Former Pentagon Official Offers Insight on Potential U.S. Choice Between India and Canada

Former Pentagon official Michael Rubin weighed in on the recent tensions between Canada and India, stating that these allegations by Justin Trudeau have placed Canada in a more precarious position than India. He emphasized that if the United States were forced to choose between supporting Canada or India, it would undoubtedly choose the latter due to the strategic importance of the U.S.-India relationship.

Rubin compared the situation to “an ant picking up a fight against an elephant,” highlighting the significant difference in strategic importance between the two countries. He also noted that Justin Trudeau’s approval ratings have been on the decline and speculated that he may not remain in office for much longer. Therefore, the U.S. can work on rebuilding the relationship with Canada once a new leadership emerges.

Regarding the allegations made by Trudeau, Rubin pointed out that they lacked concrete evidence, which has put Canada in an awkward position. He mentioned that intelligence information is often not as clear-cut as it may seem, drawing parallels with previous instances such as the Iraq War.

#WATCH | Washington, DC | On allegations by Canada, Michael Rubin, former Pentagon official and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute says, “… I suspect that the United States doesn’t want to be pinned in the corner to choose between 2 friends, but if we have to… pic.twitter.com/tlWr6C6p7e

— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2023

Rubin emphasized that Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the individual at the center of the controversy, was not a model for human rights, given his alleged involvement in multiple attacks. He criticized Trudeau for using this as a domestic political issue to garner support from Sikh activists in crucial swing districts, considering it a short-sighted move that jeopardized Canada’s long-term relationship with India.

Michael Rubin’s analysis underscores the complexities of the Canada-India dispute and its potential implications for international relations, particularly in the context of U.S. interests and alliances in the region.