logo
‘None of our business': Is the US dusting its hands off the India-Pakistan conflict?

‘None of our business': Is the US dusting its hands off the India-Pakistan conflict?

Straits Times09-05-2025
People gathering in front of a damaged restaurant outside the Rawalpindi cricket stadium in Pakistan's Punjab province after an alleged drone was shot down on May 8. AFP
News analysis 'None of our business': Is the US dusting its hands off the India-Pakistan conflict?
- The Trump administration's isolationist, America First stance is showing in its surprisingly low-key response to the escalation in hostilities between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan after a terrorist attack in the disputed Kashmir region.
Coming while the White House is simultaneously making efforts to end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, it perhaps reflects the superpower's reluctance to play the policeman of the world.
India and Pakistan – which have fought three wars over Kashmir, the picturesque Himalayan region which both nations claim but each hold only a part of – are locked in a spiral of tit-for-tat military strikes for a fourth day on May 9.
On May 9, Pakistan said it had shot down 25 Indian drones over the skies of its major cities like Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. India said it had neutralised several Pakistani air defence radars and systems, including one in Lahore, after several cities in its border areas faced a barrage of missiles and drones.
Pakistan says Indian air strikes and cross-border fire have killed 36 people while India has reported at least 16 dead from Pakistani shelling.
US President Donald Trump was noncommittal when asked about India's May 6 airstrikes on 'terror infrastructure' targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
'I just hope it ends very quickly,' he said in response to the strikes which New Delhi said were in retaliation for the April 22 killings in Indian Kashmir of 26 tourists, mainly Hindu men, by terrorists backed by Pakistan.
'I know both very well, and I want to see them work it out,' Mr Trump said the next day as Pakistan began shelling across the de facto border with India.
'They've gone tit-for-tat. So hopefully they can stop now. If I can do anything to help, I will be there.'
Likewise, Vice-President J D Vance, who was in India for an official visit when the tourists were attacked, said the US would not intervene in the conflict.
'We're not going to get involved in the middle of [an India-Pakistan] war that's fundamentally none of our business,' he told Fox News in an interview on May 8.
Though there has been a hint that the US has hardened its position against Pakistan, there are no signs it will change its hands-off policy.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, when asked at a press briefing on May 8, if Pakistan was supporting terrorist groups, answered in the affirmative.
'That's a call that we have been making for decades,' she said. 'It is the dynamic that we've seen in the Middle East, disrupting lives.'
This was also another divergence from traditional policy in the imbroglio on the subcontinent: the willingness to equate it with the situation in the Middle East, one of most volatile hotspots in the world.
Ms Bruce said the violence should stop because that had not produced a solution either in the Indian subcontinent or in the Middle East.
'There has to be a change in that regard… new ideas to stop generational violence,' she said.
A woman stands outside her house destroyed by Pakistani artillery shelling at the Salamabad village in Uri, about 110kms from Srinagar, on May 8.
PHOTO: AFP
Meanwhile, her boss, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, pressed the point in separate calls to the leaders of India and Pakistan on May 8.
Mr Rubio, who has also taken on the role of the National Security Advisor, is in some ways the most experienced face of the Trump administration owing to his tenure in the Senate intelligence and foreign relations committees. He has stressed the need for immediate de-escalation and direct dialogue between India and Pakistan.
The readout of the call to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that Mr Rubio 'reiterated' that Pakistan should take concrete steps to end support for terrorist groups.
In his call with India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Mr Rubio reaffirmed America's commitment to work with New Delhi 'in the fight against terrorism'.
The conservative view in Washington pins the blame on Pakistan for the presence of terrorist groups on its soil.
'Either these groups are acting on behalf of the Pakistani state, in which case Islamabad is directly responsible for their actions,' wrote Mr Jeff Smith, Director of the Asian Studies Center at the right-leaning Heritage Foundation which has close ties with the administration.
'Or they are rogue actors (which no one believes), and the Pakistani state is still responsible for policing its borders and ensuring its territory isn't being used to launch attacks on other countries,' he wrote in a post on X on May 7.
US-based analysts believe that the current tensions will ease before long.
'I believe Pakistan will be compelled to strike back at India,' said Mr Richard Rossow, Senior Adviser and Chair on India and Emerging Asia Economics at Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
'If they initiate a small, unimportant strike in Jammu and Kashmir, it could begin de-escalation. But if they hit meaningful civilian or military targets and strike further into India, India will need to counter-attack,' Mr Rossow said.
India and Pakistan have seen such cycles of violence before and there is a de-escalation built into this escalation, said Dr Aparna Pande, research fellow for South Asia at the Hudson Institute.
'There is a possibility Pakistan may send some missiles or strike inside India for one final round, in which case India will say its air defence have struck those down. That gives both sides enough to satisfy their domestic opinions,' she said.
'India's desire is that the global community understands that Indian victims of terrorism deserve as much sympathy as Western victims of terrorism. And that there should be global pressure on Pakistan, which has allowed in terror proxies since the 1990s.
'But most of all, India needs to tell its people that it has punished the perpetrator of the attacks on tourists.'
She said the Pakistani government, which has been under pressure from restive politics and a struggling economy, likewise needed to tell its people that Pakistan had been able to stand up to an Indian attack.
'So both sides have an off ramp. I do think it will take about 24 to 48 hours for that to happen. I'm not one of those who believes this is going to escalate into war, let alone a nuclear war,' Ms Pande said.
Still, this is the closest the two sides have come to a direct conflict in recent years.
During a serious escalation in the past, then president Bill Clinton intervened forcefully in the Kargil conflict in 1999 to prevent a broader spill-off among the two nations, which had then recently conducted nuclear tests.
While US attempts to broker peace are absent this time, previous administrations have been comfortable with limited Indian counter-attacks in 2016 and 2019 when India made cross-border strikes, said CSIS's Mr Rossow.
'At the same time, the US administration is working hard to further accelerate the growing US-India partnership, and having India bogged down in a regional conflict with a far weaker nation can decelerate US-India ties,' he added.
And apart from the US abhorrence of terrorism, reasons to support India have only proliferated in recent years.
There is a clear tilt towards India over the past decade, agreed Mr Josh Kurlantzick, senior fellow for South-east Asia and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Mr Trump's personal relationship with Indian Prime Minister Modi is also a factor, according to Mr Kurlantzick. 'The fact that Pakistan is so close to China does not help either,' he added.
Washington's geopolitical rival China is Pakistan's most important strategic and economic partner and has replaced the US as the top source for its military equipment.
For the US, the reasons for building a relationship with India go well beyond a shared concern about China's increasing belligerence.
India is about to become the world's third-largest economy, and is now the most populous nation. A partner to the US in sectors like IT services, India has offered to eliminate its tariffs and its vast market offers opportunities to US companies.
'And China's combative rise makes India an attractive partner for a deeper strategic and commercial relationship,' Mr Rossow said.
Bhagyashree Garekar is The Straits Times' US bureau chief. Her previous key roles were as the newspaper's foreign editor (2020-2023) and as its US correspondent during the Bush and Obama administrations.
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

