Former US National Security Advisor (NSA) John Bolton while speaking to WION asserted that the Taliban "remains a terrorist group" even though they may have succeeded in overthrowing the government in Afghanistan.

"I think from the US perspective, there would be broad support to allow American citizens to leave&nbsp;Afghanistan and other citizens who assisted NATO including many Afghans and their families who helped America in the past 20 years," Bolton told WION.

On the UN Security Council extending travel ban waiver to&nbsp;the Taliban and if the line between "engagement" and "recognition" was thinning, Bolton said: "I think the line is thinning,&nbsp;and I think that would be a mistake."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-vice-president-kamala-harris-referred-to-pakistans-role-in-terrorism-during-meeting-with-pm-modi-shringla-415387">Also Read: VP Kamala Harris referred to Pak's role in terrorism during meeting with PM Modi</a>

However, he added that&nbsp;"where I don't think there will be support, and it begins to be a mistake to give the impression that we are prepared to accept Taliban's control as completely established and something acceptable".

Watch WION's full interview with John Bolton

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Bolton said China and Russia are acting as "surrogates" for the Taliban while adding that it would be a big mistake on the part of the US government to "concede legitimacy" to the Taliban government.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/aukus-mentioned-by-australian-pm-scott-morrison-during-bilateral-with-pm-modi-foreign-secretary-harsh-shringla-415382">Also Read:&nbsp;AUKUS mentioned by Australian PM Scott Morrison during bilateral with PM Modi</a>

On the ISIS-K threat, Bolton said although they follow a harder line compared to the Taliban and both maybe be adversaries right now, however, that could "change in a heartbeat".

Bolton said ISIS-K, Al Qaeda including other groups that America is unaware about who are establishing sanctuaries in Afghanistan and planning attacks on America and its allies is "very, very real".

On Biden's "over the horizon" counter-terror policies, Bolton said the over the horizon capabilities would never be adequate to gather sufficient intelligence when America is not in the country which will prevent evaluation in real-time.

"The risk to the US of another 9/11 is very real," Bolton said. "There are already reports of thousands of foreign fighters coming back to Afghanistan."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-invites-us-vice-president-kamala-harris-to-india-says-her-election-a-historic-event-415348">Also Read:&nbsp;PM Modi invites US Vice President Kamala Harris to India</a>

On AUKUS, the ex-NSA said it is a "new idea" and it is in a way to promote a lot of "different combinations" to meet the Chinese threat.

"A good example is the first in-person meeting of Quad leaders hosted by President Biden to meet PM Modi, Japanese PM Suga and PM Morrison."

Bolton said Quad is an example of growing closeness between the United States and India.

"India has a land border with China and there have been incidences along the LAC," he said.

On possible differences between the US and India, Bolton said during the cold war India purchased a lot of weapons from Russia, conceding that the "legacy system that India has is incompatible with US and NATO."

"There has to be a transformation in&nbsp;India's weapon's strategy, it does not need to be all US, it could be France, UK and others who are complaint with NATO," Bolton asserted.

"Trade is always a contentious issue, we have had similar issues with Japan and EU which require negotiations."

Bolton emphasised that common goals should be focussed upon which will be critical in US-India relations.

On the Indo-Pacific issue, Bolton said the US has been broadening and deepening the structure of alliances among its partners while giving AUKUS as an example.

Former US National Security Advisor (NSA) John Bolton while speaking to WION asserted that the Taliban "remains a terrorist group" even though they may have succeeded in overthrowing the government in Afghanistan.

