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| US blocks $800m aid, Pakistan unnerved | | | ISLAMABAD: In a move which is likely to take the relationship between Pakistan and the United States teetering on the brink of collapse, the Obama Administration said on Sunday it was withholding some $800 million in military aid to Islamabad in a show of displeasure over its cutback on US trainers, limits on visas for US personnel and other bilateral irritants.
In a guarded reaction to the US decision, an army spokesman said Pakistan had not been formally informed about this development but “any such move by the US will not impact the ongoing military operations against militants in the tribal regions”.
Nonetheless, in anticipation of such a decision by the US, Pakistani authorities have already been making efforts to increase defence relations with its trusted ally China to lessen the adverse impact on the country’s defence capabilities in case of halt in US military assistance.
Steps: White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley told ABC television that Pakistan had “taken some steps that have given us reason to pause on some of the aid”. Daley said the US relationship with Pakistan is “difficult” and must be made “to work over time”. But Daley told ABC that until “we get through that difficulty, we’ll hold back some of the money that the American taxpayers are committed to giving” to the US ally.
Reasons: The US Defence Department said the Pakistan Army had requested a “significant cutback” of US military trainers and limited the ability of US personnel to obtain visas. “While the Pakistani military leadership tells us this is a temporary step, the reduced presence of our trainers and other personnel means we can’t deliver the assistance that requires training and support to be effective,” the department said in a written response to questions.
The New York Times, which reported the aid curtailment in its Sunday editions, said Pakistan has shut down a US programme that had been training paramilitary forces, sending home more than 100 US trainers in recent weeks, and has threatened to close the base the CIA has been using for drone attacks on militant targets. The Defence Department in its reply said a series of events over the last eight months “have affected our bilateral relations.”
“We remain committed to helping Pakistan build its capabilities, but we have communicated to Pakistani officials on numerous occasions that we require certain support in order to provide certain assistance,” the Pentagon said.
- See more at: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/07/11/news/national/us-blocks-800m-aid-pakistan-unnerved/#sthash.ZaE1pvCz.dpuf |
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