Trump’s claims of mediating peace during India-Pakistan tensions drew sharp rebukes from New Delhi, exposing contradictions in US foreign policy and its preference for Pakistan’s military elite.
Annpurna Nautiyal
The attack on Iran by Israel has revived the memories of the “Operation Sindoor” very recently
launched by India to avenge the massacre of twenty-six innocent Hindu male tourists in
Pahalgam by Pak sponsored terrorists. During India’s deep airstrikes inside Pakistani territory
without crossing the borders, the US got so worried about Pakistan’s losses that President
Donald Trump not only exhibited active interest in stopping the conflict but also took full
credit of negotiating the fragile ceasefire and peace within three days of war by revealing that
he used trade to broker peace between India and Pakistan. Such claim is being repeated by
President Trump quite often despite India’s strong objection and clear-cut reply that no one
mediated peace.
India’s Stand Towards Uncertain US Policies
Prime Minister Modi has also stated clearly that India has never accepted and will never
accept third party mediation in any operations against Pakistan. During his recent visit to
Canada to participate in G-7 summit in a telephone talk with President Trump, he also made
it clear that no issues like India-US trade deal by the US were ever discussed and the military
action was stopped after direct talks between the military officials of India and Pakistan at the
imitation of Pakistan. Modi also clarified that for India terrorism is not a proxy war but real
war of which India is not only a victim but has been fighting against the rogue elements
sponsored by Pakistan since long. India has also made it clear that talks with Pakistan and
terrorism cannot go hand in hand. In his speech at the G-7 summit he spoke with a note of
caution that the practice of rewarding countries which support terrorism is not good and could
be perilous for all countries. Although there was no mention of the US but it gave an
indication of the US role of supporting Pakistan in its heinous designs and rewarding it.
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However, just after Prime Minister Modi’s call to President Trump, he again claimed that he
stopped the war between two nuclear countries as he loves Pakistan. While appreciating Modi
as a fantastic man and the US efforts to make a trade deal with Modi of India, Trump also
praised Pakistani army chief as very influential in stopping war from Pakistan side and Modi
from Indian side. Trump’s love for Pakistan is not a coincidence or sudden but full of
meaning and relevance to India-Pakistan and US relations in present times. It also indicates
that for the US the military head is the main force in Pakistan’s politics and not the elected
civilian government.
Though India could manage to damage many terrorist and military bases through drones and
missile attacks but sudden ceasefire in the India-Pakistan war put a stop on India’s plans to
completely wipe out the terrorists’ hide outs located in Pakistan, conquering its air space,
demolishing its air defence system and probably its nuclear facilities. In the aftermath of a
shaken peace between India and Pakistan seven teams of all-party MPs (total 59 members)
covering 31 countries and the European Union (EU) were sent for global outreach to
convince other nations of the world about Pakistan’s nefarious design of promoting terrorism.
India’s diplomatic parleys not only gave a message of unified stand on Pakistan’s terrorist
activities but also did a wonderful job of advocating India’s need for self-defence
nevertheless, before the countries could assure their full support to India in its war against
terrorism another war with more devastation between Iran and Israel begin which totally
changed the US stance.
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The hurry of leaving G-7 summit made it evident that the US President Trump had something
else in his mind and was not very much interested to stay for the G-7 summit to conclude. He
neither waited for the G-7 summit to close nor signed the declaration and left the summit
midway. He was supposed to meet Prime Minister Modi in the sideline of the summit but that
opportunity of having face to face talks also vanished with Trump’s abrupt departure. The US
which was so keen to stop India-Pakistan conflict within three days of its origin even did not
bother to attend the full G-7 summit was quite surprising. The white house spokesperson
justifying Trump’s hurried departure stated that Trump had to return because of what is
happening in the Middle East and the pressures of the war. It was quite clear that no pressure
was being exerted by the US on Israel to stop the war but a connivance between the two was
seen due to which Israel was putting pressure on the US to intervene in the war to totally
finish Iran’s nuclear capacities.
Up to this time the US understood very well that Isreal has
established control over the skies therefore, any US intervention in this situation will make a
sense. It also says something very important about the US priority which fingers towards
Israel and Middle East and not towards India which was declared by the previous US
administrations as strategic partner and pivotal to maintain a balance in Indo-Pacific as it is
considered as an important region for the US in view of growing Chinese aggression and
expansionist activities. This notion of India now seems to be relegated to a corner in the
evolving war scenario in the Middle East and importance of Isreal to the US as a custodian of
its interests in the Middle East.
