Tulsi Gabbard Meets Modi amid Global Lens on India-US Ties

US Director of Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard with PM Narendra Modi Image credit X.com
Gabbard Accused Biden of Islamist Tilt in Congressional Confirmation
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, February 13: The Congress last night confirmed Tulsi Gabbard for the post of the Director of the National Intelligence (DNI). Her first call after confirmation was to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington.
“They exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest, reaffirming their commitment to a secure, stable, and rules-based international order,” PMO said in a media statement on Modi-Gabbard meeting.
Gabbard also discussed “emerging threats” in her meeting with Modi. She faced intense opposition for the Congressional confirmation.
Democrats in the Congress accused her of peddling Russian propaganda. She held her grounds. Gabbard in place of balking down reiterated that the Joe Biden administration indeed helped in installing an al-Qaeda regime in Syria.
Her confirmation is evidently cheered in India. Gabbard may reverse US intervention in Bangladesh. In a 2021 video, Gabbard lambasted radicals in Bangladesh for killing Hindus.
The Congress took maximum time to confirm Gabbard. The US-based political commentators claimed that Gabbard had least chance of gaining the Congressional confirmation.
Gabbard’s views on geopolitical affairs are seen aligned with President Donald Trump who stunned Europe with his unilateral announcement for Munich negotiation for peace deal on Ukraine War this Friday. Trump also accused Biden for “unnecessary killings of millions of people in the Ukraine War”.
Trump-Putin bonhomie may also bring a major relief in New Delhi. “We will be visiting each other’s nation,” Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media platform, after speaking to Russian President.
Gabbard discussed ways to enhance sharing counter-intelligence in her meeting with Modi. India may hope that Gabbard will bury the Canada ghost of using ‘Five Eyes’ intelligence against New Delhi.
Union Minister for External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in his first meeting with his US counterpart Marco Rubio had raised the issue of the attacks on the Indian consulate in San Franscico. Gabbard is likely to address the Indian concerns on the Sikh separatists in the US.
Also, Gabbard may revisit the alleged US plot to topple the Sheikh Hasina-led government in Bangladesh. Muhammed Yunus-led regime in Bangladesh saw on its watch killing of 1200 people after the violent overthrow of the Hasina regime as per a UN report.
Bangladesh has embarked on path of destruction of the 1971 Liberation legacy by destroying memorials and places associated with Sheikh Mujb ur Rehman. An alignment of the US and India views on Bangladesh may work as a counterweight against China-Pakistan shadow in Dhaka.
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