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.
Oh, so now we are at war with Pakistan too.
Only we can't call it war, like we can't say we are at war with Libya, 'cause then the Prez would have to ask permission from Congress and the American people…..
Hate to break the news, Robert, but the "American people" in regards to getting permission have been irrelevant for a great number of years. Those who believe that the Congress might actually believe the American people are up to the task of advising Congress how to act or that the Congress might actually care what the American people think are living in a pipe dream.
This is fine and will force america for more aid other wise americans will die more and more and Pakistan can with draw their 80 thousand soldiers from afghan border.
@ Robert – Silly, it's not a 'war', it's a 'kinetic military action'. We must remember to employ the correct euphemisms when describing events of the day.
For example, our troops aren't 'surrounded by enemy forces' at a remote outpost- they 'have a 360-degree target selection'.
Our forces aren't retreating in certain provinces due to enemy attacks- they are either either 'attacking in a different direction' or 'conducting retrograde operations'.
Our helicopters don't crash from being shot out of the sky, they 'experience a hard landing' or 'suffer a mechanical failure'.
We aren't obscuring our troop levels in certain regions; we're simply 'increasing the number of trainers while reducing combat forces' – hence, the 3517th Airborne Combat Brigade becomes the 3517th Training Brigade (Airborne).
Apparently someone in the Ministry of Truth has done a bang-up job of studying from the master, Josef Goebbels.