New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump are “very good friends (and are) focused on shared objectives”, which include a firm commitment to defeat Islamic terror worldwide, Tulsi Gabbard, the United States’ Director of National Intelligence told NDTV Monday in an exclusive interview.
“The ties between the US and India go very far back and (in Trump’s second term) we are continuing to see the strengthening of that partnership and recognising the mutual interest of both countries – centred around peace, prosperity, freedom, and security,” she said in Delhi.
“… with President Trump’s leadership in the US and of course, Prime Minister Modi’s longstanding leadership in India – we have two leaders of two great countries who are very good friends and very focused on how we can strengthen the shared objectives and interests.”
Ms Gabbard also referred to her meeting with Mr Modi in the US last month, when they spoke about enhancing cooperation to tackle terrorism, cybersecurity, and other emerging threats. That meeting with Mr Modi, she told NDTV this afternoon, “set the tone and vision for a stronger India-US partnership”.
READ | Modi Meets US Intel Boss Tulsi Gabbard. What Did They Discuss?
“My visit here is predicated on the work that has already been done.” she said.
Tulsi Gabbard On Russia’s War
On Russia’s war on Ukraine, she declared Donald Trump “is seeing this conflict with very clear eyes”.
The President, she said, will have a productive conversation with Russia’s Vladimir Putin – they are expected to speak Tuesday, following talks between American and Russian officials – and “… is focused on peace. His priority is to end this war. Negotiations have just begun.”
READ | PM’s “Not Time For War” Message For Putin “Brother” Zelensky
Ms Gabbard also slammed Donald Trump’s predecessor – Joe Biden – for making no effort to try to end the war. “There was no effort at peace or (to have a) direct dialogue with Putin,” she said.
On Houthi Threat
Ms Gabbard also spoke about the Houthi threat in the Red Sea region, acknowledging the Iran-backed military group had been attacking the key shipping route for “a very long time” and criticising the Biden administration for, again, having made “no serious effort to stop it”. She also pointed to Mr Trump re-recognising the Houthis as a ‘foreign terrorist organisation’ after Joe Biden removed them from that list.
She also underlined India and the US’ common goal in this aspect, stating, “Our country and another (referring to India) should not be in a position to re-route commerce just because of the Houthi threat.”
These comments come days after the Houthis claimed a second attack on American ships in 24 hours, calling both “retaliation for deadly US strikes”. The Houthis had initially said they had launched 18 missiles and a drone at American aircraft carrier Harry Truman and its accompanying warships.
READ | Yemen’s Houthi Claims 2nd Attack On US Military Ships In 24 Hours
Washington, D.C. has vowed to keep striking Yemen until the rebels stop attacking Red Sea shipping, with President Donald Trump warning he will use “overwhelming lethal force”.
On Sunday the US launched large-scale strikes on Yemen, with Trump warning the Iran-aligned Houthis “their time is up”. Trump also warned Iran that it needed to “immediately” halt support for the group.
The strikes killed 31 people and injured 101, mostly women and children, the Houthis claimed.
On Bangladesh
The United States is deeply concerned about the situation in Bangladesh, Ms Gabbard said.
READ | US Intel Chief’s ‘Islamic Caliphate’ Remark On Crisis In Bangladesh
“The longtime unfortunate persecution, killing, and abuse of religious minorities like Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and others has been a major area of concern for the US and President Trump,” she said.
Why Is Tulsi Gabbard In India?
Tulsi Gabbard is in India as part of a multi-nation visit to the Indo-Pacific; the trip will include stops at Japan and Thailand, and focus on “building strong relationships, understanding, and open lines of communication” to achieve Trump’s ‘peace, freedom, and prosperity’ objectives.
The visit to India comes a month after Mr Modi’s visit to the US.
The Prime Minister was among the first global leaders to call on Donald Trump after he took oath – on January 20 – for a second term that has, so far, been headlined as much by efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war as it has by the deportation of illegal immigrants and trade tariffs.
READ | “No Commitments” To Tariff Cuts After Trump’s Claim, Says India
A day before the two sat down to talk, Mr Trump had announced a new reciprocal tariff policy for US trade partners, among whom he had named India, China, and Brazil as countries that levy “tremendously higher tariffs than we charge them” and called this “very unfair”.
Ms Gabbard – a soldier who served with a medical unit in Iraq and a former Democrat Congresswoman from Hawaii – joined the Republicans in October last year.
She was appointed as the US’ DNI – a role that oversees 18 American intelligence agencies, including the CIA, the FBI, and the NSA, on a budget of nearly $100 billion – last month.
READ | Tulsi Gabbard Is Trump’s New Director Of National Intelligence
The appointment was not without controversy. Critics pointed out her lack of direct military or intelligence experience. Many also pointed to remarks about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and her 2017 visit to Syria, when she met with then-President Bashar al-Assad while he was under US sanctions.
With input from agencies
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