Pakistan sanctions on table

President Trump’s tough new stance on Pakistan could include imposing sanctions on government officials who have ties to terrorist organizations, the United States warned on Tuesday.

National Security Council spokesman Michael Anton said “business as usual as it has been up to now is over.”

“I think the important takeaway for the Pakistani government last night is that they should understand that they’re on notice from this president, from this administration,” Anton said.

“The United States has been really patient with Pakistan for a really long time. We haven’t been getting a good deal from them.”

During his speech to the nation Monday night, Trump demanded that the Pakistani government take tougher action against Taliban fighters who cross the border from Afghanistan to hide.

The United States also wants Pakistan to crack down on the Haqqani network, a guerrilla group with ties to the country’s government and security services.

Anton said the US could impose sanctions on any Pakistani officials “who are tied to these kinds of groups, you know, in ways that they shouldn’t be.”

Taliban leaders dared Trump to bring it on after he vowed to defeat them on the battlefield.

“If we could fight this war for 16 years with limited resources against the world’s well-equipped armies, we are happy to continue this fight against the enemy,” one commander told NBC News.