Hours after India categorically called out Trump's claim that PM Modi has asked him to be a mediator in the Kashmir issue, the US State Department remained in damage control mode.
Hours after India categorically called out Trump's claim that PM Modi has asked him to be a mediator in the Kashmir issue, the US State Department remained in damage control mode.
While the official readout of the interaction has no mention of Imran Khan and Trump discussing about the Kashmir issue, a tweet later from one of the handles operated by the US State Department tried to clean up the big diplomatic mess which Trump had created by his random words.
The 'Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs' tweeted:
While Kashmir is a bilateral issue for both parties to discuss, the Trump administration welcomes #Pakistan and #India sitting down and the United States stands ready to assist. - AGW
— State_SCA (@State_SCA) July 22, 2019
They said, "While Kashmir is a bilateral issue for both parties to discuss, the Trump administration welcomes #Pakistan and #India sitting down and the United States stands ready to assist." This tweet signed by Acting Assistant Secretary Alice Wells tried to pivot from the stance taken by Trump. It sought to make it clear that Kashmir is a bilateral dispute between India and Pakistan and US is ready to assist. It had no reference to Trump's claim that PM Modi has asked him to mediate in the issue, and he is willing to take up the challenge.
US Congressman Eliot L Engel, Chairman of House Committee on Foreign Affairs today called Harsh Vardhan Shringla Indian Ambassador to US & said, "I support dialogue b/w India & Pakistan on Kashmir dispute, but dialogue’s pace & scope can only be determined by India & Pakistan."
The Trump administration has launched a damage control exercise after the President's remarks about mediation on Kashmir, with the State Department on Tuesday saying it was a "bilateral" issue between India and Pakistan, and the US "welcomes" the two countries "sitting down" for talks.
It also said Pakistan taking "sustained and irreversible" steps against terrorism is key to a successful dialogue with India. "While Kashmir is a bilateral issue for both parties to discuss, the Trump administration welcomes Pakistan and India sitting down and the United States stands ready to assist," a State Department spokesperson told PTI in response to a question if Trump's remarks reflect a change in the country's policy on Kashmir.
With PTI Inputs
1. What did Trump claim?
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US President Donald Trump on Monday offered to be the "mediator" between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue as he met Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House where the two leaders discussed a host of issues, including the Afghan peace process.
Trump, who is known to make inaccurate statements, claimed that Prime Minister Modi asked him to mediate on the Kashmir issue."If I can help, I would love to be a mediator. If I can do anything to help, let me know," Trump said in response to a question.
Trump said that he is ready to help, if the two countries ask for it.
India has not been engaging with Pakistan since an attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot in January of 2016 by Pakistan-based terrorists, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together.
Trump claimed that Modi and he discussed the issue of Kashmir in Osaka, Japan on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit last month, where the Indian prime minister made an offer of a third-party arbitration on Kashmir.
"I was with Prime Minister Modi two weeks ago and we talked about this subject (Kashmir). And he actually said, 'would you like to be a mediator or arbitrator?' I said, 'where?' (Modi said) 'Kashmir'," Trump said as he held talks with Khan for the first time since the latter came to power in August, 2018.
"Because this has been going on for many, many years. I am surprised that how long. It has been going on (for long)," he said, with Khan responding 70 years.
"I think they (Indians) would like to see it resolved. I think you would like to see it resolved. And if I can help, I would love to be a mediator. It should be....we have two incredible countries that are very, very smart with very smart leadership, (and they) can't solve a problem like that. But if you would want me to mediate or arbitrate, I would be willing to do that," Trump said.
"So all those issues should be resolved. So, he (Modi) has to ask me the same thing. So maybe we'll speak to him. Or I'll speak to him and we'll see if we can do something," Trump said.
"We have a very good relationship with India. I know that your relationship (with India) is strained a little bit, maybe a lot. But we will be talking about India (it's) a big part of our conversation today and I think maybe we can help intercede and do whatever we have to do. It's something that can be brought back together. We will be talking about India and Afghanistan both," Trump told Khan.
Khan, who was sitting by Trump's side in the Oval Office of the White House, said that he is ready and welcomed such a move by the US.
"Right now, you would have the prayers of over a billion people if you can mediate (on Kashmir)," Khan told Trump.
Trump said he has heard so much about Kashmir, which is supposed to be a beautiful part of the world. "But right now there's just bombs all over the place. They say 'wherever you go, you have bombs'. It's a terrible situation." "From my point, I can tell you we have tried our best. We made all overtures to India to start dialogue, resolve our differences through dialogue, but unfortunately we haven't made headways as yet. But I'm hoping that President Trump would push this process," Khan said, adding he feels that "only the most powerful state, headed by President Trump, can bring the two countries together." Responding to a question on Pakistani allegation of Indian interference in Balochistan, Trump said, "I have a very good relationship with Prime Minister Modi. I think we're going to have a phenomenal relationship" with the prime minister of Pakistan.
2. MEA promptly issues denial
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The Indian government has denied President Trump's astonishing claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate.
"We have seen @POTUS's remarks to the press that he is ready to mediate if requested by India & Pakistan, on Kashmir issue. No such request has been made by PM @narendramodi to US President," Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Raveesh Kumar tweeted.
"It has been India's consistent position that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally. Any engagement with Pakistan would require an end to cross border terrorism. The Shimla Agreement & the Lahore Declaration provide the basis to resolve all issues between India & Pakistan bilaterally," he said.
3. US-India relationship faces multiple hitch
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From India commissioning S-400 from Russia, to tweaks in FDI, data localisation policy to huge trade deficit between the two countries, India and US have been loggerheads with each other over last few months.
Even US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit didn't really iron out the creases. In that circumstances, Trump making a fraudulent claim about a sensitive issue like Trump and MEA promptly countering it is only likely to add to the tension in US-India relationship.