Former US National Security Advisor (NSA) John Bolton while speaking to WION asserted that the Taliban "remains a terrorist group" even though they may have succeeded in overthrowing the government in Afghanistan. "I think from the US perspective, there would be broad support to allow American citizens to leave Afghanistan and other citizens who assisted NATO including many Afghans and their families who helped America in the past 20 years," Bolton told WION. On the UN Security Council extending travel ban waiver to the Taliban and if the line between "engagement" and "recognition" was thinning, Bolton said: "I think the line is thinning, and I think that would be a mistake." Also Read: VP Kamala Harris referred to Pak's role in terrorism during meeting with PM Modi However, he added that "where I don't think there will be support, and it begins to be a mistake to give the impression that we are prepared to accept Taliban's control as completely established and something acceptable". Watch WION's full interview with John Bolton Bolton said China and Russia are acting as "surrogates" for the Taliban while adding that it would be a big mistake on the part of the US government to "concede legitimacy" to the Taliban government. Also Read: AUKUS mentioned by Australian PM Scott Morrison during bilateral with PM Modi On the ISIS-K threat, Bolton said although they follow a harder line compared to the Taliban and both maybe be adversaries right now, however, that could "change in a heartbeat". Bolton said ISIS-K, Al Qaeda including other groups that America is unaware about who are establishing sanctuaries in Afghanistan and planning attacks on America and its allies is "very, very real". On Biden's "over the horizon" counter-terror policies, Bolton said the over the horizon capabilities would never be adequate to gather sufficient intelligence when America is not in the country which will prevent evaluation in real-time. "The risk to the US of another 9/11 is very real," Bolton said. "There are already reports of thousands of foreign fighters coming back to Afghanistan." Also Read: PM Modi invites US Vice President Kamala Harris to India On AUKUS, the ex-NSA said it is a "new idea" and it is in a way to promote a lot of "different combinations" to meet the Chinese threat. "A good example is the first in-person meeting of Quad leaders hosted by President Biden to meet PM Modi, Japanese PM Suga and PM Morrison." Bolton said Quad is an example of growing closeness between the United States and India. "India has a land border with China and there have been incidences along the LAC," he said. On possible differences between the US and India, Bolton said during the cold war India purchased a lot of weapons from Russia, conceding that the "legacy system that India has is incompatible with US and NATO." "There has to be a transformation in India's weapon's strategy, it does not need to be all US, it could be France, UK and others who are complaint with NATO," Bolton asserted. "Trade is always a contentious issue, we have had similar issues with Japan and EU which require negotiations." Bolton emphasised that common goals should be focussed upon which will be critical in US-India relations. On the Indo-Pacific issue, Bolton said the US has been broadening and deepening the structure of alliances among its partners while giving AUKUS as an example.

Risk of another 9/11-style attack on US very real: Former NSA John Bolton to WION

Former United States national security advisor John Bolton has said there is no guarantee that Trump would back India if the situation between Beijing and New Delhi escalates.

“I'm not sure how much he understands the significance of the border clash. I don’t think he knows anything about the history of these clashes over the decades between India and China. He may have been briefed on it, but history doesn’t really stick with him," Bolton said, in an exclusive conversation with WION, India’s first international news channel.

The former US NSA told Palki Sharma, WION's Executive Editor, “I don’t know which way he would go and I don’t think he knows either. I think he sees the geostrategic relationship with China for example exclusively through the prism of trade.&nbsp;And trade is important because China has stolen intellectual property from the United States and other countries, engaged in forceful technology transfers for decades and it forms a major part of their economic success and therefore military power. And that’s really how far it goes."

"I don’t know what Trump will do after the November elections once the guard rail is removed. He'll be back. He won't be criticising Beijing for putting Uyghurs in concentration camps or repressing Hong Kong. He will be back to the big China trade deal. So, if things were to develop between India and China in a more critical fashion, I'm not sure where he would come down," he added.

“Let me make sure, I have understood this right. That if things were to escalate between India and China at this moment, there is no guarantee that Donald Trump will back India against China?” Palki Sharma&nbsp;asked.

“That is correct," Bolton said, adding, “I think his gut instinct for the next four months is to take anything off the table that complicates what is already a difficult election campaign for him. So what he would want is quiet along the border whether it&nbsp;benefits China or India. From his point of view - no news is good news.”

HERE ARE A FEW EXCERPTS FROM THE INTERVIEW:

WION: Do you think things are developing for the worse between India and China? There is a lot of back and forth. The November elections are still a few months away. Do you think it could escalate to a limited conflict?&nbsp;

John Bolton: Well, I hope it does not at the present time because with four months to go for an American election, you are simply not going to get Donald Trump's attention. The fact is China has been behaving in a belligerent fashion, all around its periphery, certainly in the East and South China sea. Its relations with Japan has declined, with India, you are well aware of the facts there.

I think this is China’s effort to assert itself through not just political and military means but also through the Belt and Road initiative and others to gain increased sway over countries that have become economically dependent on it.

Sri Lanka has been subject to this death diplomacy and Pakistan and many countries in Central Asia. I think China has a grand strategy and it's pursuing it, the United States has been asleep at the switch and so have many other countries. It is time to wake up and talk more among ourselves. For example, trilateral been a big advocate of greater tri-lateral cooperation between India, Japan, and the United States and I think that makes a lot of sense.

