Until the #Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups, including the Afghan #Taliban and the #Haqqani Network, that are destabilizing the region and targeting U.S. personnel, the United States will suspend security assistance to the Pakistani military.
— Heather Nauert (@statedeptspox) January 5, 2018
The Pakis have copped one in the chook as Donald Trump makes good on his promise to cut aid to Pakistan.
Days after threatening to pull financial aid from Pakistan via Twitter, President Donald Trump has suspended at least $900 million in aid money over concerns that the country isn’t doing enough to crack down on terrorism.?Reuters reportsthat the funding is being withheld until the administration is satisfied that Pakistan has taken action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network:
The U.S. State Department announced the decision, saying it reflected the Trump administration?s frustration that Pakistan has not done more against the two groups that Washington says use sanctuaries in Pakistan to launch attacks in neighboring Afghanistan that have killed U.S., Afghan and other forces.
The move comes days after President Trump used his first tweet of the year to blast Pakistan for being weak on terrorism.
Department officials declined to confirm the exact amount of funding that would be held back, but it is estimated to be in the neighborhood of $900 million, mostly in military aid. President Trump has expressed frustration with the ability of terrorists from the two groups to find refuge in Pakistan:
Pakistan has long rejected accusations that it fails to tackle the militants battling the Kabul government and U.S.-led foreign forces in Afghanistan, from sanctuaries on its side of the border. On Friday, Pakistan criticized what it called ?shifting goalposts? and said the U.S. suspension of aid was counter-productive.
While military aid is being held, other aid money from Washington to Islamabad will continue to flow:
Briefing reporters, U.S. officials stressed the suspension did not affect civilian aid to Pakistan and that the money could go through if Islamabad took decisive action against the groups.
?Our hope is that they will see this as a further indication of this administration?s immense frustration with the trajectory of our relationship and that they need to be serious about taking the steps we have asked in order to put it on more solid footing,? a senior State Department official told reporters.
In a series of tweets, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert?laid out the new position on Pakistan.
.@POTUS was clear when he announced his South Asia policy in August that no partnership can survive the harboring of militants and terrorists who target U.S. service members and officials. More than four months later, these groups still find sanctuary inside #Pakistan.
— Heather Nauert (@statedeptspox) January 5, 2018
#Pakistan has suffered greatly from terrorism, and we have worked closely with its security services to combat groups that target Pakistani interests. Now, as we have supported them, we need Pakistan to deny safe haven to, or lawfully detain, those who threaten U.S. interests.
— Heather Nauert (@statedeptspox) January 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/statedeptspox/status/949090341503762433
You might not like Trump, but he does actually do what he says he will do. It seems some people are real slow learners.
In just two weeks he’s cut aid to the Pallys and now to the Pakis. American taxpayers will be rejoicing.
-Truth Revolt
As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.
They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.
He is fearless in his pursuit of a story.
Love him or loathe him, you can’t ignore him.
To read Cam’s previous articles click on his name in blue.
