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Trump says U.S. has gotten 'nothing' from Pakistan aid


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Trump says U.S. has gotten 'nothing' from Pakistan aid

By David Shepardson

 

2018-01-01T180415Z_2_LYNXMPEE000YM_RTROPTP_3_TRUMP-PAKISTAN.JPG

FILE PHOTO: U.S. 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

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday the United States has "foolishly" handed Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid over the last 15 years while getting nothing in return, and pledged to put a stop to it.

 

"They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" Trump wrote on Twitter. "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars (£24.4 billion) in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools."

 

A National Security Council official on Monday said the White House does not plan to send $255 million in aid to Pakistan "at this time" and said "the administration continues to review Pakistan’s level of cooperation." In August, the administration had said it was delaying the payment.

 

Pakistan's foreign minister, Khawaja M. Asif, wrote on Twitter "We will respond to President Trump's tweet shortly inshallah...Will let the world know the truth..difference between facts & fiction."

 

It was not immediately clear what prompted Trump’s criticism of Pakistan but he has long complained that Islamabad is not doing enough to tackle Islamist militants.

 

The New York Times reported on Dec. 29 that U.S. officials had sought but been denied access to a member of the Taliban-linked Haqqani network captured in Pakistan who potentially could provide information about at least one American hostage.

 

In countering U.S. criticism, Pakistan says it has launched military operations to push out militants from its soil and that 17,000 Pakistanis have died fighting militants or in bombings and other attacks since 2001.

 

Michael Kugelman, senior associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson Center, cautioned that people should not "overstate the significance of Trump's tweet for policy."

 

Kugelman noted Trump tweeted in October that relations with Pakistan were improving, when some experts suggested they were not.

 

"Still, this is an administration that has repeatedly vowed to take a harder line and has strongly considered an aid cut. So was Trump's tweet meant to preview a coming shift in policy? I'd certainly bet on the possibility," Kugelman said.

 

In a speech last month in Afghanistan to U.S. troops, Vice President Mike Pence said "for too long Pakistan has provided safe haven to the Taliban and many terrorist organizations, but those days are over. President Trump has put Pakistan on notice."

 

Hamdullah Mohib, Afghanistan's ambassador in Washington, said in a Twitter posting that Trump's tweet was a "promising message to Afghans who have suffered at the hands of terrorists based in Pakistan for far too long."

 

U.S. Senator Rand Paul said on Twitter he would lead the charge in the Senate to end aid to Pakistan. "Let's make this happen," he said.

The Pakistan embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

 

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton in West Palm Beach, Florida and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by James Dalgleish and Andrea Ricci)

 
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-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-01-02
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Trump is a very confused man. Pakistan give nothing back??? No that is what to expect from a third world country. They have nothing to give.
I guess that man don´t even know the meaning of the word aid. To me it´s the same as help, which in this case means a country in need.

I also guess, that if he looked a little bit closer to his own country´s financial situation. He would soon find out that he stand on the brink to enter the third world. :cheesy:

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3 minutes ago, Get Real said:

Trump is a very confused man. Pakistan give nothing back??? No that is what to expect from a third world country. They have nothing to give.
I guess that man don´t even know the meaning of the word aid. To me it´s the same as help, which in this case means a country in need.

I also guess, that if he looked a little bit closer to his own country´s financial situation. He would soon find out that he stand on the brink to enter the third world. :cheesy:

It's clear Trump was talking about any kind of monetary return from Pakistan. He was referring to assistance in intelligence gathering and a cessation of support for the Taliban and its allies. Clearly Pakistan has been extremely deficient in both regards.

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Refreshingly, Trump is addressing the politically correct 900 pound gorilla

in the room that other presidents and world leaders turned a blind eye

to a 'service' payment, now Trump is asking, where is that service

we have been paying for?...

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13 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

It's clear Trump was talking about any kind of monetary return from Pakistan. He was referring to assistance in intelligence gathering and a cessation of support for the Taliban and its allies. Clearly Pakistan has been extremely deficient in both regards.

Sure, I know that too. Just put out a sarcasm again. Let´s say like this for you to understand.

He just doesn´t understand the differens of culture and sharing of information regarding to that. He do not have the insight in the rules of life in the country he is expressing his feelings about.

If he knew that, he would surely understand why it ain´t coming any help regarding intelligence back. Let´s say: The one that talks, gets killed. Would you like to be the one that shares the information? I´ve heard they have cheap plane tickets right now! :cheesy:

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Pakistan is in a precarious position. How to keep the more radical fundamentalist element, which has broad support, from taking complete power (and nukes) is not an easy thing to do. Withdrawing aid, which helps prop up a sometime friends, sometimes back stabbing regime, may tip balance for takeover by Taliban like elements. Nuance is not Trump's strong suit

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For maybe the first time, I actually agree with the Giant Cheeto.

For the Pakistani government not to have known that Osama Bin Laden was living in the city of Abbottabad for years is inconceivable.

Greatest betrayal ever by Pakistan. They bit the hand, so they won't get fed. Good.

