https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/as ... story.html
Pakistan PM warns of war as Trump, India’s leader buddy up
UNITED NATIONS — Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan bluntly warned that war was possible over India’s crackdown in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, while U.S. President Donald Trump buddied up to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their second meeting in three days.
Trump urged the sides to resolve their differences even as he gushed over Modi, saying he was as popular as American rock legend Elvis Presley.
Huston was about optics BEFORE Trump sat down with Dimran and Modi for official talks. And the optics for other world leader as Modi led Trump by the hands around the crowd for a victory lap. And optics for the Kashmiris apduls and the baki apduls. Optics for the Modi-hater and Modi-pasands in India, America and across the world.
The optics ensured that Trump stayed out of Kashmir, no matter what his instinct, just as Modi/India has always wanted, in line with our stated position that it is a bilateral issue between India and bakistan.
While Khan warned of war, Trump was having a much lighter moment with Modi.
Trump on Tuesday compared Modi to Presley, the late American singer often referred to as the king of rock and roll, after Modi received a rock-star welcome Sunday in Houston. The president had carved out time to join Modi, who was greeted in Texas by 50,000 cheering Indian Americans.
“Those people went crazy,” Trump said as he and Modi met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. “That was like Elvis.”
Optics of Huston.
On the Kashmir standoff, Trump urged Modi and Khan to find a resolution.
“We all want to see that,” said Trump, who met with Khan on Monday.
Again, the impact of the optics. Hands off approach Kashmir just as India/Modi wanted it to be. AND to me, the optics had delivered what it was supposed to, by the time Trump-Dimran press meet was over.
And a twist.
Khan also said that he had begun, at Trump’s request, to mediate talks between Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani over a nuclear standoff. He provided no other details but said he had spoken to Rouhani on Monday after Trump asked Khan to “deescalate the situation.”
“We are trying our best,” Khan said.
Some folks still don't get what Huston was all about.