US Congress urged to look into cypher

Former US national security adviser says Biden administration is confused, inarticulate on situation in Pakistan

Former US national security adviser John Bolton has suggested the US Congress to look at the allegedly leaked cipher about former prime minister Imran Khan’s ousting to “find out how accurate that report was” when it returns from summer recess in early September.

In an interview with VOA broadcasting service, recorded this week, Bolton was concerned about the Biden administration’s foreign policy about South Asia because “it’s not clearly defined”.

When asked if the language used in the cipher was usual for a State Department official, the former Trump and Bush administrations official noted that it was about “an effort to get Pakistan’s support” against Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“I would be stunned if that’s exactly what they said. It would be remarkable for the State Department, under any administration, but particularly under the Biden administration, to be calling for Imran Khan’s overthrow.”

The purported cipher that the Pakistan Embassy in Washington sent to Islamabad in March last year quotes Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu as telling Pakistan’s Asad Majeed Khan: “I think if the no-confidence vote against the prime minister succeeds, all will be forgiven in Washington because the Russia visit is being looked at as a decision by the prime minister. Otherwise, I think it will be tough going ahead.”

Bolton said even if the text published by The Intercept was “close to being true”, it would be a problem.
To another question, Bolton said Biden administration officials were unaware of their strategic imperatives, adding that the administration “has been confused and inarticulate on the situation in Pakistan”.

Explaining his position on the current political situation in Pakistan, he said: “I do not agree with Imran Khan on everything he has ever said, and he doesn’t agree with me but when the military take it to the point of dismantling a legitimate political party (and) putting … an elected leader like Imran Khan in jail for no apparent reason, they are contributing to delegitimising their own institution.”

On the demand by some US lawmakers that Washington should raise this issue with Pakistani authorities, Bolton urged the Biden administration to take a clear position before the “terrorists, China and Russia take advantage” of the situation.