Ex-Pentagon official calls Asim Munir 'Osama bin Laden in a suit'

So, Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir — the man who apparently fancies himself a Bond villain minus the charm — decided to go full drama queen during a black-tie dinner in Florida. He allegedly declared, “We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we’ll take half the world down with us.” This bombastic bombshell was dropped... on US soil. And one of the fiercest responses came from an ex-Pentagon official.

Ah yes, nothing says “we’re mature players on the global stage” like threatening mutual annihilation while sipping cocktails in Tampa. Indian officials understandably called this out for the rhetorical equivalent of setting fire to a fireworks factory — publicly. The external affairs ministry denounced it as classic “nuclear sabre-rattling”, stating that Pakistan’s leadership continues to prove itself an irresponsible steward of nukes.

Congress MP and general-secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh, too, called out Munir's "incendiary, inflammatory, and communally poisonous remarks", saying they provided oxygen to the brutal Pahalgam terror attacks on 22 April. It also added that it was "bizarre" that the Donald Trump administration was offering such a man a platform.

But wait, there’s more! Munir didn’t stop at threatening Armageddon. He also fancied targeting one of India’s economic crown jewels: the Reliance refinery in Jamnagar — the world’s largest single-site oil refining complex. Because if you’re intent on proving you’re a caricature of military aggression, why not go after the petrol station in one swift gesture?

Let’s not forget his charming dig about Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein” — because nothing says balanced diplomacy like invoking 19th-century melodrama.

Of course, the backlash was as expected as the sun rising: Indian and international commentators slammed the performance. One ex-Pentagon official, Michael Rubin, delivered the mic-drop when he likened Munir to “Osama bin Laden in a suit” and even suggested stripping Pakistan of its “major non-NATO ally” perks and banning Munir from US visas.

Calling the statements “completely unacceptable," Rubin told news agency ANI that Munir was simply echoing the language of terror outfits. “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. Clearly, if you’re aiming for nuanced feedback, you’ve missed by a mile.

India’s MEA, meanwhile, emphasised that such statements only deepen doubts about Pakistan’s nuclear command integrity — especially in a country where the military is often operating in cahoots with extremist groups. And yes, reportedly, Munir’s fiery declaration isn’t even in the official excerpt of his speech. So... maybe he was misquoted — or maybe the real quote was a secret order. Pakistan’s foreign office, in its infinite wisdom, insists Pakistan is actually a responsible nuclear power with civilian control. Reassuring.

In summary: Asim Munir’s bravado gave us everything from threats of mutual oblivion to petrol-plant target lists. It’s less “serious military posturing” and more “action-movie audition gone hilariously wrong”. And now, thanks to that, global diplomats are pulling out their hair while Pak’s PR machine scrambles to spin the mess. If this was a performance, it’s one for the history books — in all the wrong ways.

With media and agency inputs