Will Trump’s Tough Talk on Pakistan Yield Results?

Bottom Line: U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off aid to Pakistan to force Islamabad to take a harder line on terrorism. But in the past decade, economic leverage over Pakistan has yielded only short-term results. The Trump administration also runs the risk of incurring consequential backlash from the Pakistani government that could complicate efforts to stabilize Afghanistan – especially as Islamabad finds public cooperation with the U.S. difficult at the best of times due to conflicting interests, coupled with the high degree of anti-American sentiment in the country.

Background: U.S aid to Pakistan dates back decades, but was ramped up following the attacks of 9/11 when Pakistan offered to support the U.S. war on terror.

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