In a move which is likely to take the relationship between Pakistan and the United States teetering on the brink of collapse, the Obama Administration said on Sunday it was withholding some $800 million in military aid to Islamabad in a show of displeasure over its cutback on US trainers, limits on visas for US personnel and other bilateral irritants.
In a guarded reaction to the US decision, an army spokesman said Pakistan had not been formally informed about this development but “any such move by the US will not impact the ongoing military operations against militants in the tribal regions”. Nonetheless, in anticipation of such a decision by the US, Pakistani authorities have already been making efforts to increase defence relations with its trusted ally China to lessen the adverse impact on the country’s defence capabilities in case of halt in US military assistance.
Steps: White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley told ABC television that Pakistan had “taken some steps that have given us reason to pause on some of the aid”. Daley said the US relationship with Pakistan is “difficult” and must be made “to work over time”. But Daley told ABC that until “we get through that difficulty, we’ll hold back some of the money that the American taxpayers are committed to giving” to the US ally.
Reasons: The US Defence Department said the Pakistan Army had requested a “significant cutback” of US military trainers and limited the ability of US personnel to obtain visas. “While the Pakistani military leadership tells us this is a temporary step, the reduced presence of our trainers and other personnel means we can’t deliver the assistance that requires training and support to be effective,” the department said in a written response to questions.
The New York Times, which reported the aid curtailment in its Sunday editions, said Pakistan has shut down a US programme that had been training paramilitary forces, sending home more than 100 US trainers in recent weeks, and has threatened to close the base the CIA has been using for drone attacks on militant targets. The Defence Department in its reply said a series of events over the last eight months “have affected our bilateral relations.”
“We remain committed to helping Pakistan build its capabilities, but we have communicated to Pakistani officials on numerous occasions that we require certain support in order to provide certain assistance,” the Pentagon said.
“Working together, allowing an appropriate presence for US military personnel, providing necessary visas, and affording appropriate access are among the things that would allow us to effectively provide assistance,” it added.
The State Department added, “We are taking a very clear-eyed approach to our relationship with Pakistan – weighing both the importance of a continued long-term relationship and the importance of near-term action on key issues. The US will continue to work with Pakistani leaders “to affirm the importance of cooperating towards our shared national security objectives,” the department added in a written reply to a query.
The $800 million equates to about a third of the annual US security aid to Pakistan, according to US officials. Military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told Pakistan Today that the US officials had not yet informed Pakistan about the withholding of military assistance. “They (the Americans) have not informed us yet about any changes to the aid package, they have not sent us anything in black and white,” he said.
However, he said any pause in assistance would not affect the ongoing offensive of Pakistani security forces against the militants in various tribal regions. “We have been doing these operations on our own in the tribal areas and we have sufficient resources to continue them,” he said. Another Pakistani official on condition of anonymity said owing to serious differences between Islamabad and Washington over a host of issues in the wake of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden’s killing, Pakistani authorities had been reaching out to China for enhancement of defence relations.
“The purpose is to mitigate the negative impact of any break-up in ties with Washington as far as the defence sector is concerned. We believe that increasing defence cooperation with China would help fill the gap arising from the prospect of suspension of military aid from the US,” he said. He said Pakistan had already begun jointly producing the JF-17 Thunder fighter plane with China. Moreover, he said the government had also given permission to the navy to start negotiations with China for the purchase of up to six new submarines.
“There are some other sectors as well in the field of defence where the Chinese friends could bail us out,” he said but refused to go into more details. Meanwhile, commenting on the situation, former army general Moinuddin Haider said that the halt on US aid would further strain the two countries’ relationship and called on the US to reconsider. “This move will only add to the anti-Americanism in our country,” he said.Daniel Markey, an expert at the Council on Foreign Relations in the US, added that the two countries’ ties were on a downward slide.
“You need a much more dramatic about-face by the Pakistanis in order to make the continued assistance politically sustainable,” he said.
No surprise; this was bound to happen. This is an eye-opener for all of us.
The truth is the USA is suffering economically. Most of its banks and insurance companies have disappear. USA cannot make financial commitments it cannot keep. People in the media who sing praises of the USA – forget that immediately after the first Afghan war – when Pakistan had paid for the F-16s their delivery was stopped. President Clinton did not want the technology of the game console Playstation -1 be available – the fear was Pakistan would make guided missiles using that technology. President Clinton came to Pakistan – addressed Pakistanis on PTV – threatening Pakistanis with dire consequences. There was the Kerry-Lugar bill. All this before Pakistan had nuclear weapons. Years earlier the USA tested the Neutron Bomb, when President Carter was in power yet at the same time insisted that there should a Nuclear non-proliferation treaty. NPT. The USA was trying everything it can exact absolute power on Pakistan. Pakistan for some bizarre reason has always been a major threat to the USA. When India and Pakistan tested nuclear weapons – the USA imposed sanction on both countries. The real reason why the sanctions were dropped was because these two countries feed the world. Imposing sanctions on them is not like imposing sanctions on Iraq and Iran. The sudden rise in food prices made the USA realise the blunder it has made. The USA has never ever considered Pakistan a friend just an interest. Once the interest is over – everything is done to sabotage and destroy it. The sanctions on Pakistan and India hit the USA badly – the price of food items shot up so high (though the US propaganda machine will never admit it.) it added to the recession which led the economic disaster of 2008. The USA is bankrupt and is financing its own survival through a massive debt. Giving aid to any country in the world is a fantasy. The USA likes to create the illusion of absolute power.
They says "Pakistan unnerved".
But, that aside, you seem to know everything from kerry-lugar bill to neutron bomb. I am just curious to know whether you still go to school.
Please clarify?
thank you so much USA …thanks a million…. i am grateful to USA for the suspension of this AID… Pakistan is a sovereign country not a beggar who lives on aid… I wish the termination of all kind of aid and conditional grants to Pakistan…. now to hell with USA and WAR on TERROR. for the day first I am saying that Pakistan can fend on its own…. we have the guts to crack the nuts….this aid has nothing to do with the progress of a common Pakistani citizen… this aid had only changed the lives of bluff politicians and some wicked wine loving generals….this is not a War on Terror…. it is actually a War on ERROR. Let the afghan people tackle the invaders with their own tactics… Now USA will understand the priceless sacrifices of Pakistan and its army…. bloody US policy makers considers whole Pakistani army as a rag tag militia… Pakistani army is not for sale or rent.
to hell with such aid… pak nation welcome this decision. Os rizq say mout achi, jis rizq say aati ho parwaz mai kotaie
Do More….
US ko khush karne k liye sab kiya ja raha hai…
paise inko ab nahi milte….
ab muft mai bande marne pare gye…
I don’t know if it’s just me or if perhaps everyone else encountering problems with
your website. It appears as if some of the written text within your posts are running off the
screen. Can someone else please provide feedback and let me know if this is happening to them as well?
This may be a problem with my internet browser because I’ve had this happen previously. Many thanks
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