EU chief von der Leyen heads to Scotland for trade talks with Trump
EU chief von der Leyen heads to Scotland for trade talks with Trump

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

EU chief von der Leyen heads to Scotland for trade talks with Trump

BRUSSELS/EDINBURGH - EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen headed to Scotland on Saturday ahead of a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday afternoon, commission spokespeople said, as EU officials said the two sides were nearing a trade agreement. Trump, in Scotland for a few days of golfing and bilateral meetings, told reporters upon his arrival on Friday evening that he was looking forward to meeting with von der Leyen, calling her a "highly respected" leader. He repeated his view that there was a 50-50 chance that the U.S. and the 27-member European Union could reach a framework trade pact, adding that Brussels wanted to "make a deal very badly". If it happened, he said it would be the biggest trade agreement reached yet by his administration, surpassing the $550 billion accord agreed with Japan earlier this week. The White House has released no details about the planned meeting or the terms of the emerging agreement. The European Commission on Thursday said a negotiated trade solution with the United States was within reach, even as EU members voted to approve counter-tariffs on 93 billion euros ($109 billion) of U.S. goods in case the talks collapse. To get a deal, Trump said the EU would have to "buy down" that tariff rate, although he gave no specifics. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Woman taken to hospital after car falls into sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road Singapore Students hide vapes in underwear, toilet roll holders: S'pore schools grapple with vaping scourge Singapore 'I've tried everything': Mum helpless as son's Kpod addiction spirals out of control Singapore NDP 2025: How Benjamin Kheng is whisked from Marina Bay to Padang in 10 minutes by boat, buggy Singapore Almost half of planned 30,000 HDB flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat Singapore From libraries to living rooms: How reading habits take root in underserved S'pore children Asia Thai-Cambodia clashes spread along frontier as death toll rises Asia Thousands rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur for resignation of PM Anwar EU diplomats say a possible deal between Washington and Brussels would likely include a broad 15% tariff on EU goods imported into the U.S., mirroring the U.S.-Japan deal, along with a 50% tariff on European steel and aluminum. The broad tariff rate would be half the 30% duties that Trump has threatened to slap on EU goods from August 1. It remains unclear if Washington will agree to exempt the EU from sectoral tariffs on automobiles, pharmaceuticals and other goods that have already been announced or are pending. Combining goods, services and investment, the EU and the United States are each other's largest trading partners by far. The American Chamber of Commerce in Brussels warned in March that any conflict jeopardized $9.5 trillion of business in the world's most important commercial relationship. REUTERS

Trump says Thailand and Cambodia agree to hold immediate ceasefire talks
Trump says Thailand and Cambodia agree to hold immediate ceasefire talks

