"It's silly": Military aviation analyst on renewed warmth in US-Pak relationship - World News Network

Vienna [Austria], August 12 (ANI): Tom Cooper, a well-known Austrian military analyst and historian specialising in combat aviation and conflict analysis, said on Tuesday that the renewed warmth in the US-Pak relationship after Operation Sindoor was “silly.”
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Cooper suggested that Pakistan’s recent actions are aimed at making US President Donald Trump look like a peacemaker.
The US and Pakistan have enjoyed a renewed warmth in their relationship, with Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, receiving a warm welcome in Washington.
“So this is actually a statement for the White House, on behalf of the White House, so that the Trump administration, Trump in particular, can present himself as a peace broker and deal-maker and deal-broker and say look, ‘Pakistanis have threatened to attack India with nuclear weapons and it was I who has prevented this from happening. So I am the peacemaker in this conflict as well, not only regarding the war between Cambodia and Thailand or in Ukraine or in wherever else, but I made peace in this case as well,’ so this is real,” he said.
Notably, Munir commented in Florida that Pakistan could use nuclear weapons to take down India and “half the world” in the event of an existential threat. Munir, during his visit to US, also stated that Islamabad will defend its water rights “at all costs” if India proceeds with dam construction on the Indus River.
He also repeated his anti-India rhetoric by describing Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein,” asserting that it is not India’s internal matter but an unresolved international issue.
Pakistan has been engaging in a charm offensive with the Trump administration, leveraging counterterrorism cooperation, business deals, and flattery to strengthen ties. This approach has yielded surprising results, with Trump praising Pakistan’s efforts in combating terrorism and even nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize for brokering a ceasefire with India.
“I see this as yet another part of dilettante Pakistani sabre-wrestling with nuclear weaponry. They have issued such threats already and declared red zones. And since April this year, India has crossed several of these red zones. Pakistan has only turned out to be absolutely incapable of doing what it is announcing, promising or whatever,” Cooper told ANI.
“But essentially, the relations between the White House and Islamabad in the last few months were really like two little kids in five or six years talking about whose father is more powerful and stronger and who would be the other one’s father or whatever. It’s really, I ignore it most of the time. It’s silly,” Cooper added.
Cooper said that the US has a memory of a goldfish when it comes to Pakistan’s association with terrorism, as it has also been at the receiving end of terrorism.
“The USA, just like all the rest, has a memory of the fish in regards to Pakistan’s involvement in terrorism and Pakistan’s involvement in distributing, so to speak, reselling nuclear-related technology to a number of rogue nations around the world. And again, this is just sweet talking for sweet talking, sweet talking from Pakistan to make Trump feel better,” he said.
He further said that the US is aware of Pakistan’s links to jihad and terrorism.
“And the other way around, the USA knows that Pakistan is running a jihad import-export business. They know that Pakistan is neck deep involved in organising training, literally exporting jihadists anywhere from Nigeria to the Philippines. Yet, they’re ignoring this and Pakistan is their ally, most important non-NATO ally in this part of the world and so when you say it, yes, it is a calculated move, nothing else to bring Pakistan even closer to the United States to obtain some protection of Pakistan by the United States,” he said.
While Trump may not directly intervene on Pakistan’s behalf in future conflicts, Cooper suggests that the US will continue to provide indirect support, including modern weaponry, spare parts, and training to the Pakistani Armed Forces. This support is seen as crucial for Pakistan, which values its alliance with the US despite criticisms of Trump’s unpredictability.
“Of course, Trump is not going to go as far as to say, if India attacks you again, because India didn’t attack Pakistan, it was Pakistan who attacked India all the time. Well, but anyway, he is ignorant enough to say that if India attacks Pakistan again, then the USA are going to protect Pakistan. It is not going to happen. But the more Pakistan is a sweet-talking Trump, the better for Pakistan. It’s as simple as that. The more support Trump is going to provide to Pakistan, indirect support, never direct support,” he said.
Trump’s priorities in the region seem to focus on transactional diplomacy, with Pakistan offering business deals and flattery to secure his support. Pakistan’s charm offensive has included crypto diplomacy, with the country’s crypto council signing a letter of intent with Trump-backed cryptocurrency venture, World Liberty Financial.
“The USA is never going to become involved on the Pakistani side and fight the war against India on behalf of Pakistan. That’s not going to happen, but the USA is going to continue supporting the Pakistani Armed Forces through the provision of modern weaponry, through the provision of spare parts, through the provision of training, training facilities, and similar. So this is what Pakistanis care about, that is what is most important to them, and this is why such a state,” he said.
Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday issued a strong statement in response to remarks reportedly made by the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff during his visit to the United States.
“Our attention has been drawn to remarks reportedly made by the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff while on a visit to the United States. Nuclear sabre-rattling is Pakistan’s stock-in-trade,” the MEA official spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added, “The international community can draw its own conclusions on the irresponsibility inherent in such remarks, which also reinforce the well-held doubts about the integrity of nuclear command and control in a state where the military is hand-in-glove with terrorist groups.” (ANI)

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