Outgoing U.S. envoy to the United Nations Nikki Haley has accused Pakistan of “harboring terrorists,” claiming the country, which has been a reliable ally to Washington in its war against terror, “should not even be given a dollar” in U.S. aid.
Haley, the first Indian-American ever appointed to a Cabinet position in any U.S. presidential administration, said the U.S. did not need to give money to countries that wish harm to America.
“We don’t need to be giving money to countries that say “Death to America.” We don’t need to be giving money to countries that go behind our back and try and stop us from doing things,” said Haley in her interview with The Atlantic.
"The one example I'll give you is, look at Pakistan. Giving them over a billion dollars, and they continue to harbor terrorists that turn around and kill our soldiers —that's never okay. We shouldn't even give them a dollar until they correct it. Use the billion dollars. That's not a small amount of change," she said.
Haley, a rising Republican star, said last month she was stepping down as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Sitting beside Trump in the Oval Office, Haley said her 18-month stint at the United Nations had been “an honor of a lifetime” and that she would stay on until the end of the year.
“We don’t need to be giving money to those that don’t want to be our partners, because there’s a lot of countries that do want to be our partners, and we just need to be smart about it. I think it should be one of the things we look at, but I think there should be a strategic view on which countries we partner with, which ones we count on to work with us on certain things, and move forward accordingly,” continued Haley.
Historically, Pakistan and U.S. relations have never remained exemplary.
However after 9/11, Pakistan assumed an important position in Washington circles and became the main ally in the U.S. war against terrorism in 2001.
According to Pakistani authorities, the country suffered 75,000 casualties and over $123 billion in losses to their economy in the war against terror, but Washington has never acknowledged their sacrifices.
A war of words erupted between Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Twitter after the U.S. president’s recent statement saying Pakistan has not done "a damn thing" for the U.S.
"We no longer pay Pakistan the $Billions because they would take our money and do nothing for us, Bin Laden being a prime example, Afghanistan being another. They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. That's ENDING!" Trump tweeted.
Responding to Trump, Khan said: "Trump's false assertions add insult to the injury Pak has suffered in US WoT [War on Terror] in terms of lives lost destabilized economic costs. He needs to be informed abt [about] historical facts. Pak has suffered enough fighting US's war. Now we will do what is best for our people our interests."
