Trump still unsatisfied with progress in Pakistan

WASHINGTON, Feb 22 (KUNA) -- Discussing President Donald Trump's Af-Pak policy, the White House said that for the first time Pakistan is being held "accountable for its actions." "But the President is not satisfied with progress when it comes to Pakistan," White House principal deputy press secretary Raj Shah said during a briefing on Thursday.
"I know that we have restored some clarity in our relationship with Pakistan, Shah said, noting that the US has "seen modest progress in terms of Pakistan's actual acknowledgement of these concerns." The US is "working closely" with its partners in Afghanistan, and has made "significant progress" against the so-called Islamic State, "reducing their presence and eliminating hundreds of fighters," Shah said.
"We've eliminated their top leaders, and we're working relentlessly to target their leadership and bases wherever they emerge," he added. In a January tweet, Trump wrote, "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. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" (end) rm.gb