![Image of Pakistan, in dark green, and Pakistan's claimed but uncontrolled territory, in dark green. - [Wikimedia Commons]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2018/1/12/660x290/b_502x220x82/image-of-pakistan-in-dark-green-and-pakistans-claimed-but-uncontrolled-territory-in-dark-green-via-wikipedia_1775819.jpg "Image of Pakistan, in dark green, and Pakistan's claimed but uncontrolled territory, in dark green. - [Wikimedia Commons]")
On January 6, the United States suspended its security aid to Pakistan. The reason given was that Pakistan was not doing enough to stop the terror groups growing within its borders. The US has suspended approximately $2 billion in security aid, including aid from previous years that had not yet been spent by the Pakistani government. A report by FOX News posted information used in this article.
The United States stopped all security aid to Pakistan
We only know the approximate amount of money removed, because the suspension began after President Trump announced his plans through a tweet, two months before the US had expected to finish their policy plans for the suspension of funds.
As a result, the removal of funds was a mad scramble, and they were not sure how much money they actually removed. The tweet also occurred before they finished the review to see if Pakistan was complying with his demands, and before they had the chance to give Pakistan the traditional, and diplomatic, adjustment period before suspending funds.
At the moment Pakistan seems unsure of how to react
Pakistan officials have expressed a feeling of humiliation at such a public attack on their character given without warning. They are also angry that they have been accused of supporting terrorists considering the long history of terrorist attacks on their own country. The blow must be especially harsh since the terrorist attacks started after they became an ally of the US.
The Pakistani Defense Minister Khurram Dastgir responded to the suspension of aid by claiming that Pakistan will be suspending all military aid to the US. This could have a huge effect on our military spending if true, since the routes we use to bring food and resources to our troops in Afghanistan go through Pakistani territory.
The spokesperson for the US embassy in Islamabad, Richard Snelsire, denies ever receiving any notification about military aid from Pakistan. The Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif appeared a week ago to announce that Pakistan alliance with the US was over, but he made another statement on Friday (Jan. 12), publicly backing down from that position.
Whether you believe Pakistan or don't, withdrawing aid is a bad idea
Pakistan was already fighting the Pakistani Taliban based in Afghanistan. Reports have found that the suicide bombers that attacked Quetta on Tuesday (Jan. 9) were from these groups. If they're already being attacked by the terrorists then they don't need to be incentivized, they need resources to fight back, and they just lost $2 billion that might have helped them. Additionally, many of the groups who think Pakistan is aiding the terrorist groups believe that they are doing this so they won't be left without a powerful ally when the US withdraws. If this is true then the US withdrawing its aid will just make them more invested in supporting the terrorists. So whether you believe Pakistan is for or against the terrorists, the sudden suspension of aid is a terrible idea.
