Page 6 - The Indian EYE 020323

NATION FEBRUARY 03, 2023 | The Indian Eye 6

Fact or fiction? Jaishankar

slams Mike Pompeo for remarks

on Sushma Swaraj

Former Afghanistan Vice President Amrullah Saleh says that Afghanistan was not an obstacle to peace

and that Pompeo’s just-released memoir is full of lies

OUR BUREAU
New Delhi/Kabul

oreign minister S Jaishankar
on Wednesday slammed for-
Fmer US secretary of state Mike
Pompeo for his remarks on Sushma
Swaraj describing her as a “goofball”
and a “heartland political hack”, say-
ing he deplored the disrespectful col-
loquialism used for her.
“I have seen a passage in Secre-
tary Pompeo’s book referring to Smt
Sushma Swaraj-ji. I always held her
in great esteem and had an excep-
tionally close and warm relationship
with her. I deplore the disrespectful
colloquialism used for her,” said Jais-
hankar.
In his just-released book ‘Never
Give an Inch: Fighting for the Amer-
ica I Love’, Pompeo has said his orig-
inal counterpart (Swaraj) was not an Former U.S Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo at the National War Memorial in New Delhi during his visit to India in 2020 (ANI)
important player on the Indian for-
eign policy team. “Instead, I worked editor on the Harvard Law Review. AmrullahSaleh2 on Wednesday. true,” Saleh wrote.
much more closely with NSA Ajit Well played, J,” Pompeo writes. In his memoir, Pompeo said Saleh further added that Af-
Doval, a close and trusted confidant Considered close to then US that Afghanistan’s former president, ghanistan paid a high price for trust-
of PM Narendra Modi,” he says in president Donald Trump, Pompeo Ashraf Ghani, and Chief Executive ing the West in its relations with the
the book. was the CIA director from 2017 to Abdullah Abdullah “led cartels that region.
In May 2019, Pompeo further 2018 and served as the secretary stole millions of dollars in aid money According to the former vice
says, the US welcomed “J” as India’s of state from 2018 to 2021. Swaraj from the United States.” president, Pakistanis and Qataris
new foreign minister. “I could not served as external affairs minister in He said that one of the main rea- promised that the Taliban’s igno-
have asked for a better counterpart. the first Modi government from May sons for collapsing the entire political rance has decreased. This promise
I love this guy. English is one of the 2014 to May 2019. She died in Au- system was the high level of corrup- proved to be a lie. If America sees
seven languages he speaks, and his is gust 2019. tion and the “crooked system of pa- corruption as the reason for Afghan-
somewhat better than mine,” writes Meanwhile, former Afghanistan tronage in the country.” istan’s downfall, why is it not willing
Pompeo. “We hit it off immediately. Vice President Amrullah Saleh on Pompeo added that in his opin- to publish the list of big contracts
In our first meeting, I was bemoan- Wednesday said that Afghanistan ion, “low-level corruption secured a that it signed?
ing, in very diplomatic speech, that was not an obstacle to peace and that measure of stability” and prevent- “When Qamar Bajwa (Pakistan’s
his predecessor had not been partic- Pompeo’s book is full of lies. ed the country from collapsing, Af- former chief of army staff) came to
ularly helpful,” he adds. “Government of Afghani- ghan-based news agency Khaama Kabul through the mediation of En-
Pompeo goes on to claim that stan was not an obstacle to peace. Press reported. gland, I participated in three large
Jaishankar told him he could see why Pompeo’s book is full of lies. Presi- Saleh in response to Pompeo’s and brief meetings. He said that the
former US Secretary had trouble dent Ghani has repeatedly said that allegations said that elections and Taliban are afraid of the word elec-
with his predecessor, “a goofball and he is willing to hold early elections maintaining values had a price and tion and people’s votes. The alterna-
a heartland political hack.” according to the United Nations America was not willing to pay the tive way had patience, understand-
“Careful, I’m a heartland po- schedule and to protect values in the price. “I have nothing to say about ing, and unity of opinion, which the
litical hack!” I replied in jest. He transfer of power. But the Taliban their policy, but they should not resourceful American propaganda
laughed, noting that if that were true, considered the elections as their de- make our nation look worthless. The apparatus had torn apart to make
it would make me the first heartland struction and still do,” Saleh tweeted biggest mistake of president Ghani the ground for the shameful deal of
political hack who had ever been an from his official Twitter handle @ is that he trusted the West. This is Doha,” Saleh said in a tweet.

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