President Donald Trump’s first tweet of 2018 called out Pakistan stating that the U.S. has given more than 33 billion dollars in aid over 15 years and gotten nothing back but lies and deceit while Pakistan gives safe haven to terrorists.
The full tweet reads, “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!”
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018
Since being elected, Trump has called on Pakistan to step up its efforts in the fight against terror to help win the fight in Afghanistan per Trump’s revamped Afghanistan plan rolled out this year.
The U.S. is currently withholding $225 million in aid for not seeing the results it wants from Pakistan.
For years Pakistan has been accused of speaking out of both sides of its mouth when it comes to terror: Taking American aid to fight terror on one hand, and being accused of doing the minimal amount, harboring terrorist groups and looking the other way on the other hand.
This summer President Trump stated that Pakistan “gives safe haven to agents of chaos, violence and terror.”
Pakistan did cooperate with the US to help free American Caitlan Coleman and her Canadian husband, Joshua Boyle from the Taliban in 2017.
Trump then praised Pakistan, “This is a very positive moment for our country’s relationship with Pakistan…and is a sign that is honoring America wishes for it to do more to provide security in the region.”
In rolling out his new Afghanistan strategy Trump brought up the same issue with Pakistan.
CNN reported in August:
Trump echoed comments from his predecessors in their desire to get Pakistan to change its terrorist-harboring ways.
Pakistan’s role in providing a safe haven for the Haqqani network has frequently been a thorn in the side of the US military.
Trump threatened to cut off US aid to Pakistan to persuade them to help fight terrorism in Afghanistan.
“We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists we are fighting,” Trump said. “But that will have to change, and that will change immediately.”
30 minutes later after his first 2018 tweet, President Trump tweeted his second tweet of the year which is a swipe at Obama’s ‘terrible’ deal with Iran and how Iran is failing.
The tweet reads, “Iran is failing at every level despite the terrible deal made with them by the Obama Administration. The great Iranian people have been repressed for many years. They are hungry for food & for freedom. Along with human rights, the wealth of Iran is being looted. TIME FOR CHANGE!”
Iran is failing at every level despite the terrible deal made with them by the Obama Administration. The great Iranian people have been repressed for many years. They are hungry for food & for freedom. Along with human rights, the wealth of Iran is being looted. TIME FOR CHANGE!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018
