WASHINGTON: The US administration, on Monday, defended its decision to suspend $800 million of military aid to Pakistan, saying its uneasy ally needed to make a greater effort in the fight against Islamists.
"When it comes to our military assistance, we're not prepared to continue providing that at the pace that we were providing it unless and until we see certain steps taken," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
The United States was particularly “looking to improve our cooperation in counterterrorism, in counterinsurgency," she told journalists.
Nuland recalled that on May 25, Islamabad demanded that about 100 US advisers leave Pakistani soil, effectively halting military training, adding "we obviously can't do that in an environment where Pakistan has asked our trainers to go."
Earlier, US President Barack Obama's chief of staff, William Daley, had confirmed in a television interview on Sunday that the United States had decided to withhold almost a third of its annual $2.7 billion security assistance to Islamabad.
Islamabad remains a key regional player in Afghanistan, with Obama having decided to withdraw US forces from the country by the end of 2014.
Nuland stressed Monday that "the United States continues to seek a constructive, collaborative, mutually beneficial relationship with Pakistan."
"We've been talking to Pakistan at all levels about the issues behind these decisions," she said.
"We are working together on how we can improve our relationship particularly in the categories of counterterrorism and counterintelligence."
Relations between the key allies in the war on Al-Qaeda drastically worsened after US commandos killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in May, humiliating the Pakistani military and opening it to allegations of complicity or incompetence.
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If the USA wants Pakistan to step up its operations - it will have stop threatening Pakistan and stop suspending the money it owes. US should stop things not supplying F-16s when Pakistan had paid for them. Stop doing things like sending its president (Bill Clinton) to threaten Pakistan with dire consequences. The USA should Pakistanis know if it is friend of Pakistan or an enemy. No middle ground is acceptable. If the USA wants to be Pakistan enemy - go on threatening, go on killing our people with its drones. Have its CIA operatives kill people in broad daylight. - it should never expect any kind of cooperation from Pakistan. Pakistan will do everything in its power to protect its own people at all costs.
Pakistan should get rid of Americans, Afghans and other Jihadies and try to sets its own house in order.
"make a greater effort in the fight against Islamists."
now see this is what happens when uneducated people open their mouths up.. there is nothign wrong with Islam.. wht these guys do is pick up muslims brain wash them.. and make them believe what theyr doing is in the name of religion when in fact its in the name of the devil.. THEYR NOT MUSLIMS... Islam is a religion of peace and what i dont get is that just cuz some looney terrorists say theyr muslims the world believes them.... THEYR NOT MUSLIMS .. for the love of God the pagans of makkah were the same.. they claimed to be muslims .. they ofered their prayers et etc but in their hearts they werent Muslims whihc is why the they are called the Pagans of Makkah.. theyr the same as the terrorists of today...
and yes while pakistan needs to step it up the US needs to STEP OUT......if the US is going to operate within the country with all its sophisticated weaponry people will always make comparisons of what US did inspite of pakis........... unless theyr willing to share intelligence and work with us they should pack up an leave so that we are forced to deal with the situation on our own for the first time
The same call is being reported "do more", like a stuck record. The strategic dialogue does not seem to be going anywhere.
Talking to Pakistan at all levels? what about talking to the remaining 140 million of us bloody civilians (non military, non political office holder, non religious fanatic/mullah/Taliban)?? We are the silent majority. Engage us through business, educational, medical forums.
Sorry US it is not happening if you are funding both sides.
@Obama Mamma: Your frank talk and cold logic is highly appreciated. The US should forget its nightmares and phobias of coming under attack. It has become so manic that sooner than later the US administration will be suspecting its own shadow and later on eating guns and bullets. Take care of your debt without increasing the limit, Greece, Italy and Spain and stop the Afghan war, as the late Mr. R Holbrooke also said in his last moments.
Salams to Afghanistan and Pakistan
Do not listen to US and do what is best for Pakistan and Pakistanis
Vicram Singh
You are from India look Vigina sINGH Your coment are un realistic but in neair feauter Pakistan should direct interven in India and target those terrorest traning camps where terrorest are trand to attack civilians in Pakistan and sabotach gov instalations like PNS Mehran and others. terror is financed by India in Pakistan every body Know it naw in the world we are observing every thing we will react on the right time and kick Indias black ASS.
@Vicram Singh:
really?
What are they going to do with 170 million people?
Keep your money! Thank you very much.
