"Pak started conflict, India a victim," says former Pentagon official

Washington DC [US], May 9 (ANI): Michael Rubin, former Pentagon official and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, while talking about the India-Pakistan conflict said that Pakistan started the conflict with its support to terrorism, and India was the victim of it.

While talking to ANI, he said that India's military has shown itself to be much capable.

He said, "Pakistan started the conflict with its support for terrorism. Indians were the victims of terrorism. While I was initially critical that Prime Minister Modi had taken so long to respond, but it's clear that the Indian military was carefully planning and the Indian military has shown itself to be far more capable," he said.

He added that Pakistan is now trying to save its face. He added that when one sees themselves in a hole, they must stop digging.

"Pakistan is thrashing about, looking for a way to save face. But Asim Munir should understand that the first rule of hole digging is when you're in a hole, stop digging... Looking forward, there can only be one metric by which we look at the diplomatic solution to this issue. Pakistan has to be designated by the United States to be a state sponsor of terror," he added.

Rubin added that although the US designated individual terror groups, they have not designated Pakistan as a sponsor of terrorism.

"The United States has previously designated individual terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, but we haven't designated Pakistan itself as a state sponsor of terror. It's time to stop designating the tentacles of the octopus and designate its head. The United States should side unequivocally with India," he said.

Rubin said that PM Modi and other leaders are rallying to the realisation that all Indians are under threat. Pakistan Army General Asim Munir gave away his goal that Hindus and Muslims should not be able to live together.

"The job of any democratic leader is to protect their citizens. What we see PM Modi and others across the Indian political spectrum doing is rallying to the realisation that all Indians are under threat. Before this started, Asim Munir gave away his goal. He argued that Hindus and Muslims should not be able to live together," he said.

However, Munir added that both communities live together successfully in India but not in Pakistan because their government has driven the minorities outside.

"The fact of the matter is that they live together successfully in India. The only reason why they no longer live successfully together in Pakistan is because Pakistan has systematically driven its minorities out of the country," he said.

Rubin added that every time the government fails, they turn the guns to their minorities.

"Every time Pakistan fails inwardly, in terms of corruption, economy, society, or its leadership, it turns its guns on its minorities to distract the Pakistani people from the government's failings. That is the playbook of a failed state. Fortunately, India has a different playbook in which all Indians thrive and openly discuss their issues," he said.

Meanwhile, US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce on Thursday said Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for restraint amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan.

During a press briefing, Bruce said that Rubio spoke to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, urging immediate de-escalation. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)