U.S. cuts military aid to Pakistan
It wants ‘decisive action’ on militants
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said Thursday that it is suspending most security assistance to the Pakistani military until it takes “decisive action” against the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network that are targeting U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert did not say how much assistance was being suspended, but said it would be a significant figure — a sign of the White House’s frustration with the country’s refusal to confront terrorist networks operating there.
The administration is already holding up $255 million
in assistance that Pakistan uses to buy U.S. military equipment until it cracks down on extremists threatening Afghanistan.
The suspension includes Coalition Support Funds for Pakistan, which is provided by the Pentagon to help pay the costs of counterterror operations. Ms. Nauert said the latest measure would also suspend other security assistance, but did not specify what that covered, saying it was administered by the Defense Department. She also said that the suspension will freeze the aid payments but not allocate the money elsewhere, subject to reassessment in the coming year. Earlieron Thursday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the policy on military aid is “still being formulated.” On Monday, President Donald Trump reiterated U.S. concerns that Pakistan provides safe havens for militants, saying it had played U.S. leaders for “fools.”
The Trump administration had delayed $255 million in State Department aid until Islamabad did more to crack down on terrorism.
Relations between the United States and Pakistan have deteriorated since the summer, when Mr. Trump accused the country of giving “safe haven to agents of chaos, violence and terror.”
American officials had also demanded access to a militant who was captured by Pakistani forces during the rescue of a CanadianAmerican family in October.
The militant was a member of the Taliban-linked Haqqani network, but Pakistan rejected the request.
The U.S. has provided Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid since 2002.
Also Thursday, the State Department announced it was placing Pakistan on a special watch list. The announcement was part of the administration’s annual accounting of violations by countries as required by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.
Pakistan’s embassy in Washington and mission at the United Nations did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
As Pakistan has become more religiously intolerant in recent years, in part driven by a growing proliferation of religious schools funded by Saudi Arabia, attacks on religious minorities have increased.