JK News Today Commentary
Today it is 24th anniversary of 9/11 . It was on this day 24 years ago when the most powerful country of the world United States of America was jolted by a horrendous and unprecedented terror attack, shaking its economic and military foundations , and made it look helpless amidst cries of hundreds dying during the atrocity.
This massive horrendous event had shaken the world too . The Americans, and the people across the world , rubbed their eyes in disbelief that this could happen to the country which was convinced of its invincibility.. Their sense of supremacy reflected in the phrase in which America was seen and hailed as “ City on Hill” was shattered all at once.
Much water has flown in all the rivers of the world since then, some of which have turned dry as well . The world has seen countless terror attacks .Thousands have died and very nature of the terror attacks has changed , posing new challenges for the nations that suffer at the hands of terrorists .
The recall of the 9/11 or September 11, 2001 , terror attack , has a special ring . There are two fundamental reasons for this; India suffered a terror attack on its soul on April 22nd when terrorists massacred 26 innocent civilians , mostly tourists, in Baisaran, Pahalgam in the Kashmir Valley . The scale of the terror attack and the number of casualties were far low than 9/11 but the motive behind the act was no less sinister .
Second, part is how America responded to the Indian action under “ Operation Sindoor” to retaliate against perpetrators , backers and financers . India had launched the military action against the terrorists and their infrastructure in Pakistan on the intervening night of May6/7 , 2025 , and within 22 minutes the whole purpose was achieved . But Pakistan saw an affront to it in the anti-terror attacks and started counter-military action against Indian military assets and people . It could not do any damage to the Indian military system , but it did kill civilians in Poonch and other places in Jammu and Kashmir.
The US President Donald Trump was first among the world leaders to dial Prime Minister Narendra Modi to condemn the Pahalgam terror attack and voice solidarity with the victims and their families and to commit for action against perpetrators of the heinous. The US had also signed the UNSC resolution of April 25, condemning the attack and authorizing India to take action against all those involved in the terror attack.
By the time the April 25 UNSC resolution was passed , India had very clearly told the world that Pakistan was involved in the attack . India, citing the past pattern of the terror attacks , had not only pointed fingers at Pakistan , but also made its actions on April 23rd that Pakistan was responsible for the cross-border terrorism in India. It had suspended the Indus Waters Treaty ( WT) and degraded the diplomatic status with Pakistan .
Trump despite being aware of Pakistan ‘s role as a terror state and how the country had taken billions of US dollars in the name of fighting terrorism but using the funds for encouraging terrorists , started a thread of his imagination . Trump’s tweet on January 1, 2018 bears a testimony to that .
He chose to praise Pakistan for acknowledging the US role in effecting ceasefire on May 10th when the Indo-Pak conflict was about to enter the fifth day in few hours’ time. This was absurd claim , and he persisted with it ,in the process, eh deliberately overlooked that how Pakistan had shielded mastermind of the 9/11 , Osama bin Laden. The terror mastermind , despite persistent denials by Pakistan , was found in a house in garrison town of Abbottabad on its soil . Trump also hosted Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir for Lunch in White House . Then, he kept on repeating claim of brokering ceasefire between India and Pakistan . That was an affront to India, but at the same time it gave leverage to Pakistan on the regional stage .
It is time that America revisits the lessons it had learned in the wake of 9/11 and its war against terrorism . Pakistan was both a partner and perpetrator in 9/11 . The US should clean its glasses to view Pakistan the way the terror-exporting country is.
