Posted on 02/12/2018 3:11:35 PM PST by Jyotishi
US President Donald Trump today unveiled a US$ 4 trillion annual budget for the fiscal 2019 beginning October 1, proposing US$ 256 million in civilian assistance and US$ 80 million in military aid to Pakistan.
The proposal of aid to Pakistan comes weeks after Trump administration suspended nearly US$ 2 billion in security assistance to Islamabad due to its inability to take action against terrorist groups operating from its soil. The White House has said it would consider lifting the freeze if it sees action by Pakistan against terrorist groups. The budgetary proposal says that the military aid depends on Pakistan taking action against terrorist safe havens.
"The budget requests US$ 256 million for Pakistan in economic and other assistance to help increase stability, promote economic growth and create opportunities for US businesses," said the annual budgetary proposals sent by the White House to the Congress. "In addition, the Budget requests US$ 80 million in Foreign Military Financing assistance to enhance Pakistan's counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency capabilities, contingent on Pakistan taking appropriate action to expand cooperation in areas where US-Pakistan interests converge and to address areas of divergence, in line with the administration's South Asia strategy," the White House said.
The budget furthers the US goal of a stable and secure South Asia by supporting the Afghan government and security forces in their fight against the Taliban insurgents and jihadist terrorist organisations such as al-Qaeda and ISIS. It requests more than US$ 5 billion for continued US training and assistance for the Afghan security forces and would enable US forces to conduct counter-terrorism operations to ensure that the region cannot be used by jihadist, terrorist groups to plot transnational attacks against the US homeland, citizens overseas, or allies and partners.
"The budget also continues to include funding to support America's partnership with Pakistan," it said. The budget's more than US$ 630 million for civilian assistance supports the President's new strategy to empower the people of Afghanistan to take ownership of their future, the White House said. In addition, the budget strengthens and sustains improvements in education, health, governance and other sectors that are essential for securing a stable and prosperous Afghanistan. It also allows the US to honour the pledge made at the Brussels conference on Afghanistan, which anticipated gradually declining assistance levels, it added.
Oh good grief.
Not a penny to a muzzie.
I support one nuke on Islamabad or Rawalpindi.
Peanuts.
Trump turning into a Bush republican?
While I agree it’s peanuts, it’s the point that matters. This shit stain of a country harboured Bin Laden for years.
They deserve fire, not money.
You have to give it before you take it away
Jyotishi wrote:
The U.S. is back on track supporting the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
This is not what it appears to be...
These ragheads have nukes. Remember AQ Khan? They should be dealt with post haste.
This is a steep cut to what would have gone there. But we still rely on them for supply routes for Afghan operations.
It should be $0.
It’s basically a bribe to keep them well greased so they continue to keep secure their nuclear weapons arsenal.
Should be not a dime.
Using China as a conduit Pakistan helped North Korea develop its nuclear arms program, and they have no apologies for it either.
I'm beginning to see Trump is hardly a fiscal conservative.
Clinton funded North Korea, Bammy Hamas, Trump a new group of terrorist. Great.
Trump, Jan 1, crack of dawn tweet...
The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!
What the hell is going on????
Trump, what is wrong with you?
It has been said that Trump is Obama-Clinton’s “Plan B” in case Hillary lost. I don’t really have all the facts to believe it (yet).
Please NO. OMG Please no.
I want to give my kids and grands a Constitutional Republic. Not the product of my generations greed and stupidity. I really hope you are way off the mark on this one.
To me this is a feeble effort to keep Pakistan out of China’s orbit. China will get their military installation at gwadahar(so?) Pakistan is gone, best to let them go.
And, I agree wholeheartedly on that. My reference to peanuts comes from multiple Pakistani prez's going back to Carter (Al Haq referred to Carter's $'s as 'peanuts' - so perfect, given that Carter was a peanut farmer).
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