Exclusive: Trump administration to
announce cuts in 'security assistance' for Pakistan
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[January 04, 2018]
By Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President
Donald Trump's administration has been informing members of Congress
that it will announce as soon as Wednesday plans to cut off "security
assistance" to Pakistan, congressional aides said on Wednesday, a day
after the White House warned Islamabad it would have to do more to
maintain U.S. aid. |
![](../images/010418pics/news_r31.jpg)
President Donald Trump talks to reporters before departing the White
House for a visit to the Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, DC,
U.S., December 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jim Bourg/File Photo |
Aides in two congressional offices said the State Department
called on Wednesday to inform them that it would announce on
Wednesday or Thursday that aid was being cut off, although it
was not clear how much, what type or for how long.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders declined to say whether an
announcement was imminent. The State Department did not
immediately respond to a request for comment.
The calls to Capitol Hill came a day after Washington accused
Pakistan of playing a "double game" on fighting terrorism and
warned Islamabad it would have to do more if it wanted to
maintain U.S. aid.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on
Tuesday that Washington would withhold $255 million in
assistance to Pakistan. Her statement followed an angry tweet
from Trump on Monday that the United States had been rewarded
with "nothing but lies and deceit" for giving Pakistan billions
in aid.
Pakistan civilian and military chiefs rejected what they termed
"incomprehensible" U.S. comments and summoned U.S. Ambassador
David Hale to explain Trump's tweet.
Relations between Islamabad and Washington have been strained
for years over Islamabad's alleged support for Haqqani network
militants, who are allied with the Afghan Taliban.
The United States also alleges that senior Afghan Taliban
commanders live on Pakistani soil and has signaled it will cut
aid and take other steps if Islamabad does not stop helping or
turning a blind eye to Haqqani militants crossing the border to
carry out attacks in Afghanistan.
Many members of the U.S. Congress, particularly Republicans, who
control both houses of the legislature, have been critical of
the Pakistani government and called for cuts in military and
other aid.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, additional reporting by Steve
Holland and Jonathan Landay; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
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