Pakistani officials denounced the Trump administration’s decision to suspend military aid Friday, decrying what they called “arbitrary deadlines” and “unilateral pronouncements,” while members of the opposition called for retaliation.
In one of the harshest actions in years between the troubled allies, the Trump administration moved Thursday to block an estimated $1 billion in military assistance at the end of a week that began with the president accusing the Pakistanis of years of “lies & deceit.”
State Department officials said they are holding back the aid as an incentive for Pakistan to take “decisive action” to rid its lands of terrorist safe havens. It also placed the country on a watch list of nations failing to protect religious freedom.
“Working toward enduring peace requires mutual respect and trust along with patience and persistence,” Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “Arbitrary deadlines, unilateral pronouncements and shifting goal posts are counterproductive in addressing common threats.”
Analysts fear the escalating tension could have a long-standing impact on regional security and the United States’ ongoing efforts in Afghanistan, where troop levels now stand at 14,000.
“There is little doubt that both are on a collision course and their bilateral relationship is set for a very rough ride, if back channel efforts are not made to address the U.S. concerns,” said Vinay Kaura, an Indian security analyst.
(c) 2018, The Washington Post · Shaiq Hussain, Annie Gowen
{Matzav.com}
Pakistan appears to be confused about the meaning of the word “Betrayal”. To help clarify things, here are a couple of examples of real betrayal:
1) Harboring a fugitive terrorist who has murdered more than 3,000 men, women and children who were citizens of a country that provides you with generous aid and is ostensibly your ally.
2) Selling to communist China the top-secret technology of a stealth helicopter used by that same ally when one of those helicopters crashes in the course of finally bringing justice to the terrorist from example 1.
Can’t have your cake and eat it too! If you want $ aid, then abide by condition of ridding terrorists from using your country as a safe haven !!!
Betrayal? Like having your border guards open fire on the US military when they get close to the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan trying to catch terrorists? Betrayal, like giving a safe haven to Al Qaeda and the Taliban and having your border guards cover their escape from US forces? Betrayal, like harboring tens of thousands of terrorists and their training camps? Betrayal, like taking US money and equipment and using it to arm terrorists? Betrayal, like hiding Osama Bin Laden, the US’s most wanted person, a mile from your military academy for almost ten years? Are they accusing us of that kind of betrayal?
these Pakistanis don’t know how to debate. Instead, they say the first lie that comes to mind.