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1 hour ago, missoura said:

Pakistan gets $33 billion over 15 years and Thailand receives about $65 million a year. I do wonder where all this money goes.

The lion's share probably goes to the losing 'War on Drugs'  

 

As for sending less money to Pakistan, ....it's actually one of the few times I agree with Trump.

 

Send money to help needy people at the bottom rungs, ok, ...but send money to fatten top brass' wallets, no.

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1 hour ago, missoura said:

Pakistan gets $33 billion over 15 years and Thailand receives about $65 million a year. I do wonder where all this money goes.

Hush money for all drone strikes that killed so many civilians ?

 

If the US cuts aid , then no more US drones over Pakistan.

Shoot them down !

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I don't agree with Trump on much but I do agree with this. I also don't think the US or UN should give aid to countries with nuclear weapons or countries that allow their minority Christian citizens to be murdered with impunity. Those include Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, to name a few. 

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When the US sends aid overseas, it's earmarked primarily for military. With Trump in power, his personal economic issues will come to the fore.  Did Karachi turn down a suggestion for Trump Towers to get built in major Pakistani cities?  

 

What US aid money should focus on, are the following:

>>>   environmental protection, including helping to establish protected regions.

>>>    cleaning up toxic and trash problems

>>>   alternative power

>>>   helping people at the lowest rungs, with things like developing businesses and useful trades.

 

 

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1 hour ago, KarenBravo said:

For maybe the first time, I actually agree with the Giant Cheeto.

For the Pakistani government not to have known that Osama Bin Laden was living in the city of Abbottabad for years is inconceivable.

Greatest betrayal ever by Pakistan. They bit the hand, so they won't get fed. Good.

And the Pakistani Doctor who helped in confirming the whereabouts of Bin Laden is still in a Pakistani jail.

What has America done to get him out. Nothing.They should have withdrawn aid then.

 

The Pakistani doctor who reportedly helped the CIA find bin Laden is ...

May 3, 2016 - While the CIA took to Twitter to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden, a man who reportedly played a key role in helping the agency find the al-Qaeda leader was still sitting in a Pakistani prison cell.

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2 hours ago, Get Real said:

Sure, I know that too. Just put out a sarcasm again. Let´s say like this for you to understand.

He just doesn´t understand the differens of culture and sharing of information regarding to that. He do not have the insight in the rules of life in the country he is expressing his feelings about.

If he knew that, he would surely understand why it ain´t coming any help regarding intelligence back. Let´s say: The one that talks, gets killed. Would you like to be the one that shares the information? I´ve heard they have cheap plane tickets right now! :cheesy:

Then they dont need the money.... its not hush money

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Sort of true. What has happened is the 'aid' has made many in Pakistan very well off, so well off that they don't want to do a nuclear war with India. That is why we give them the aid, so they don't Nuk India. Supposedly the money is also in place of them selling their nuclear weapons and such.

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46 minutes ago, HappyinNE said:

I guess you don't know that Trump does not drink.  Claims he never has.

I guess you didn’t read all the posts before quoting me...however

 

it still acts as warning to those contemplating drinking and tweeting.

 

The fact he may have been sober makes his tweet all the worse. 

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Pakistani aid is a remnant of the cold war.

India was head of the Non-aligned movement, yet during the cold war, it was a Russian client state for military hardware.

The US then supported Pakistan with aid, mainly to buy American weapons.

The real ruler of Pakistan is the ISI (Inter Service Intelligence) who have been playing both ends against the middle.

They have armed and supported any terrorist group that is against India. They strongly supported the Taliban and some people claim that the Taliban was created by ISI.

 

Mohammed Ali Jinnah has been spinning in his grave for decades....... 

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It's well know there are factions within Pakistan that have enabled local Islamists as well as those in Afghanistan , in parallel supporting extremists fighting Indian forces in Kashmir. It's also know the Pakistan forces have killed thousands of Islamists and have suffered significant civilian and security forces losses. 

 

Regards Trump's tweet, I guess it depends on how Trump works out the maths on payback or indeed the estimated US$1.5 trillion spent by the US on the 'War on Terror' to date. Plus who will step in to support Pakistan should Trump cease aid and what would be the ramifications for regional stability? An example monitoring site below outlines indicative deaths from 2003 - 2017 due to Islamist activity in Pakistan.

 

Civilians - 22,191

Security  - 6,887

Islamists - 33,894

 

The other question is how will Trump support those experiencing oppression with his major reduction on refugees, many of whom would be Christians and Ahmadi Muslims from Pakistan.

Edited by simple1
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4 hours ago, Get Real said:

Sure, I know that too. Just put out a sarcasm again. Let´s say like this for you to understand.

He just doesn´t understand the differens of culture and sharing of information regarding to that. He do not have the insight in the rules of life in the country he is expressing his feelings about.

If he knew that, he would surely understand why it ain´t coming any help regarding intelligence back. Let´s say: The one that talks, gets killed. Would you like to be the one that shares the information? I´ve heard they have cheap plane tickets right now! :cheesy:

ANd nothing at all to do with the islamist leanings of the intelligence services? Your sarcasm was obvious, Its basis in fact was not and is not. 

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