Modi: Time for Armageddon Against Terror
Addressing over 50,000 at Houston’s iconic NRG Stadium at the #HowdyModi event, Prime Minister Modi took on Pakistan left, right, and centre in the presence of President Trump, and a delegation of US lawmakers.
Calling for a decisive war against terror, Modi said, ‘Be it 9/11 in America or 26/11 in Mumbai, where can the conspirators be found? The time has come for a decisive battle to be fought against terrorism and those backing it.’
He further said that President Trump was with them in this decisive war against terror.
Speaking before Modi, Trump had also pledged to battle radical Islam that drew a loud cheer from the stadium and a standing ovation from Modi and foreign minister S Jaishankar.
The joint condemnation of the Islamist terror has been seen as a big move, and it has since been said that the Americans must have been taken in confidence regarding the statement.
Interestingly, the announcement came a day before President Trump’s meeting with the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, in which he called Modi’s statement ‘very aggressive’ and unexpected, and also appreciated Khan for the bilateral engagement with the US and anti-terror efforts, dodging a question on Pakistan being a terror sponsor. Trump rather called Iran as the number one sponsor of terror.
While this has been seen by some as a U-turn from what he said a day before, it has been pointed out that it’s in line with Trump’s conduct.
As for Kashmir, Trump reiterated that he is up for mediation, but there is a rider. He said that the mediation was conditional that both the countries are willing for it.
Take:
President Trump is a deal maker. He wants something good from everyone: he wants a trade deal with India, Pakistan’s support on the Afghanistan front, and, again, India’s engagement in restraining the emerging China in the Indo-Pacific. Much should not be seen into his statements in Imran Khan’s presence as it’s his tweets and government orders that decide policy, and not responses to journalists.
Also, Prime Minister Modi and President Trump are slated to meet on 24th September, where Trump is expected to praise Modi and India. Let’s look forward to that meeting for now.
