Sophia Bank's Blog: Powder Keg—The United States’ Wasteful and Bloody Foreign Policy in Pakistan

US Funded Terrorists

This can’t end well.

Recent foreign aid to Pakistan reveals a common thread in US foreign policy—the common thread of waste.

Time and again, the foreign policy frivolity of the US Government has proven to be mind-boggling, incomprehensible, and outright dereliction. From the entire foolish foreign policy campaigns of various administrations in the Middle East, to the fiscal miscarriage we’re witnessing in South America, to our long-established hand-hold policy with the United Nations, that has often rendered the US incapable of dealing with even the slightest global issue—the waste and mismanagement of our tax money has severely cost the US citizens, and profoundly betrayed our soldiers. Yet, like all other never-ending government programs, every April we’re held at gun point to pay our ransom to a giant government monster that mostly takes and rarely gives back.

Observe the past waste of tax payer money given to Pakistan in recent years.

In 2013 $652,797,117 was sent to Pakistan. In 2014 $630,051,504 was sent.

While the previous president continued to send money, he planned (through NATO) a strategic exit out of Afghanistan. All the while Pakistan continued to harbor terrorists, and support the militant Islamic group, the Taliban.

In this perfect vacuum, the Taliban advanced in parts of Afghanistan that US and allied forces once helped to secure. Not only did US money bulge Pakistan’s pockets, the blood of US soldiers paved the road for the Taliban’s advance.

In 2015, with the blood of the US troops still moist across the rugged Afghan landscape, the previous president not only sent the usual foreign aid, he increased it to $690,956,764. In 2016, he sent an equal amount, all while US soldiers were bleeding and dying at the hands of the Pakistani supported Taliban.

During this period of Taliban insurgency, suicide bombings, and full-scale operations, increased.

Strike a Match

With the inauguration of a new president, things have drastically changed. But like all things pertaining to the government, how much of a difference can a single man make, especially when his time in the White House is limited to eight years?

The short-term of his presidency hasn’t dissuaded President Trump from attempting to play an integral part in addressing Pakistan’s support of international terrorism. In addition to taking a tougher stance against Pakistan, the Trump Administration drastically reduced the amount of aid sent. In 2017,Pakistan received $392,163,243, lowered even more in 2018 to $344,550,000, until finally suspended altogether in 2019.

Revealing the recent double-cross nature of Pakistan, just two weeks after President Trump’s announcement suspending aid, a secret arrangement between China and Pakistan was revealed, calling for the expansion of a covert program where Pakistan’s Air Force would build Chinese military jets, weaponry, and other hardware. The clandestine pact, part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a $1 trillion series of infrastructure development proposals stretching across 70 countries, has taken a military direction.

Smack in the middle of this ostensible military initiative, Pakistan has assumed a prominent position. Since 2013, China has disbursed approximately $62 billion worth of projects in the anticipated China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. More than this, China has advanced an undisclosed amount of money to Pakistan through the years, broadening the connection between the two nations.

China’s entrance into the volatile mixture of generational hate, religious intolerance, and military tension, elevates the India/Pakistan military crisis into a catastrophic danger of global proportions.

China’s got the bomb and can field over 3 million total armed forces.

India’s got the bomb, and can field over 5 million total armed forces.’s got the bomb, and can field a million total armed forces.

In any developing conflict, it’s easy to envision the Taliban forces getting involved.

In the end, a global powder keg scenario of vast magnitude and unimaginable scope has developed.

All it needs is a match.

Photos: Jens Johnsson, Gift Habeshaw