US Insists Military Aid Remains Cut as Drones Pound Pakistan

As Cut Spun by Officials, Obama Pushes Congress for Increase in Funding

US State Department officials today reiterated that the military aid cut to Pakistan, announced early last month, remains in place and that it will until Pakistan makes “some changes” to their cooperation.

The cut has been spun by administration officials and Congressmen as proof that the US is “getting tough” on Pakistan as tensions between the two continue to rise. Pakistan has asked the US to halt drone strikes and reduce their military presence, while the US is demanding Pakistan invade North Waziristan.

With that dispute far from settled, the US today launched another drone strike against North Waziristan, killing at least four people. The strikes have been occurring several times a week in recent months.

The suspension of the aid, however, may not be all it is cracked up to be, as the Obama Administration is privately pushing for a massive increase in “coalition support funds.” This appropriation, nominally for the occupation of Afghanistan, has overwhelmingly gone to Pakistan in recent years, and the increase suggests that tensions and spin aside, the funding to Pakistan isn’t exactly drying up.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.