'Remember where we found Osama': Ex-US diplomat blasts general for calling Pakistan 'phenomenal partner'

Former US diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad isn't buying the praise for Pakistan. He has criticised CENTCOM Commander General Michael Kurilla for calling Pakistan a "phenomenal partner" in the fight against terrorism. In his Congressional hearing on Tuesday, General Kurilla called Pakistan a 'phenomenal partner' on counterterrorism.

"A slight exaggeration," Khalilzad said. "While there are instances of Pakistani cooperation, at the same time they are limiting our counter-terror operations even as hundreds of ISIS operatives are active in their country."

The former diplomat then reminded: "As in the past, the Pakistani military continues to be both foe and friend. Remember where we found Osama Bin Laden!"

This came a day after Kurilla's testimony to the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, where he made the case for balancing ties with both India and Pakistan. "I do not believe it is a binary switch that we can't have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India," the General told lawmakers, adding, "We should look at the merits of the relationship for the positives that it has."

Kurilla described Pakistan as a key counterterrorism partner, especially in dealing with ISIS-Khorasan (IS-K), and credited them for acting on limited intelligence from the US. "Through a phenomenal partnership with Pakistan, they have gone after ISIS-Khorasan, killing dozens of them...(they've) captured at least five ISIS-Khorasan high-value individuals."

The top army officer also recalled a personal call from Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir after the capture of a suspect in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing that killed 13 US service members and over 160 civilians. He acknowledged that Pakistan is battling serious internal threats — over 1,000 terror attacks this year alone, with 700 security forces and 2,500 civilians killed.