WION: Why is China on a warpath with the world right now? What do you make of Xi Jinping's moves at a time like this? Why is he picking fights with the world in the middle of a pandemic?&nbsp;

John Bolton: It goes back before the pandemic. He sees American weakness when he sees Donald Trump and I think he is right. When Trump sits across the table with Xi Jinping or Vladimir Putin,&nbsp;it’s not a contest of equals. It always made me worry about what he might give away. The Pandemic has probably persuaded Xi Jinping to be more assertive to cover up as they have been covering up these past 6 months despite how bad the medical effect of the disease was in China and on the Chinese economy and what they did to cover up the source and consequence of the disease.”

It is indicative of the government we are dealing with in Beijing. They didn’t cooperate internationally and tried to use the World Health organization for their own purposes and I'm&nbsp;afraid largely succeeded.

WION: What happened after India's Balakot strikes on Pakistan? How did Trump and the White house assess the situation? What was conveyed to Delhi and Islamabad?

John Bolton: It took place when we were in Hanoi for the second summit with Kim Jong-un and both Mike Pompeo and me were there and away from our base of operations in Washington.

We spent hours on the phone with Ajit Doval and others in India and counterparts in Pakistan. My assessment was and I said publicly at the time and told Ajit as well - we thought India had acted in self-defence and the actions were appropriate and we think there were responsible steps to de-escalate what could have been a very serious crisis.

WION: The US president has repeatedly offered to mediate in Kashmir and he has been told it is a bilateral issue. Why does he keep repeating these offers?

John Bolton: (Laughs) You know, I can remember several times where I have explained India’s longstanding position on Kashmir and it just doesn’t sink in. There is no explanation for it. We&nbsp;tell him India thinks it’s a bilateral issue and it has to be resolved by negotiation with Pakistan. Donald Trump thinks everything is a deal and who better to mediate it than him and you are going to hear it again and if he wins, you are going to hear it for the next four years.&nbsp;

The interview will air on WION on Saturday at 9:30 pm and on Sunday 10:30 pm. It will also be available on wionews.com,&nbsp;and on its social media platforms.

Former United States national security advisor John Bolton has said there is no guarantee that Trump would back India if the situation between Beijing and New Delhi escalates.

Former United States national security advisor John Bolton has said there is no guarantee that Trump would back India if the situation between Beijing and New Delhi escalates. “I'm not sure how much he understands the significance of the border clash. I don’t think he knows anything about the history of these clashes over the decades between India and China. He may have been briefed on it, but history doesn’t really stick with him," Bolton said, in an exclusive conversation with WION, India’s first international news channel. The former US NSA told Palki Sharma, WION's Executive Editor, “I don’t know which way he would go and I don’t think he knows either. I think he sees the geostrategic relationship with China for example exclusively through the prism of trade. And trade is important because China has stolen intellectual property from the United States and other countries, engaged in forceful technology transfers for decades and it forms a major part of their economic success and therefore military power. And that’s really how far it goes." "I don’t know what Trump will do after the November elections once the guard rail is removed. He'll be back. He won't be criticising Beijing for putting Uyghurs in concentration camps or repressing Hong Kong. He will be back to the big China trade deal. So, if things were to develop between India and China in a more critical fashion, I'm not sure where he would come down," he added. “Let me make sure, I have understood this right. That if things were to escalate between India and China at this moment, there is no guarantee that Donald Trump will back India against China?” Palki Sharma asked. “That is correct," Bolton said, adding, “I think his gut instinct for the next four months is to take anything off the table that complicates what is already a difficult election campaign for him. So what he would want is quiet along the border whether it benefits China or India. From his point of view - no news is good news.” HERE ARE A FEW EXCERPTS FROM THE INTERVIEW: WION: Do you think things are developing for the worse between India and China? There is a lot of back and forth. The November elections are still a few months away. Do you think it could escalate to a limited conflict? John Bolton: Well, I hope it does not at the present time because with four months to go for an American election, you are simply not going to get Donald Trump's attention. The fact is China has been behaving in a belligerent fashion, all around its periphery, certainly in the East and South China sea. Its relations with Japan has declined, with India, you are well aware of the facts there. I think this is China’s effort to assert itself through not just political and military means but also through the Belt and Road initiative and others to gain increased sway over countries that have become economically dependent on it. Sri Lanka has been subject to this death diplomacy and Pakistan and many countries in Central Asia. I think China has a grand strategy and it's pursuing it, the United States has been asleep at the switch and so have many other countries. It is time to wake up and talk more among ourselves. For example, trilateral been a big advocate of greater tri-lateral cooperation between India, Japan, and the United States and I think that makes a lot of sense. WION: Why is China on a warpath with the world right now? What do you make of Xi Jinping's moves at a time like this? Why is he picking fights with the world in the middle of a pandemic? John Bolton: It goes back before the pandemic. He sees American weakness when he sees Donald Trump and I think he is right. When Trump sits across the table with Xi Jinping or Vladimir Putin, it’s not a contest of equals. It always made me worry about what he might give away. The Pandemic has probably persuaded Xi Jinping to be more assertive to cover up as they have been covering up these past 6 months despite how bad the medical effect of the disease was in China and on the Chinese economy and what they did to cover up the source and consequence of the disease.” It is indicative of the government we are dealing with in Beijing. They didn’t cooperate internationally and tried to use the World Health organization for their own purposes and I'm afraid largely succeeded. WION: What happened after India's Balakot strikes on Pakistan? How did Trump and the White house assess the situation? What was conveyed to Delhi and Islamabad? John Bolton: It took place when we were in Hanoi for the second summit with Kim Jong-un and both Mike Pompeo and me were there and away from our base of operations in Washington. We spent hours on the phone with Ajit Doval and others in India and counterparts in Pakistan. My assessment was and I said publicly at the time and told Ajit as well - we thought India had acted in self-defence and the actions were appropriate and we think there were responsible steps to de-escalate what could have been a very serious crisis. WION: The US president has repeatedly offered to mediate in Kashmir and he has been told it is a bilateral issue. Why does he keep repeating these offers? John Bolton: (Laughs) You know, I can remember several times where I have explained India’s longstanding position on Kashmir and it just doesn’t sink in. There is no explanation for it. We tell him India thinks it’s a bilateral issue and it has to be resolved by negotiation with Pakistan. Donald Trump thinks everything is a deal and who better to mediate it than him and you are going to hear it again and if he wins, you are going to hear it for the next four years. The interview will air on WION on Saturday at 9:30 pm and on Sunday 10:30 pm. It will also be available on wionews.com, and on its social media platforms.

