U.S. May Freeze Almost $2bn In Aid To Pakistan

Reuters: U.S. weighs Pakistani blowback as it piles pressure on Islamabad

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is examining ways to mitigate any Pakistani retaliation as it piles pressure on Islamabad to crack down on militants, a senior U.S. official said on Friday, cautioning that U.S. action could extend beyond a new freeze in aid.

Pakistan is a crucial gateway for U.S. military supplies destined for U.S. and other troops fighting a 16-year-old war in neighboring, landlocked Afghanistan.

So far, the Pentagon says Pakistan has not given any indication that it would close its airspace or roads to military supplies and U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis played down concerns on Friday.

But Washington has only just begun to work through its new plan to suspend up to roughly $2 billion in U.S. security assistance, announced on Thursday. It came days after U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted that Pakistan had rewarded past U.S. aid with “nothing but lies & deceit.”

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Update: US could freeze almost $2bn in aid to Pakistan: senior official (AFP)

WNU Editor: If Pakistan does stop the transfer the supplies destined for Afghanistan, the consequences on the U.S.-Afghan war will be severe. It will cripple U.S. military operations, end military support for the Afghan government and its military, and embolden the Taliban and the Islamic State. But the consequences on Pakistan will also be severe. It will mean more suspension of aid from the U.S., the potential of being a designated a terror state (with nuclear weapons), sanctions, a strict U.S.-visa process that will impact hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis, and a more deeper U.S. - Indian alliance which will not all all serve the long term strategic interests of Pakistan. Pakistan's Prime Minister has called these U.S. cuts insignificant .... Pakistan PM calls US aid 'insignificant' as Trump threatens to cut it off (The Guardian) .... but I say that this is not insignificant. My prediction .... Pakistan will put pressure on these extremist groups to tone down their military operations in Afghanistan, and they will .... at least for the short term do so in the hope that this all blows away before the spring when the Taliban begins their military operations. But I sense a determination from the White House that they really do want Pakistan to end these safe havens, and toning them down will not be enough.