — security cooperation between the two militaries has persisted, especially in the intelligence domain. Pakistan and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to counterterrorism cooperation during a bilateral dialogue held in Washington in May. The talks focused on threats from groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Daesh, both of which remain active in the region. Another round of counterterrorism talks is scheduled to take place later this month between Islamabad and Washington as part of broader efforts to rebuild ties and coordinate on shared security priorities. US officials have increasingly acknowledged Pakistan's role in containing regional terrorist threats, even as Islamabad faces internal challenges from a resurgent TTP and growing political and economic instability.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Need Both Pakistan And India, Islamabad "A Phenomenal Partner": Top US General
New Delhi: A top US General, in a statement under oath, has stressed that Washington needs to have a strong relationship with both New Delhi and Islamabad/Rawalpindi, suggesting that the equation cannot be binary in nature. He added that the United States absolutely needs Pakistan as a partner in the region for America's fight against terrorism. The remarks were made by General Michael Kurilla, head of the US Central Command, during a hearing at the House Armed Services Committee. The General praised Pakistan for its "counter-terror efforts" and helping the United States achieve its objectives in the region. Describing Pakistan as a "phenomenal partner", the top US General mentioned how it is in an "active counter-terrorism fight" against the ISIS-Khorasan with the limited intelligence provided by Washington. "ISIS Khorasan is perhaps one of the most active in trying to carry out external plots globally, which include against the homeland. Right now, what we saw is the Taliban going after the ISIS-K. They hate each other. They pushed a lot of them into the tribal areas on the Afghan-Pakistan border," General Kurilla said. "Through a phenomenal partnership we have with Pakistan, they have gone after ISIS-Khorasan, killing dozens of them. Through a relationship that we have with Pakistan, we provide them intelligence, and so far they have captured at least 5 ISIS-Khorasan high value individuals. They extradited Jaffar, who was one of the key individuals behind the Abbeygate bombing and the first person who called - Chief of the Army Staff Munir - was me," he added. He went on to say that Field Marshal Munir told him, "I have caught him (Jaffar) and we are going to extradite him back to the United States. Please tell the Secretary of Defence and the President. So, we are seeing Pakistan, with the limited intelligence that we have provided them, go after ISIS using their means to do that - and we are seeing the effect it has had on ISIS-Khorasan." The top General then explained to the House committee how ISIS-K has been going back and forth at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and have been active in that region. Explaining the role being played by the Pakistani army, he said, "I will honestly tell you that since the beginning of 2024, Pakistan had over a thousand terrorist attacks in the Western area, killing about 700 security personnel and civilians, and leaving more than 2,500 wounded. They (Pakistan) are in an active counter-terrorism fight right now and they have been a phenomenal partner in the counter-terrorism world." General Kurilla told the panel that ISIS-K has gotten hit "very, very hard" in the last few months and are at a low-point right now, but continue to remain active. Just as the panel was about to move to the next question, General Kurilla said he would like to add something to what he said. He then suggested that "We (United States) need to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India. I do not believe it to be a binary switch that we can't have one with Pakistan, if we have a relationship with India. We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has." The top US military general's remarks have sent a clear signal to New Delhi, that Washington will continue to keep Pakistan as an ally while pursuing its geopolitical interests, and that India's fight against terror emanating from Pakistan is its own battle. The statement also makes it clear that India must not have the expectation that the United States will choose its strategic partnership with New Delhi over its ties with Islamabad.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
U.S. has to have relationship with Pakistan, India: American general
The United States has to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India, a top U.S. general has said, noting that it cannot be a 'binary switch' where Washington cannot have ties with Islamabad if it has relations with New Delhi. U.S. Army General Michael Kurilla, Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), made the comments during a testimony before the U.S. House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday (June 10, 2025). 'We have to have a relationship with Pakistan and with India. I do not believe it is a binary switch that we can't have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India,' Gen. Kurilla said. 'We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has.' 'ISIS Khorasan (ISIS K) is perhaps one of the most active in trying to do external plots globally to include against the homeland. The Taliban is going after ISIS K — they hate each other, and have pushed a lot of them into the tribal areas on the Afghan-Pakistan border,' he said at the full Committee Hearing on 'U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges AFRICOM + CENTCOM.' 'Through a phenomenal partnership with Pakistan, they have gone after ISIS Khorasan, killing dozens of them. Through a relationship we have with them providing intelligence, they have captured at least five ISIS Khorasan high value individuals.' He said they extradited ISIS-K terrorist Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as 'Jafar', to face charges for his role in the August 26, 2021 Abbey Gate bombing at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul that killed 13 United States military service members and about 160 civilians. Gen. Kurilla added that he was the first person Pakistan's then Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir had called and had said 'I've caught him. I'm willing to extradite him back to the United States. Please tell the Secretary of Defence and the President'.' 'So we are seeing Pakistan, with limited intelligence that we're providing them, go after them, using their means to do that, and we're seeing an effect on ISIS-K. 'The ISIS-K terrorists are continuing to move around and sometimes they'll try and go back into Afghanistan…. ... for the most part right now, they're hanging out right in that border area of Pakistan,' he added. Pakistan is 'in an active counterterrorism fight right now and they have been a phenomenal partner in the counterterrorism world', the top general added. Gen. Kurilla's comments came days after an all-party Indian parliamentary delegation visited the U.S. to convey India's strong resolve to combat terrorism emanating from Pakistan in the wake of the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. Is this not a diplomatic setback, asks Congress The Congress on Wednesday (June 11, 2025) asked what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has to say about the U.S. general's comment and whether it is not a 'diplomatic setback'. The party also cited a media report, which claimed that Gen. Munir is scheduled to visit Washington D.C., for the U.S. Army Day celebrations, and said this is 'another huge diplomatic setback for India'. Sharing a media report on Gen. Kurilla's remarks, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, 'The U.S. Central Command Chief has just described Pakistan as a 'phenomenal partner in counter-terrorism'.' 'What do our PM and his cheerleaders have to say about this? Is this not a diplomatic setback?' Mr. Ramesh said on X. In another post, Mr. Ramesh shared a media report which claimed that Gen. Munir is scheduled to visit Washington D.C., for the U.S. Army Day celebrations on June 14, 2025. 'This is the man who spoke in such incendiary and provocative language just before the Pahalgam terror attacks. What is the US really up to? This is another huge diplomatic setback for India,' Mr. Ramesh said.
