The right diagnosis, now for the bitter pill
Jim Mattis is critical of Pakistan’s role in tackling terror. But only words won’t do
The security of the larger subcontinent as defined by United States secretary of defence Jim Mattis is a perspective that should give India some comfort. The question is whether his testimony before the US Senate will necessarily translate into policy on the ground. The most important element of his testimony was his unequivocal belief that any US military withdrawal from Afghanistan would be inimical to his country’s security. This will come as music to India’s ears. New Delhi has long argued that any intemperate US withdrawal from Afghanistan would lead to a Taliban takeover — and potentially convert Afghanistan into a terror hub as the Pakistani military had done in the past.
While speaking of the double-faced policies of Islamabad — pretending to fight Islamicist terror while shielding some of its worst practitioners — Mr Mattis said he was prepared to give Pakistan one last chance. Indian eyes will roll at this, having experienced similar US admissions of Pakistani perfidy followed by a statement of limited forgiveness. It remains to be seen if the Trump administration will be wise enough to understand when it is being taken for a well-worn ride. He also spoke of how much better Pakistan would be economically if it focussed on trade and investment ties with India. Mr Mattis also threw in support for India’s official argument against endorsing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) by noting such projects needed to be sensitive to sovereignty issues. But New Delhi still awaits a more comprehensive statement by Washington accepting the larger Indian concern that the Belt Road Initiative is being used by Beijing to financially suborn smaller countries.
Nonetheless, such statements by senior members of the Trump administration are reassuring as they provide clarity to what remains an otherwise incoherent US strategic vision of the world. What remains is for the words to be converted into deeds.