BREAKING!!!
No More Free Money - President Trump Cuts Off Millions in Military Aid to Pakistan
The Trump administration announced on Friday it will not be sending military aid totaling
$255 million to Pakistan.
The monetary aid was denied to the Pakistan government in response to its ineffective
action against terrorists and militants on its soil.
The Hindustan Times reported:
The Trump administration on Friday announced the United States will deny Pakistan military
aid amounting to $255 million as it expects Islamabad to take decisive action "against
terrorists and militants on its soil".
"The United States does not plan to spend the $255 million in FY 2016 in Foreign Military
Financing for Pakistan at this time," said a spokesperson of the President's National
Security Council in a statement to Hindustan Times.The President has made clear that the
United States expects Pakistan to take decisive action against terrorists and militants on
its soil, and that Pakistan's actions in support of the South Asia Strategy will ultimately
determine the trajectory of our relationship, including future security assistance.
"The Administration continues to review Pakistan's level of cooperation."
The statement reflected and sealed the administration's complete disillusionment with Pakistan, which
had sought to brazenly disregard the explicit warnings issued by President Donald Trump
personally and leading members of his cabinet, such as secretaries James Mattis and Rex Tillerson.
"This could be the severest blow dealt to Islamabad by this administration if it indeed
decided to withhold it," said a leading US expert on Pakistan, who did not want to
be identified.
"There is more coming," the expert added.
First reported by The New York Times, the move to withhold the money, which may not
be large but would have signaled US backing, is reported to have come shortly after Pakistan
refused to hand over to the Americans an operative of the Haqqani Network apprehended during
the rescue of an American-Canadian family in October.
The Haqqani Network is an affiliate of Afghan Taliban and works out of Pakistan, inflicting
massive casualties on US-led international coalition in Afghanistan.
Frustrated by Islamabad's reluctance to give them, the United States has tied large
portions of military aid payments to Pakistan to its actions aimed at debilitating the network.
Pakistan, however, has chosen to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in such payments over
2015 and 2016, instead of kicking out the terrorists.
And it has lost equity.
The Trump administration was clear from the start it wouldn't countenance continuity
in ties and aid without real changes.
"We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they
are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting," President Donald Trump had said
unveiling his new South Asia strategy in August.
"But that will have to change, and that will change immediately."
But there was no marked change in Pakistan's behaviour, as was publicly attested by a top
US military commander, General John Nicholson, in November, three months after Trump's
unequivocal warning.
There have been signs, instead, of resolute defiance, such as the release of Lashkar-e-Taiba
founder Hafiz Saeed from house arrest, An outraged White House used unusually harsh
language and tone to demand his rearrest, with a warning that failure could have "repercussions"
for bilateral ties.
Saeed remains free, and Pakistani officials have sought to shift the blame for it on the
independence of the country's judiciary, when law enforcement and prosecution remain
with the executive branch.
And they sought to blame India for providing insufficient incriminating evidence — in
connection with the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks carried out by Saeed's Lashkar-e-Taiba.
There is a US bounty of $10 million for the man's arrest.
Denial of aid, many critics of Pakistan argue, will unlikely make an impact on Islamabad
and they have called for harsher measures.
Stripping Pakistan of the status of a non-NATO ally, for one, which could cost it military
aid in terms of money and equipment.
And, more punishing perhaps, would be to declare Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism, such
as Syria and North Korea, which could severely cripple Pakistan.
That's the impending "more" indicated by the South Asia expert.
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