Minerals and rare earths factor in US stance during India-Pakistan war

To the Indians’ dismay, the US equated India and Pakistan during the three-day air war over a terror attack in Kashmir

- By P.K.Balachandran

During the May 7-10 India-Pakistan war, US President Donald Trump did four things which dismayed and shocked Indians. Though it was the US that had unleashed the Global War on Terror, Trump failed to condemn in strong terms, Pakistan's terrorism at Pahalgam in which 26 Indians were killed.

He did not hold Pakistan to account as the Indians expected.

Trump jumped the gun and unilaterally announced a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, putting New Delhi in an embarrassing position vis-à-vis the Indian public. He announced that India and Pakistan would have talks in a neutral place and declared that he would mediate on the Kashmir issue, though India's consistent policy has been to deal with Pakistan only bilaterally as per the 1971 Simla agreement.

And to press home his point, Trump said that he wants to trade with both India and Pakistan but won't with either if they continued to fight.

Taken aback, Indian officials denied that the US had any role in bringing about a ceasefire and insisted that it was brought about by the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) after the Pakistani DGMO mooted the idea. India also declared that there could be no talks with Pakistan on any matter unless it stopped cross-border terrorism. It also stressed that all problems with Pakistan would be sorted out only bilaterally, thus summarily rejecting an offer of mediation.

Anti-US rhetoric went viral in the Indian media, regardless of its consequences for the very critical Indo-US defence tie-ups against Chinese expansionism. The US, however, turned a deaf ear to the adverse rhetoric. It was eyeing the lucrative prospect of exploiting the mineral wealth of Pakistan, set to be worth US$ 6 trillion.