India-US ties face strain as Washington reverts the Indo-Pacific Command name to ‘US Pacific Command’ and displays an inaccurate map misrepresenting Indian territory.
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US Pacific Command
India-US relations: In a big setback for India-US relations day after PM Modi and US President Trump met at G7 meet in France, the US has restored the name of the US Indo-Pacific Command to the US Pacific Command. Reversing an eight-year-old decision taking under Trump’s first term, the US Department of Defence has announced the decision on Tuesday, giving a major hit to the US policy which earlier promoted a free Indo Pacific under Former US Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Notably, the US took the decision stating that the designation honours the Command’s deep historical roots, established in 1947 by then-President Harry Truman.
The US Pacific Command extends from the US West Coast to India’s western border.
“Originally established on January 1, 1947, by President Harry S. Truman, the command operated under the USPACOM banner for over 70 years, standing as the oldest and largest of the United States’ unified combatant commands,” the Department of Defence said in a statement.
Why was US Pacific Command renamed as US Indo-Pacific Command?
The US Pacific Command was renamed as the US Indo-Pacific Command in 2018 during US President Donald Trump’s first term in office.
“Restoring the legacy USPACOM designation honours the command’s deep historical roots, fostering a sense of pride and collective spirit among all who serve in the Pacific,” the Department of Defence said.
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“From its critical role in establishing the post-WWII regional security architecture to its coordination of joint forces during the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and countless humanitarian operations, the USPACOM namesake carries decades of military heritage and enduring regional partnerships,” it said.
Why is US Indo-Pacific Command important?
USPACOM’s vast area of responsibility – spanning from the waters off the West Coast of the United States to the western border of India – remains the same, the statement said.
US shows wrong map of India
Adding to the woes between the two democracies, the official USPACOM website featured an inaccurate map of India outlining its Indo-Pacific operational territory. Specifically, the “Area of Responsibility Map” erroneously depicted Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of Pakistan.
(With inputs from agencies)
