‘Asim Munir Is Osama Bin Laden In A Suit’: Ex-Pentagon Official Slams Pakistan’s Nuclear Rhetoric

Last Updated:August 12, 2025, 08:46 IST

Michael Rubin also criticised Pakistan’s recent nuclear sabre-rattling, branding the country’s conduct as that of “a rogue state”

Rubin’s remarks underscore intensifying concerns over Pakistan’s stability, its nuclear command, and the risks it poses to global security (Image: AP/File)

Former Pentagon analyst Michael Rubin has unleashed a blistering condemnation of Pakistan’s recent nuclear posturing, accusing the country of acting like “a rogue state" after threatening remarks were allegedly made by its army chief on American soil.

The uproar stems from comments attributed to Pakistan Army chief Gen Asim Munir, who reportedly warned during a meeting in Tampa, Florida, with US military officials that if Pakistan “goes down, it would take half the world down" with it.

Calling the statements “completely unacceptable," Rubin told ANI that Munir’s rhetoric echoed the language of terrorist groups. “Pakistan is raising questions in many people’s minds about whether it can fulfil the responsibilities of being a state. The Field Marshal’s rhetoric is reminiscent of what we’ve heard from the Islamic State," he said.

Rubin demanded swift diplomatic retaliation — stripping Pakistan of its major non-NATO ally status, considering a designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, and banning Munir from US entry. He slammed American officials for failing to act immediately when the alleged remarks were made.

“Within 30 minutes of when Asim Munir made those comments, he should have been ushered out, taken to Tampa International Airport, and flown out of the United States," he said.

The former Pentagon official also questioned President Donald Trump’s motives, hinting at possible foreign influence. He argued that Trump’s approach marks a sharp break from the bipartisan US-India partnership cultivated since the George W. Bush era.

Rubin warned that Pakistan’s nuclear threats risk emboldening terrorist factions, some linked to the Pakistani military and ISI, to “go rogue" with nuclear weapons. “Americans look at terrorism through the lens of grievance," he noted. “They don’t understand the ideological underpinnings of many terrorists. Asim Munir is Osama bin Laden in a suit."

In one of his most provocative proposals, Rubin urged the international community to consider a “managed decline" of Pakistan, potentially recognising breakaway regions like Balochistan. He even floated the possibility of US special forces seizing Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal in the future. “It’s coming near time when, in a future administration, other SEAL teams should enter Pakistan to secure its nuclear weapons because the alternative is simply too great to bear," he said.

Touching on wider US-India tensions over trade and Russian energy purchases, Rubin accused Washington of hypocrisy, pointing out that the US itself buys strategic materials from Moscow. He predicted that once the current “stress test" in relations ends, the partnership will emerge stronger.

Rubin’s remarks underscore intensifying concerns over Pakistan’s stability, its nuclear command, and the risks it poses to global security — concerns he argues Washington can no longer afford to downplay.

Abhro Banerjee

Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ...Read More

Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ...

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August 12, 2025, 08:46 IST

News world ‘Asim Munir Is Osama Bin Laden In A Suit’: Ex-Pentagon Official Slams Pakistan’s Nuclear Rhetoric

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