Ma'am, How can one step up! When one has not got out bed to realise the mess on their doorstep! Or perhaps is suffering from selective amnesia, as to their foes and friends !!! I strongly recommend that US deal with this as otherwise this mess is going to be around for another decade, if not longer, regardless if Pakistan will be in existance in its present form. Which is seriously doubtful on its present course.
@Obama Mamma: Yes, you are right that Pakistan's Debt ratio is better, but have you seen the ratings ?? Does anyone on International Level Trust Pakistan with their Money at Present??? Wake up !! these are the people who have kept ypu going with financial oxygen, for last decade !!!!
Last I knew money does not grow on trees. The US aid comes from hard-earned American taxpayers' dollars. Looking at the present American economy every dollar is precious. It is not like in Pakistan, where the richer the person is less taxes he pays. Look at almost Zero tax rupees of Zardari and Nawaz Sharif and you start to get the picture.
The US government is accountable to the Congress and to the American people. And the American people need to see the results of their largesse that they send Pakistan in the form of aid and military assistance. Pakistani public needs to understand that US Congress is not a rubber-stamp body of feudal landlords that will just sit there watching their billions of dollars go to waste.
US government has every right to demand that Pakistan "step up anti-terror fight" that Pakistan has committed itself to. Pakistan cannot continue to collect billions of dollars and then play mickey-mouse games with the world community year in and year out by fighting one faction of the Taliban while it supports another. It also needs to explain to the world how did it end up with such a large number of terrorists amidst its' population.
Forget about nursing your wounds about not being let-in on the operation to get Bin Laden. Knowing the presence of Bin Laden in a garrison town close to the hub of Pakistani Military elite for such a long period, safely perched in a million dollar pad, US was rightly suspicious of collusion, and therefore did not want to take the Pakistanis in confidence. Do not always look at things only from your own rose-colored glasses. Once in a while you need to put on the cap of conventional wisdom and look at how the world is perceiving it.
The facts: Pakistan has over a 140,000 troops deployed on the Pak-Afghan border. The US has had no more than 100,000 even after the surge in 2010. We’ve lost over 35,000 people (civilian and military) in this war, while the US has lost roughly 2579 lives in the Afghan conflict. Who says we haven’t done enough? The US has given Pakistan no more than $12-13 billion in reimbursement with limited aid over the past 10 years. Pakistan has had economic losses in excess of $60 billion over the last ten years. Moreover, the US has used Pakistan’s land and air for supply routes resulting in billions of savings to conduct the Afghan War. The US diverted resources from the Afghan war to the Iraq War (a war not sanctioned by the UN – recall “the coalition of the willing”) in 2003. The net US expenditure on the two wars has been $1.4 trillion ($786 billion in Iraq, and $432 billion in Afghanistan). After all this expenditure and collateral damage, the US administration is now talking of a settlement with Mullah Omar & the Taliban. Really? Who’s double dealing now? Pakistan’s annual budget is $29 billion (roughly $5.5 of which is the defense budget). Pakistan’s Debt to GDP ratio is 61% (as of Jun 2011). The US is reaching a Debt to GDP ratio of 90%, while Greece is 150%. We simply cannot let the United States dictate our foreign and domestic policy for pennies on the dollar. The situation is not as dismal for Pakistan as being projected by the US and European administrations with vested interests in natural resources in the region. We can and will go on without pennies and pents from the US & EU.
come on again !!!!! this is the most irritating sentence over the past few years.
Note: US needs to step-up the learning process of not to dictate Pakistan.
Doesn't matter who the US spokesperson is - message is consistent. The USA will judge Pakistan based on actions not words --- the old days are over.
America needs to step up its troops withdrawal.!!!
It appears that there are not many options left for Pakistani army. They have had a decade long love affair with OBL on one hand and the US on the other. After the death of OBL, the US is the only bedfellow for Pakistani army and ISI. Whether they like it or not, the US is going to get its money’s worth at all costs. Make no mistake about it, the death of OBL in military town was a game changer for the two countries.
A 100 trainers or a 100 spies? The reality is that the US wants us to bend over and allow rouge NSA & CIA agents to run the US agenda. Please stop all the aid and focus on your own $14 trillion of debt. Pakistan's debt to GDP ratio is still better than Greece and Italy. We can manage without you.
"Pakistan needs to step up anti-terror fight"
That is like asking the right hand to engage in combat with the left hand.
Unfortunately for the US, some kind of a direct intervention in Pakistan in about 2-3 years is unavoidable.