Trump may not back India against China in case of conflict, says former US NSA John Bolton to WION

A US judge temporarily stopped the publication of a book by Trump's niece which is being touted as a "tell-all" book on the US president.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/should-claims-made-in-boltons-new-book-be-trusted-308631">Also Read:&nbsp;Should claims made in Bolton's new book be trusted?</a>

According to the order, the book will not be published at least till July 10. &nbsp;Mary Trump, 55, and her publisher&nbsp;Simon &amp; Schuster are set to defend the publication of the book at a later date.

The Trump team had earlier asked the judge to set a temporary restraining order which was rejected. A court in New York had earlier rejected attempts to block the book.

The Trump administration had earlier tried to block the president's former national security advisor John Bolton's book.

Robert Trump, the US president's brother told the New York court that the book violated a non-disclosure agreement Mary had signed in 2001.

Mary's lawyers said they will appeal the judgement.

"The trial court's temporary restraining order is only temporary but it still is a prior restraint on core political speech that flatly violates the First Amendment," Mary's lawyer &nbsp;Theodore Boutrous, said in a statement.

"This book, which addresses matters of great public concern and importance about a sitting president in an election year, should not be suppressed even for one day," Boutrous added.

The controversial, "tell-all" book reportedly reveals&nbsp;Trump's tax plans and other details of the Trump family.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

A US judge temporarily stopped the publication of a book by Trump's niece which is being touted as a "tell-all" book on the US president. Also Read: Should claims made in Bolton's new book be trusted?

A US judge temporarily stopped the publication of a book by Trump's niece which is being touted as a "tell-all" book on the US president. Also Read: Should claims made in Bolton's new book be trusted? According to the order, the book will not be published at least till July 10. Mary Trump, 55, and her publisher Simon & Schuster are set to defend the publication of the book at a later date. The Trump team had earlier asked the judge to set a temporary restraining order which was rejected. A court in New York had earlier rejected attempts to block the book. The Trump administration had earlier tried to block the president's former national security advisor John Bolton's book. Robert Trump, the US president's brother told the New York court that the book violated a non-disclosure agreement Mary had signed in 2001. Mary's lawyers said they will appeal the judgement. "The trial court's temporary restraining order is only temporary but it still is a prior restraint on core political speech that flatly violates the First Amendment," Mary's lawyer Theodore Boutrous, said in a statement. "This book, which addresses matters of great public concern and importance about a sitting president in an election year, should not be suppressed even for one day," Boutrous added. The controversial, "tell-all" book reportedly reveals Trump's tax plans and other details of the Trump family.

