Trump gets tough with Pakistan

President Trump was handed a pile of horse manure by former President Barack Obama and now he's trying to use it as fertilizer. 

Regarding Pakistan, Trump said they provide a safe haven for terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan and after all the money we've given them in the past, the future is going to change for them.

Here's what Trump tweeted:

"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!"

To his credit, President Trump's grammar has improved and he only used one exclamation point to end his tweet. This is progress and I hope to see more of that this year.

But seriously, he needs to do what he's implying and cut off aid (aka jizya) to the country that harbored Osama bin Laden and who not so secretly hate us. It's time for us to get behind those countries that truly ally with our beliefs, like India, for example.

Obama et al, believed that by sending money to Islamabad, we'd somehow be assisted in our fight against terrorism, but instead, Islamabad did exactly the opposite.

"No more!" hopefully means no more. After announcing his national security strategy last month Trump said, "We make massive payments every year to Pakistan . . . They have to help."

On Monday, Trump's rhetoric was clearly harsher in his tweet, his first this year, but certainly not his last.

He suggests ending the discussion within the administration and the decision to deliver on his threat to punish Pakistan for failing to cooperate on counterterrorism.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif responded to Trumps tweet with a warning tweet of his own:

"We will respond to President Trump's tweet shortly inshallah . . . Will let the world know the truth . . . difference between facts and fiction."

Vivvek Katju, former Ambassador to Afghanistan, told NDTV that Trump's tweet "is a reflection of his frustration and impatience."

I call it 'strategic impatience.'

Katju said it's all America's fault. He said that "Pakistan is a master at playing the Americans."

I believe he was unwittingly referring to the previous administrations.


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