US cuts aid to Pakistan military

Following Pakistan’s decision to expel more than 100 US military advisers, the United States is withholding some £500 million in military assistance to Pakistan.

11 July 2011, 12:00am

1 min read

William Daley, President Obama’s Chief of Staff, said that Washington had decided to withhold more than a third of the annual package in protest at Pakistan’s decision to cut back on counter-terrorism co-operation after Osama bin Laden’s killing.

The US defence department said Pakistan’s army had requested a “significant cutback” of US military trainers and limited the ability of American personnel to obtain visas.

According to the New York Times, the aid curtailment came after Pakistan shut down a US programme that had been training paramilitary forces, sending home more than 100 US trainers in recent weeks.

Reportedly, Pakistan has also threatened to close the base the CIA has been using for drone plane attacks on militant targets.