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On Balakot airstrike, former US NSA John Bolton says India's reaction was appropriate
India Today Web Desk
New Delhi
July 4, 2020
Here are excerpts from the John Bolton interview:
Q. A lot of phone calls were made during the Balakot strike, were you part of it?
Our immediate reaction was that it was a potential provocation from the Pakistani side that we understood could have escalated the tension. It was a developing situation.
Q. You had a conversation with NSA Ajit Doval. What was the impression you had about the Indian strike? What were the reports you got? What was the American intelligence saying about it?
I won't get into what the US intelligence revealed to us of course, but the US authority had a very good conversation with his counterpart. We came away from the crisis feeling that the Indian side had exercised appropriate kind of restraint and it was a real incentive for deepening communication in the future crisis. If we are prepared for it, there are chances that it can be resolved more easily.
Q. What was the US's reaction when the IAF reported casualties?
We were pleased by the way the crisis played up and the restraint showed by the Indian side and that it was resolved peacefully. We had a similar conversation with the Pakistani side. These things have different versions depending on what capital city you are sitting in. But it showed something of the enhanced communication with New Delhi in particular.
Q. You have revealed telling details in your book, why the restraint in this particular case?
I have been restrained in all the cases dealing with US intelligence or intelligence from our friends and allies as well. It is something which can only be revealed with permission, but in terms of the details of the crisis as it unfolded, it happened quickly. It was late in night and memory tends to fade after there was a long visit the next day for the meet between President Trump and Kim Jong-un who were called on the nuclear deal. That was quite the focus at that point of time.
Q. The next day, Pakistan retaliated but failed.
Our basic priority was to see the crisis winding down. I feel India's behaviour was appropriate and proportionate and should mark an opportunity to avoid this thing happening again and with the new government in Pakistan impending to see if it might provide any opportunity for bilateral discussions.
Q. India said it struck down one of Pakistan's jet, but the latter denied.
Both India and Pakistan gave their versions but I can't go beyond it.
Q. Did you also talk to Pakistan about the incident?
Obviously there were different perceptions of how the crisis had flared up and how it wound down. I would like to think that the US had played a constructive role. I think that we were interested and involved in communication even though we were in Hanoi to attend the summit. It showed how seriously we took any kind of fret in peace and security in the subcontinent.
We are helpful and certainly, we'll like to be, but we are not trying to get into the middle of it either. It is something we have to resolve under the terms of a similar understanding in direct negotiations between the two sides and ultimately to live in peace and security with your neighbours. If the two countries involved have gone through the arduous process of negotiating the understanding, nobody is going to impose it from outside for sure.
Q. Did you brief President Trump on the issue?
Next day, Mike Pompeo and I did speak with the president as we were in the process of the meeting with Kim Jong-un. The next day, the situation seemed under control and we did not want to drive our focus away from the important meeting with Kim Jong-un.
https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/india...-1696924-2020-07-04?__twitter_impression=true
India Today Web Desk
New Delhi
July 4, 2020
Here are excerpts from the John Bolton interview:
Q. A lot of phone calls were made during the Balakot strike, were you part of it?
Our immediate reaction was that it was a potential provocation from the Pakistani side that we understood could have escalated the tension. It was a developing situation.
Q. You had a conversation with NSA Ajit Doval. What was the impression you had about the Indian strike? What were the reports you got? What was the American intelligence saying about it?
I won't get into what the US intelligence revealed to us of course, but the US authority had a very good conversation with his counterpart. We came away from the crisis feeling that the Indian side had exercised appropriate kind of restraint and it was a real incentive for deepening communication in the future crisis. If we are prepared for it, there are chances that it can be resolved more easily.
Q. What was the US's reaction when the IAF reported casualties?
We were pleased by the way the crisis played up and the restraint showed by the Indian side and that it was resolved peacefully. We had a similar conversation with the Pakistani side. These things have different versions depending on what capital city you are sitting in. But it showed something of the enhanced communication with New Delhi in particular.
Q. You have revealed telling details in your book, why the restraint in this particular case?
I have been restrained in all the cases dealing with US intelligence or intelligence from our friends and allies as well. It is something which can only be revealed with permission, but in terms of the details of the crisis as it unfolded, it happened quickly. It was late in night and memory tends to fade after there was a long visit the next day for the meet between President Trump and Kim Jong-un who were called on the nuclear deal. That was quite the focus at that point of time.
Q. The next day, Pakistan retaliated but failed.
Our basic priority was to see the crisis winding down. I feel India's behaviour was appropriate and proportionate and should mark an opportunity to avoid this thing happening again and with the new government in Pakistan impending to see if it might provide any opportunity for bilateral discussions.
Q. India said it struck down one of Pakistan's jet, but the latter denied.
Both India and Pakistan gave their versions but I can't go beyond it.
Q. Did you also talk to Pakistan about the incident?
Obviously there were different perceptions of how the crisis had flared up and how it wound down. I would like to think that the US had played a constructive role. I think that we were interested and involved in communication even though we were in Hanoi to attend the summit. It showed how seriously we took any kind of fret in peace and security in the subcontinent.
We are helpful and certainly, we'll like to be, but we are not trying to get into the middle of it either. It is something we have to resolve under the terms of a similar understanding in direct negotiations between the two sides and ultimately to live in peace and security with your neighbours. If the two countries involved have gone through the arduous process of negotiating the understanding, nobody is going to impose it from outside for sure.
Q. Did you brief President Trump on the issue?
Next day, Mike Pompeo and I did speak with the president as we were in the process of the meeting with Kim Jong-un. The next day, the situation seemed under control and we did not want to drive our focus away from the important meeting with Kim Jong-un.
https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/india...-1696924-2020-07-04?__twitter_impression=true