CNA

timean hour ago

  • CNA

Trump says Thailand and Cambodia agree to hold immediate ceasefire talks

SISAKET, Thailand/WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Saturday (Jul 26) that the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand had agreed to meet immediately to quickly work out a ceasefire, as he sought to broker peace after three days of fighting along their border. In a series of social media posts during a visit to Scotland, Trump said he had spoken to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, and warned them that he would not make trade deals with either of the Southeast Asian governments if the border conflict continued. "Both Parties are looking for an immediate Ceasefire and Peace," Trump wrote as he gave a blow-by-blow account of his diplomatic efforts. Before Trump spoke to the two leaders, clashes on the Thai-Cambodian border persisted into a third day and new flashpoints emerged on Saturday as both sides said they had acted in self-defense in the border dispute and called on the other to cease fighting and start negotiations. More than 30 people have been killed and more than 130,000 people displaced in the worst fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in 13 years. There were clashes early on Saturday, both sides said, in the neighbouring Thai coastal province of Trat and Cambodia's Pursat Province, a new front more than 100 km from other conflict points along the long-contested border. The two countries have faced off since the killing of a Cambodian soldier late in May during a brief skirmish. Troops on both sides of the border were reinforced amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand's fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse. As of Saturday, Thailand said seven soldiers and 13 civilians had been killed in the clashes, while in Cambodia five soldiers and eight civilians had been killed, said Defense Ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata. Following calls for restraint on both sides from Trump's senior aides, he became directly involved on Saturday, speaking to each leader and saying he relayed messages back and forth. "They have agreed to immediately meet and quickly work out a Ceasefire and, ultimately, PEACE!," Trump wrote, saying both countries wanted to get back to the "Trading Table." He has sought to reach separate deals with dozens of countries in response to his announcement of wide-ranging tariffs on imports to the US. "When all is done, and Peace is at hand, I look forward to concluding our Trading Agreements with both!" Trump said. He offered no details on the ceasefire negotiations he said Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to hold. The Thai and Cambodian embassies in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In the Thai border province of Sisaket, a university compound has been converted into temporary accommodation, where a volunteer said more than 5,000 people were staying. Samrong Khamduang said she left her farm, about 10 km from the border, when fighting broke out on Thursday. The 51-year-old's husband stayed behind to look after livestock. "We got so scared with the sound of artillery," she said. "But my husband stayed back and now we lost the connection. I couldn't call him. I don't know what is happening back there." In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, said he would continue to push a ceasefire proposal. Cambodia has backed Anwar's plan, while Thailand has said it agreed with it in principle. "There is still some exchange of fire," Anwar said, according to state news agency Bernama. He said he had asked his foreign minister "to liaise with the respective foreign ministries and, if possible, I will continue engaging with them myself – at least to halt the fighting". SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING Thailand's ambassador to the United Nations told a Security Council meeting on Friday that soldiers had been injured by newly planted land mines in Thai territory on two occasions since mid-July, claims Cambodia has strongly denied, and said Cambodia had then launched attacks on Thursday morning. "Thailand urges Cambodia to immediately cease all hostilities and acts of aggression, and resume dialogue in good faith," Cherdchai Chaivaivid told the council in remarks released to media. Cambodia's defense ministry said Thailand had launched "a deliberate, unprovoked, and unlawful military attack" and was mobilizing troops and military equipment on the border. "These deliberate military preparations reveal Thailand's intent to expand its aggression and further violate Cambodia's sovereignty," the ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Cambodia called for the international community to "condemn Thailand's aggression in the strongest terms" and to prevent an expansion of its military activities, while Bangkok reiterated it wanted to resolve the dispute bilaterally. Thailand and Cambodia have bickered for decades over jurisdiction of various undemarcated points along their 817 km land border, with ownership of the ancient Hindu temples Ta Moan Thom and the 11th century Preah Vihear central to the disputes. Preah Vihear was awarded to Cambodia by the International Court of Justice in 1962, but tension escalated in 2008 after Cambodia attempted to list it as a UNESCO World Heritage site. That led to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths.

Nasa says it will lose about 20% of its workforce
Nasa says it will lose about 20% of its workforce

Straits Times

time2 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Nasa says it will lose about 20% of its workforce

Find out what's new on ST website and app. Nasa will lose about 3,900 employees as US President Donald Trump aims to trim the federal workforce. WASHINGTON - The US space agency Nasa will lose about 3,900 employees under Mr Donald Trump's sweeping effort to trim the federal workforce – at the same time as the president prioritises plans for crewed missions to the Moon and Mars. In an emailed statement, Nasa said around 3,000 employees took part in the second round of its deferred resignation programme, which closed late on July 25. Combined with the 870 who joined the first round and regular staff departures, the agency's civil servant workforce is set to drop from more than 18,000 before Mr Trump took office in January to roughly 14,000 – a more than 20 per cent decrease. Those leaving the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on the deferred resignation programme will be placed on administrative leave until an agreed departure date. An agency spokesperson said the figures could shift slightly in the coming weeks. 'Safety remains a top priority for our agency as we balance the need to become a more streamlined and more efficient organisation and work to ensure we remain fully capable of pursuing a Golden Era of exploration and innovation, including to the Moon and Mars,' the agency said. Earlier this year, the Trump administration's proposed Nasa budget put a return to the Moon and a journey to Mars front and centre, slashing science and climate programmes. The White House says it wants to focus on 'beating China back to the Moon and putting the first human on Mars'. China is aiming for its first crewed lunar landing by 2030, while the US programme, called Artemis, has faced repeated delays.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store