In his first tweet of 2018, President Trump threatened to chop off financial aid funds to Pakistan, saying that its leaders have given the U.S. nothing but “lies & deceit” while offering “safe haven to terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan.”
“The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!”
“The United States does not plan to spend the $255 million in FY 2016 in Foreign Military Financing for Pakistan at this time,” a US National Security Council spokesperson informed the Hindustan Times, considered one of India’s largest newspapers.
“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,” writes The Times.
During a mid-October incident during which Pakistani forces freed a Canadian-American family and captured one of many Jihadi abductors belonging to the Taliban-linked Haqqani group, Pakistani officials rejected US requests to access the man – as authorities believed he might present useful details about at the least another American hostage.
Defense Secretary James Mattis previously delayed a $50 million support package to Pakistan in July by withholding a certification that the nation had carried out sufficient efforts to combat the Haqqani terrorist group. The State Department informed the New York Times that Pakistan’s actions will ultimately decide the course of “security assistance in the future,” adding without further comment that conversations with Pakistan are ongoing.
It’s as if the box before ‘Iran’ is already checked off.
Trump is absolutely correct! We should not give the Pakistan government a dime. They are not our friend!