ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s administration has quietly started cutting scores of Pakistani officers from coveted training and educational programs that have been a hallmark of bilateral military relations for more than a decade, U.S. officials say.
The move, which has not been previously reported, is one of the first known impacts from Trump’s decision this year to suspend U.S. security assistance to Pakistan to compel it to crack down on Islamic militants.
The Pentagon and the Pakistani military did not comment directly on the decision or the internal deliberations, but officials from both countries privately criticized the move.
U.S. officials, speaking to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, said they were worried the decision could undermine a key trust-building measure. Pakistani officials warned it could push their military to further look to China or Russia for leadership training.
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WNU editor: The Pentagon is upset that this decision could undermine a key trust-building measure with the Pakistan military. I have no idea on why the Pentagon is saying this .... because after all of these years and the expenditure of billions of dollars to assist the Pakistan military and its intelligence services, Pakistan still provides a safe haven for Taliban leaders and their forces, while imprisoning people like Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi who assisted the U.S. in capturing and killing Osama Bin Laden. In my book this country is not an ally.
