The United States is withholding some $800 million (€563 million) in military assistance to Pakistan in a show of displeasure over its cutback on US trainers, limits on visas for US personnel and other bilateral irritants, the Obama administration said yesterday.
Pakistani authorities have "taken some steps that have given us reason to pause on some of the aid which we're giving to the military," White House Chief of Staff William Daley said on ABC television.
As a result, "we'll hold back some of the money that the American taxpayers have committed to give," he said, adding this amounted to about $800 million, or more than a third of the $2 billion given to Pakistan for security assistance.
The US Defence Department said Pakistan's army had requested a "significant cutback" of US military trainers and limited the ability of US personnel to obtain visas.
"While the Pakistani military leadership tells us this is a temporary step, the reduced presence of our trainers and other personnel means we can't deliver the assistance that requires training and support to be effective," the department said in a written response to questions.
Bilateral ties have been under mounting strain as the United States has pushed one of its key counterterrorism partners to boost efforts against Taliban and other militants fighting western forces in neighbouring Afghanistan.
Relations with Pakistan have also suffered following the surprise US raid that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on May 2nd in a Pakistani garrison town, as well as US drone attacks and night raids that have killed civilians as well as militants.
The New York Times, which reported the aid curtailment in its Sunday editions, said Pakistan has shut down a US programme that had been training paramilitary forces, sending home more than 100 U.S. trainers in recent weeks, and has threatened to close the base the CIA has been using for pilotless plane attacks on militant targets.
The US-Pakistan relationship also was damaged last year after a CIA contractor in Lahore killed two Pakistanis he said were trying to rob him.
The Defence Department in its reply said a series of events over the last eight months "have affected our bilateral relations."
"We remain committed to helping Pakistan build its capabilities, but we have communicated to Pakistani officials on numerous occasions that we require certain support in order to provide certain assistance," the Pentagon said.
Reuters