The White House is set to announce a major cut of security assistance aid to Pakistan for its continued support of terrorist organizations, Reuters reports.
The cuts were foreshadowed by President Donald Trump earlier this week who expressed extreme frustration with previous aid to the country over the last two decades. Pakistan continues to harbor the leadership of the Afghan Taliban, the main U.S. adversary in Afghanistan. The country also provides safe haven to other terrorist organizations.
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018
Trump’s South Asia strategy announced in August emphasized that Pakistan would be held accountable for terror support in Afghanistan, where the president also authorized the deployment of thousands of additional U.S. troops. Trump pledged not to withdraw troops from the country until conditions on the ground merited a withdrawal.
Top U.S. commander in Afghanistan General John Nicholson told reporters in late November Pakistan has not implemented any significant changes in its support for violent terrorist organizations in recent months despite the new strategy. The president’s aid cut is likely in response to the country’s intransigence.
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