America is concerned about its own interests: Defence experts on TRF terror tag

New Delhi: The United States’ recent decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF), a Pakistan-backed proxy of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) has drawn sharp reactions from Indian Defence experts, who view the move as delayed and diplomatically motivated.

Wing Commander Praful Bakshi (Retd.), speaking to IANS, expressed skepticism over the US’ true stance on terrorism.

“America is trying to clarify its position in the context of terrorism at this time. It wants to show the world that it is against terrorism. But is America really against terrorism? America is concerned about its own interests. If it has to support or create terrorism to fulfil its interests, then America will do so. For example, America created the Taliban in collaboration with Pakistan against Russia.”

“When terrorism becomes a burden for America, like during the 9/11 attacks, it reacts. But simply killing leaders or renaming groups doesn’t end terrorism. It is ideological and deeply rooted,” he added.

On Pakistan, he said: “Pakistan is running on the basis of terrorism. Its army survives through terror. Without it, Pakistan cannot hold Kashmir. Terrorism will continue to trouble India because it is an ideological tool for them.”

Colonel Shivdan Singh (Retd.), another Defence expert, provided deeper context, suggesting the US acted to fix its damaged image after being called out for soft-pedalling Pakistan’s role in terrorism.

“Let me explain. Right after the Pahalgam attack, the US backed Pakistan’s appointment as Chair of two anti-terror committees at the UN. This was shocking. But when India raised its voice, our External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted the issue at multiple global forums, and our diplomatic teams presented evidence across countries, it became clear that TRF, backed by Pakistan, was responsible. TRF even admitted to the attack,” he said.

“This international exposure hurt America’s image in India. To mitigate that, they finally listed TRF as a terrorist group. Also, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba had falsely portrayed TRF as a grassroots Kashmiri group protesting against India, not a terrorist outfit. But India exposed the truth. That’s why the US had no choice but to declare it a global terror organisation,” he added.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had announced the move stating: “This action demonstrates the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting our national security interests, countering terrorism, and enforcing President Trump’s call for justice for the Pahalgam attack.”

He said TRF, acting as a proxy for LeT, was responsible for the deadliest civilian attack in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, killing 26 civilians in Jammu & Kashmir on April 22, 2025.

–IANS