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Invasions Are Passe. Social Media Is The New Frontier. Imran Khan And Trump Go Hammer And Tongs Over Terror War
Swarajya Staff
Nov 20, 2018, 01:40 PM | Updated 01:40 PM IST
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In response to Trump’s remark on Pakistan safeguarding Osama Bin Laden in its territory despite getting billions of dollars in aid from the US, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter to ‘defend’ Pakistan’s actions.
Trump told Fox News in an interview: “Frankly, wouldn’t it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that? Wouldn’t it have been nice? Think of this, living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion — I don’t know, I’ve seen nicer — but living in Pakistan, right next to the military academy. Everybody in Pakistan knew he was there. And we give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year, and they don’t tell him, they don’t tell him for years.”
Between 2002 and 2016, the Pakistani treasury received over $33.4 billion in direct financial payments from the US for economic and security concerns. However, officials in the Western establishment have argued that over 70 per cent of funds given between 2002 and 2010 were diverted by Pakistan to cover its domestic deficit.
It was reported in August 2018 that the Trump administration had cut US aid to Pakistan from $1 billion to $150 million.
In reply, Imran Khan tweeted the following on 19 November 2018:
Record needs to be put straight on Mr Trump's tirade against Pakistan: 1. No Pakistani was involved in 9/11 but Pak decided to participate in US War on Terror. 2. Pakistan suffered 75,000 casualties in this war & over $123 bn was lost to economy. US "aid" was a miniscule $20 bn.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018
3. Our tribal areas were devastated & millions of ppl uprooted from their homes. The war drastically impacted lives of ordinary Pakistanis. 4. Pak continues to provide free lines of ground & air communications(GLOCs/ALOCs).Can Mr Trump name another ally that gave such sacrifices?
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018
Instead of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failures, the US should do a serious assessment of why, despite 140000 NATO troops plus 250,000 Afghan troops & reportedly $1 trillion spent on war in Afghanistan, the Taliban today are stronger than before.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018
In the aftermath of 9/11 attacks, which were masterminded by Osama Bin Laden, a study has found that over half a million people were killed by US’s military intervention in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq. Also, around 47,000 soldiers and civilians have been killed due to Kashmiri insurgency, which has been sponsored by Pakistan for decades.
In response to Khan’s tweets, Trump replied as follows:
Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2018
Osama Bin Laden was killed by American troops in a classified mission when they located the dreaded terrorist inside Pakistan. This was undertaken during the presidency of Barack Obama in 2011.
....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. Thatâs ENDING!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2018
In a final tweet, Khan replied.
Trumpâs false assertions add insult to the injury Pak has suffered in US WoT in terms of lives lost & destabilised & economic costs. He needs to be informed abt historical facts. Pak has suffered enough fighting US's war. Now we will do what is best for our people & our interests
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018
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