New York judge temporarily blocks 'tell-all' book by Trump's niece

After Donald Trump and White House claimed that the the President and the Vice President, Mike Pence, were not briefed on the Russian bounty case, John Bolton has criticised Trump's statement.

"...Nobody’s been tougher on Russia than the Trump Administration. With Corrupt Joe Biden &amp; Obama, Russia had a field day, taking over important parts of Ukraine - Where’s Hunter? Probably just another phony Times hit job, just like their failed Russia Hoax. Who is their “source”?," Trump had tweeted.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Nobody briefed or told me, <a href="https://twitter.com/VP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VP</a> Pence, or Chief of Staff <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkMeadows?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarkMeadows</a> about the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by Russians, as reported through an “anonymous source” by the Fake News <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a>. Everybody is denying it &amp; there have not been many attacks on us.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1277202159109537793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/inaccurate-white-house-rubbishes-reports-of-trumps-failed-actions-on-russian-bounties-case-309084">Also read|&nbsp;Inaccurate: White House rubbishes reports of Trump's failed actions on Russian bounties' case</a>

"It is pretty remarkable the President's going out of his way to say he has not heard anything about it. One asks, why would he do something like that?," said John Bolton, Trump's former National Security Advisor (NSA), and present nemesis.

White House and Trump's statements of clarification came after&nbsp;New York Times, a national top-selling newspaper, reported that the intelligence service had informed the President about Russia secretly offering bounties to Afghanistan to kill the US soldiers, but Trump had failed to take any action.

"The fact that the President feels compelled to tweet about the news story here shows that what his fundamental focus is, is not the security of our forces, but whether he looks like he was not paying attention. So he is saying well nobody told me, therefore you cannot blame me," Bolton said.

John Bolton&nbsp;has come up with a tell-all book on his White House days -- 'The room where it happened: a White House memoir'.

As the title suggests, this book is a first-hand account of everything that happened inside the White House, and has become the centre of controversy as the Trump administration has tried, on multiple occasions, to suspend the publication of the book.

After Donald Trump and White House claimed that the the President and the Vice President, Mike Pence, were not briefed on the Russian bounty case, John Bolton has criticised Trump's statement.

After Donald Trump and White House claimed that the the President and the Vice President, Mike Pence, were not briefed on the Russian bounty case, John Bolton has criticised Trump's statement. "...Nobody’s been tougher on Russia than the Trump Administration. With Corrupt Joe Biden & Obama, Russia had a field day, taking over important parts of Ukraine - Where’s Hunter? Probably just another phony Times hit job, just like their failed Russia Hoax. Who is their “source”?," Trump had tweeted. Nobody briefed or told me, @VP Pence, or Chief of Staff @MarkMeadows about the so-called attacks on our troops in Afghanistan by Russians, as reported through an “anonymous source” by the Fake News @nytimes. Everybody is denying it & there have not been many attacks on us..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 28, 2020 × Also read| Inaccurate: White House rubbishes reports of Trump's failed actions on Russian bounties' case "It is pretty remarkable the President's going out of his way to say he has not heard anything about it. One asks, why would he do something like that?," said John Bolton, Trump's former National Security Advisor (NSA), and present nemesis. White House and Trump's statements of clarification came after New York Times, a national top-selling newspaper, reported that the intelligence service had informed the President about Russia secretly offering bounties to Afghanistan to kill the US soldiers, but Trump had failed to take any action. "The fact that the President feels compelled to tweet about the news story here shows that what his fundamental focus is, is not the security of our forces, but whether he looks like he was not paying attention. So he is saying well nobody told me, therefore you cannot blame me," Bolton said. John Bolton has come up with a tell-all book on his White House days -- 'The room where it happened: a White House memoir'. As the title suggests, this book is a first-hand account of everything that happened inside the White House, and has become the centre of controversy as the Trump administration has tried, on multiple occasions, to suspend the publication of the book.

It's all about him: John Bolton criticises Trump's statement on Russian bounties

Bolton's new book contains damning claims against Trump, Judge rejects Trump's bid to ban book. Watch this video to know more.

Bolton's new book contains damning claims against Trump, Judge rejects Trump's bid to ban book