The US House Committee Majority on Foreign Affairs publicly condemned The New York Times on Thursday for its description of the Pahalgam attackers as “militants” and “gunmen”, calling the language a distortion of reality in the face of a clear terrorist act.
In a post on X, the committee shared a screenshot of the NYT article with the original headline — “At Least 24 Tourists Gunned Down by Militants in Kashmir” — and posted a corrected version replacing “militants” with “terrorists.”
“Hey, @nytimes, we fixed it for you. This was a TERRORIST ATTACK, plain and simple,” the committee posted. “Whether it’s India or Israel, when it comes to TERRORISM, the NYT is removed from reality.”
🤝 US Leadership Strongly Backs India
The US response to the deadly April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people including one Nepali tourist, has been one of unwavering solidarity with India:
- President Donald Trump called PM Narendra Modi to offer condolences and full support, describing the attack as a “heinous act of terrorism.”
- In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “The United States stands strong with India against Terrorism. Prime Minister Modi and the incredible people of India have our full support and deepest sympathies.”
- Vice President JD Vance also personally called PM Modi and echoed similar sentiments: “The United States stands with the people of India in this difficult hour and is ready to assist in the joint fight against terrorism.”
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio and NSA Mike Waltz joined in the condemnation. Rubio posted: “The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Kashmir… We call for perpetrators to be held accountable.”
🔴 India’s Countermeasures Against Pakistan
India, in response to what it calls clear cross-border sponsorship of the attack, has launched an array of diplomatic and strategic countermeasures, including:
- Suspension of visa services to Pakistani nationals.
- Revocation of existing visas (except certain humanitarian cases like medical visas until April 29).
- Closure of the Attari Integrated Check Post.
- Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 put in abeyance.
- Pakistani High Commission officials declared Persona Non Grata.
- Cancellation of SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme visas for Pakistani citizens.
This vocal backing from top US leaders, paired with India’s sweeping actions, marks a moment of strengthened cooperation between the two democracies in combating international terrorism and regional destabilization.