WASHINGTON D.C: The US India Political Action Committee has accorded an unqualified welcome to the hardening of Washington’s stance towards rooting out terrorists cells in Pakistan. It observed that it has been advocating for years to reevaluate military aid to the country that allegedly does little to root out terrorism.
Sanjay Puri, Chairman, said that US taxpayer money going towards terror attacks against US interests from groups in Pakistan is inexcusable. President Trump has accused Pakistan of taking US aid while providing “safe haven” to terrorists. In a series of tweets he said the United States had foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and in return got nothing but lies & deceit, “thinking of our leaders as fools”
Trump wrote. “They give safe-haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!”
Washington had been considering cutting aid to Pakistan that it has delayed paying since August 2017. Echoing Trump’s tweets, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley accused Pakistan of “playing a double game” with the US “for years,”
Relations between the US and Pakistan have been deteriorating for several years, with the US criticizing Islamabad for its alleged support for the Haqqani network, a group allied with the Afghan Taliban. In August, while unveiling the White House’s new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, President Trump had accused Pakistan of offering “safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror.”
The latest frustration for the Trump administration stemmed from Pakistani officials’ refusal in handing over one of the militants responsible for abducting Caitlan Coleman, an American woman held captive for five years with her Canadian husband and children by the Haqqani network.
The US officials were hoping to interrogate the abductor about the whereabouts of another American hostage, but Pakistani officials rejected US demands for access. Since 2002, the U.S. has delivered billions in aid to Pakistan, but a deepening sense of distrust and betrayal has developed in the relationship. Pakistan says it has paid an enormous price as an ally in the war on terrorism.
USINPAC is the voice of over 3.2 million Indian-Americans and works on issues that concern the community. It supports candidates for local, state and federal office and encourages political participation by the Indian- American communities.
Neela Pandya
