Washington finds itself tied in knots after Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, delivered anti-India nuclear rhetoric while in the United States as an honoured guest of the U.S. military.
Washington finds itself tied in knots after Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, delivered anti-India nuclear rhetoric while in the United States as an honoured guest of the U.S. military. The remarks, described by Indian officials as “nuclear sabre-rattling,” have left American defence and diplomatic agencies unwilling — or unable — to respond publicly.
During his recent visit, Munir attended the retirement ceremony of outgoing U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) chief General Michael E. Kurilla, the change-of-command for Admiral Brad Cooper, and met senior leaders including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine. Behind the formalities, however, reports emerged of a private dinner in Tampa where Munir is said to have warned that Pakistan, if cornered, would be prepared to “take half the world down with it” — a thinly veiled threat aimed at India.
In the days following the Tampa dinner remarks, The Sunday Guardian reached out to the U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon, the State Department, and CENTCOM for a response on this threat made by Munir, who was in the U.S. as a guest of their military. The questions included whether the U.S. military and the State Department view public threats of nuclear destruction — issued from U.S. territory toward another sovereign nation — as acceptable conduct from a visiting senior military official. Each agency chose silence or issued a terse “no comment.” Even the State Department, normally quick to reaffirm its position on responsible nuclear conduct, declined to address the statement.
Each agency chose silence or issued a curt “no comment.” Even the State Department, normally quick to reaffirm support for “responsible nuclear stewardship,” declined to address the general’s statement.
Observers said that Munir’s words have put Washington in an awkward diplomatic bind. Publicly defending him would look like tacit approval of nuclear threats against a strategic partner like India. Publicly rebuking him would risk upsetting Pakistan’s powerful military, which Washington still relies on for counterterrorism cooperation, regional intelligence, and maintaining a foothold in Afghanistan.
Munir’s statement exposes how the Trump administration and some of its senior advisors misjudged the political instincts of Pakistan’s military, assuming that ceremonial invitations and military honours could temper rhetoric. Instead, Munir demonstrated a willingness to use American soil to amplify anti-India nuclear messaging.
