The US State Department has accused the Pakistani government of failing to target terror networks operating in the country. Even before the US suspended assistance, Islamabad had dismissed the need to rely on Washington.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/A. Naveed
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The US State Department on Thursday announced the White House's decision to suspend security assistance to Pakistan worth significantly more than the $255 million (€211 million) in military aid given to Pakistan to purchase American military equipment.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the decision signaled growing frustration in the White House over Pakistan's failure to target terrorist networks attacking US troops stationed in Afghanistan.
"Today we can confirm that we are suspending security assistance to Pakistan at this time," said Nauert. "Until the Pakistani government takes decisive action against the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani group – we consider them to be destabilizing the region and also targeting US personnel – the United States will suspend that type of security assistance to Pakistan."
However, Nauert said US authorities were still in the process of determining to what extent additional funds will be suspended, with Defense Secretary James Mattis later saying the new policy on military assistance was "still being formulated."
Donald Trump frequently used Twitter to announce US foreign policy Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/J. Arriens
"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 and deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools," Trump said in a tweet on January 1. "They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!"
This is not the first time the US government has targeted Pakistan. In August, Trump singled out Pakistan, saying the country continues to pose a problem to US security interests in neighboring Afghanistan. In July, a congressional report listed Pakistan as one of the countries providing "safe havens" to terrorists.
Jalaluddin Haqqani, the founder of the Haqqani Network, has passed away after a protracted illness, the Taliban announced. Why is the Pakistan-based outfit considered one of the most feared militant groups in the region?
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Remnants of the Afghan war against Soviets
The Haqqani Network was formed by Jalaluddin Haqqani, who fought against Soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s. In 1995, the Haqqani Network allied with the Taliban and the two groups captured the Afghan capital Kabul in 1996. In 2012, the US designated the group a terrorist organization. On September 4, 2018, the Taliban announced that Jalaluddin passed away after a long illness.
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An Islamist ideologue
Jalaluddin Haqqani was born in 1939 in the Afghan province Paktia. He studied at Darul Uloom Haqqania, which was founded in 1947 by the father of one of Pakistan's most prominent religious leaders, Maulana Sami ul Haq. Darul Uloom Haqqania is known for its alleged ties with the Taliban and other extremist groups.
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Jalaluddin Haqqani as Taliban minister
Jalaluddin was made minister for Afghan tribal affairs under the Taliban rule. He remained in the post until the US toppled the Taliban regime in 2001. After the Taliban leader Mullah Omar, Jalaluddin was considered the most influential militant figure in Afghanistan. Jalaluddin also had close links with the former al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden.
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Where is the Haqqani Network based?
Security experts say the command center of the group is based in Miranshah city of Pakistan's North Waziristan region along the Afghan border. US and Afghan officials claim the Haqqani Network is backed by the Pakistani military, a charge denied by Pakistani authorities. Washington says the group's fighters launch attacks on foreign and local troops and civilians inside Afghanistan.
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The Haqqani heir
It is believed that Jalaluddin Haqqani died in 2015, but his group denied those reports at the time. The network is now headed by Sirajuddin Haqqani, Jalaluddin's son. Sirajuddin is also the deputy chief of the Taliban.
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Who is Sirajuddin Haqqani?
Although there isn't much credible information available about Sirajuddin Haqqani, security experts say he spent his childhood in the Pakistani city of Miranshah. He studied at Darul Uloom Haqqania, situated in Peshawar's suburbs. Sirajuddin is believed to be an expert on military affairs. Some analysts say Sirajuddin's views are more hard line than his father's.
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Anas Haqqani's death sentence
One of Jalaluddin's sons is Anas Haqqani, whose mother hailed from the United Arab Emirates. He is currently in the custody of the Afghan government and is facing the death penalty. The Haqqani Network has warned Kabul of dire consequences if Afghan authorities hang Anas Haqqani.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/National Directorate of Security
How big is the Haqqani Network?
Research institutes and Afghan affairs experts say the group has between three and ten thousand fighters. The network allegedly receives most of its funding from the Gulf countries. The Haqqani Network is also involved in kidnappings and extortion through which it funds its operations.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Tanveer
Ties with other militant groups
The Haqqanis have close relations with other regional and international terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda, the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-e-Taiba and Central Asian Islamist groups. Jalauddin Haqqani was not only close to bin Laden, but also had ties with al Qaeda's current chief Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Ausaf Newspaper
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Anger in Pakistan
Trump's allegations prompted anger in Pakistan, with thousands taking to the streets to voice their opposition to the US president's statement.
The latest spat between the US and Pakistan comes in the wake of a US drone strike that killed an Afghan Taliban leader on Pakistani soil in December, a move that prompted a furious response from Islamabad.
