Pakistan faces quantum punishment for providing safe haven to terrorist groups; US suspends security aid

NewsBharati    05-Jan-2018
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Washington, January 5: Pakistan is all set to face quantum punishment as the United States has announced to suspend foreign military assistance of $255 million and security aid to Islamabad unless and until it takes action against terrorist groups who are been safely operating from its soil. 

Notably, the US State Department on Thursday said that it is suspending security assistance to Pakistan until Islamabad takes action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network, which Washington believes is destabilizing the region.

The State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said a few months ago we announced the suspension of $255 million in the Foreign Military Assistance. That’s basically the money that we would provide to Pakistan but Pakistan then, in return, uses that money to buy equipment, military equipment, from the United States. That was all suspended.”

She said some of the aid could still be permitted if Islamabad takes decisive action against the groups. "Today we can confirm that we are suspending security assistance only to Pakistan at this time until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against groups including the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network. We consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting U.S. personnel," Heather Nauert told a regular news briefing.

After being asked about the dollar figure on the amount of security assistance, Heather Nauert said that the administration is still working through some of those dollar numbers right now and as soon as they have the number it will be disclosed.

In a statement, Heather Nauert further said, “The President announced his South Asia policy in August of 2017. You all remember that. He made it clear that no partnership can survive a country’s harboring of militants and terrorists who target U.S. service members and officials. It has been more than four months since the President’s speech, and despite a sustained high-level engagement by this administration with the Government of Pakistan, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network continue to find sanctuary inside Pakistan as they plot to destabilize Afghanistan and also attack U.S. and allied personnel.”

“Pakistan has greatly suffered from terrorism, and the security services have been effective in combatting the groups that target Pakistani interests such as al-Qaida, ISIS, and the Pakistani Taliban,” she added.

The spokeswoman said, “We have now worked closely with Pakistan against these groups. Now, just as we have made Pakistan’s enemies our own, we need Pakistan to deny safe haven to or lawfully detain those terrorists and militants who threaten U.S. interests.”

“The United States stands ready to work with Pakistan in combatting all terrorists without distinction, and we hope to be able to renew and deepen our bilateral security relationship when Pakistan demonstrates its willingness to aggressively confront the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani Network, and other terrorist and militant groups that operate from within its country,” Heather reiterated.

“So we will not be delivering military equipment or transfer security-related funds to Pakistan unless it is required by law. I think that part answers your questions. There may be some exemptions that are made on a case-by-base basis if they’re determined to be critical to national security interests,” Heather concluded.

The State Department also announced that it had placed Pakistan on a special watch list "for severe violations of religious freedom," as part of its obligations under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, action that was unrelated to the decision on security assistance.

 

However, the statement comes few days after US President Donald Trump lashed out at Pakistan on twitter. He said, “The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!”

 

In August 2017, the Trump administration unveiled its South Asia strategy, aimed at turning the tide in Afghanistan, where the US has been engaged in a protracted 17-year war. Speaking at the time, Trump accused Pakistan of giving "safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror," and said the time had come "for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilization, order, and to peace."

Interestingly, the US relationship with Pakistan has ebbed and flowed over the course of the war in Afghanistan, getting most tense after U.S. special forces killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011. However, Pakistan denies that it provides safe haven to terrorists, often pointing to the operation launched in 2014 to clear groups such as the Haqqani network from the Waziristan border region with Afghanistan.