Trump: The US has gained nothing from aid to Pakistan

On Monday, Donald Trump stated that the United States has foolishly provided over $33 billion in aid to Pakistan over the past 15 years, while receiving nothing in return for what Islamabad had promised. The US President tweeted: "They provided safe havens for the terrorists that we are fighting against in Afghanistan with very little help. No more!" He added, "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan over $33 billion in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies and deceit, thinking our leaders are fools." According to Reuters, it is unclear what prompted Mr. Trump to criticize Pakistan, but he has long complained that Islamabad is not doing enough to combat Islamist militants. The New York Times reported on December 29 that the Trump administration is "seriously considering" canceling $255 million in aid to Pakistan. The newspaper added that US officials were trying to gain access to a member of the Haqqani network who was arrested in Pakistan and might have information about at least one American hostage, but Islamabad rejected this request. Khawaja Asif, Pakistan's foreign minister, tweeted in response: "We will respond to President Trump's tweet soon... We will tell the world the truth... There is a difference between reality and imagination." The Trump administration announced in August that it had delayed the disbursement of $255 million in aid to Pakistan. Last month, Mr. Trump stated in a speech that the US government "makes large payments to Pakistan every year. They must help." Pakistan claims it has conducted military operations to expel militants from its territory and that since 2001, 17,000 Pakistanis have died in battles with militants or in bombings and other attacks. General John Nicholson, the senior US general in Afghanistan, stated in November that despite the Trump administration taking a tougher stance towards Islamabad, he had not seen any change in Pakistan's behavior towards militants. Mike Pence, the US Vice President, said last month to American troops in Afghanistan: "Pakistan has been a safe haven for the Taliban and other terrorist organizations for a long time, but that era is over. President Trump has warned Pakistan." Hamdullah Mohib, Afghanistan's ambassador to the US, tweeted on Monday that Trump's tweet is "an encouraging message for Afghans who have long suffered from terrorists based in Pakistan."