Israel-Iran war and the US Stand
Although Israel is also doing the same to roll back Iran’s nuclear program and its capacity to
make nuclear bombs through its deadly air strikes and crippling considerably Iran’s capacity
to retaliate but the war is still going on unabated causing loss of lives and infrastructure in
Israel also. While Israel’s focus is to attack on major military facilities, airbases, refineries,
residential areas and nuclear facilities, Iran on the other hand is also attacking major towns
like Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the port town Haifa etc through its hypersonic missiles which means
Iran is still upbeat and not relenting, despite Israel’s claims that it has full control on the
skies. This is war for existence of Israel and get rid of the nuclear capacity of Iran as Israel
has always been a target of Iran and other Middle Eastern countries. Fortunately, Israel has
full support of America which was not available to India in the recent India-Pakistan war. If
we add the Pulwama bombing by Pakistan sponsored terrorists, that killed 40 Indian
paramilitary personnel and prompted airstrikes deep into Balakot, the first such retaliatory
action across the border in Pakistan since 1971 and Uri Surgical strikes which aroused the
fears of revengeful raids by Pakistan but as nothing happened therefore, the world took a sigh
of relief. These attacks clearly reflect that though India is also sailing in the same boat but the
US under Trump is happily oblivious to India’s long sufferings due to Pakistan sponsored
terrorist onslaughts. In Trump’s regime the policy of equating India and Pakistan and
probably giving more weightage to Pakistan seems to have returned.
US President Donald Trump’s hosting of Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim
Munir, for a lunch at White House in the aftermath of India-Pakistan conflict indicates that
presently America not only aspires to enlist his support if Iran’s leadership does not
surrender its nuclear program but also both US and Israel want to make sure that Iran remains
isolated and not get any support from Islamic countries particularly from Pakistan for its
planned strikes against Iran. It is also being highlighted that Munir became important for the
US for another reason also which was his advocacy for Trump’s nomination for Nobel Prize
for his peace efforts during India-Pakistan war that impressed Trump very much. Since
Trump likes flattery, therefore, his statements about Pakistan in his first term like a deceitful
country and safe haven for the terrorist have been totally overlooked because of the current
need of getting Pakistan’s support in the Israel – Iran war and heightened chances of potential
attack by the US on Iran. Trump’s implied threats to kill Iran's leader Ali Khamenei and to
destroy its claimed nuclear weapons program by stating that Iran cannot have nuclear
weapons is also an indicator of Trump’s so far unplanned and unannounced moves for Iran as
well as Israel-Iran war. Ironically Trump also extended an invitation to Modi to visit the US
after the G-7 summit which Modi very tactfully declined. It turns out that this invitation was
also guided by the selfish intention of showcasing his peace-loving side and interest in India
and Pakistan peace talks through his mediation.
Different US Reactions for different wars
The US reaction and stand for every war which is going on in any corner of the world has
always been different for example if in place of Russia which is a nuclear armed country any
other country would have invaded Ukraine the US and other European countries would have
crushed it. But Russia’s nuclear status has allowed them to react very cautiously and in a mild
manner and keep the lines of dialogue open with both the warring nation. On the one hand
Ukraine’s President Zelensky is meeting all the Western leaders but on the other dialogue
with Russian President Putin is also not stopped. Though the aid by the west has helped
Ukraine to sustain and also launch some big attacks but restrictions and limited flow of aid
has subdued its defense system. On the other hand, the nuclear weapons of Russia have
proved to be great deterrent for the US and the western countries to not to plan any adverse
strategy to tame Russia or cripple its attacks on Ukraine. It has also provided certain leverage
to Russia by enhancing its ability to launch more destructive and precise attacks on Ukraine.
Similarly, another rogue country North Korea’s nuclear arsenal also serves the same purpose
which prohibits the US and Western powers to execute any military actions like it were
launched for the fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq or Muammar el-Qaddafi in Libya.
Such support of the US and Western powers was not available to India in its war with
terrorism with Pakistan as Pakistan is also a nuclear armed country and a dear friend of the
US. Though the nuclear status of Pakistan is still not acknowledged by the world powers but
there is a clear understanding that Pakistan has developed that capacity during 1990s and as a
rogue country and sponsor of cross border terrorism it can go to any extent. Therefore, in
place of telling Pakistan to stop its terrorism, the US treatment of equality to both the victim
and the sufferer is quite surprising and shocking for India. This is also contradictory to the
US stand in the context of Israel and Iran war which is going on despite massive devastations.
Though, Iran’s military capabilities have been sharply declined, it is weak as its air defence
system is compromised but despite Israel’s missile defense system, its ability to strike Israel
with its missiles is unhindered. The liberty which Israel has to use its air power against Iran
was not available to India as America got alarmed by the possibility of escalation of war
between two nuclear powered countries. The Israel-Iran war is also escalating but the US
seems more interested in destroying Iran completely and let Israel to take full control of the
area. Though Iran’s weakness and the consequences of an Iranian bomb justify Israel’s strikes
but such double standards are making the world more apprehensive, troubled and worried. It
does not augur well for the future of humanity in view of the loss of lives, resources and
possibility of future closure of trade routes or entry or exit routes or hike in oil prices.
Currently Trump also seems to be less bothered by China which is a perpetual security threat
for India as well as other countries of Asia -Pacific. The Pakistan-China nexus in South Asiais verymuch disturbing for India in view of China’s expansionist polices and its generous military and economic aid to Pakistan which was used by Pakistan during the recent India-Pakistan war. The current US policies are also indicating that India can no longer enjoy the comfort of US as a friend. The direction less and self- centred policies of the US under
Trump will do more harm than good in South Asia as well as the world at large.
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(The author is a well-known academician and former Vice Chancellor of the HNB Garhwal-Central)
