Tharoor hails US move on TRF, dubs it a step towards bridging the gap

Following the United States’ designation of The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT), Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday (July 19) shed light on the behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts that led to the move.

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Taking to the social media platform X, Tharoor hailed the US move but said it was long overdue. The TRF, a proxy of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), had claimed responsibility for the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that left 26 dead, marking the deadliest assault on Indian civilians since the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai.

Questions US stance

In his post, Tharoor disclosed that during his private meetings with US officials in Washington earlier this year, he directly questioned their reluctance to hold Pakistan accountable for sheltering terror groups.

“In my private conversations in Washington, when I asked people bluntly why the US were still allowing Pakistan to get away with providing a safe haven to terrorist organisations, I was pointed to Pakistan’s alleged cooperation with the US on counter-terror operations, notably the recent surrender of the individual allegedly responsible for the Abbey Gate bombing that had killed 23 US marines at Kabul airport,” Tharoor wrote.

The reference is to the August 2021 suicide bombing at Abbey Gate of Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport during the US troop withdrawal, an attack later claimed by ISIS. The Taliban reportedly handed over the suspect earlier this year.

Bridging the gap

“Our scepticism about the quality & sincerity of Pakistani actions against terrorism reflects our own experience with those terror agencies that are directed against us, rather than those that the US deems hostile, such as ISIS-Khorasan. This is a step towards bridging the gap in perceptions between the US and us on this. It will help in our efforts to list TRF at the @UN as well,” Tharoor added.

India welcomed the move in an official statement, calling it “a timely and important step reflecting the deep cooperation between India and the United States on counter-terrorism.”

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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in a separate post on X, wrote: “A strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF-a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for terrorism. #OpSindoor.”

The ministry added that India remains committed to a “zero tolerance” policy towards terrorism and will continue to pursue accountability for groups and proxies operating from across the border.