'Deep State approach to India's...': Brahma Chellaney blasts Trump's travel ban for sparing Pakistan, targeting Myanmar

Geostrategist Brahma Chellaney on Thursday raised concerns over US President Donald Trump's new travel ban, accusing Washington of shielding Pakistan while tightening restrictions on countries like Myanmar.

"Trump’s entry ban on visitors from 12 countries includes Myanmar (where the US is aiding anti-junta rebels), but excludes terrorism-hub Pakistan, indicating his embrace of the Deep State approach to India’s neighborhood," Chellaney wrote in a post on X.

The remarks come just a day after President Trump signed a sweeping proclamation banning nationals from 12 countries — including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Iran, Somalia, and Yemen — from entering the United States, citing national security concerns. The move revives and broadens the "Trump travel ban" that first emerged during his 2017 term.

Myanmar, which is currently grappling with an intensifying civil war following a military coup in 2021, was named on the list even as the US reportedly supports certain anti-junta rebel groups. In contrast, Pakistan — long accused of hosting and aiding terror networks — was left off the ban list entirely, a decision drawing criticism from Indian security experts.

Behind Washington's warming up to Islamabad is a crypto deal tied directly to Trump. Pakistan recently signed an agreement with World Liberty Financial (WLF), a US-based cryptocurrency firm in which Trump's sons, Eric and Donald Jr., along with Jared Kushner, reportedly hold a 60% stake. The company’s homepage prominently features the phrase “Inspired by Donald J Trump” next to the former president’s portrait.

The White House defended the ban as a national security measure, citing countries that either have weak vetting protocols or show high visa overstay rates. "We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen," Trump said in a proclamation posted on Truth Social. "The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country."

The proclamation bans entry from 12 countries, including Haiti, Iran, Libya, Sudan, and Yemen, while placing partial restrictions on visitors from seven others, such as Cuba, Laos, Venezuela, and Turkmenistan.