Pak. May Withdraw Anti-Terror Forces As U.S. Suspends Aid

The Washington Post reports:

Pakistan’s defense minister has said that the country might withdraw thousands of troops from its volatile border areas in response to a suspension of U.S. military aid, a move that would undermine Washington’s interests in a region that is home to al-Qaeda and a stew of other Islamist militant groups.

In an interview that aired Tuesday on a private Pakistani television station, Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar contradicted statements earlier in the day by the nation’s powerful military, which said forces would continue counterterrorism operations despite a decision by the Obama administration to delay $800 million in promised aid and reimbursements. Although the reason for the inconsistency was unclear, Mukhtar’s comments are a sign that Pakistan is likely to react to the U.S. decision with greater defiance rather than cooperation.

“We cannot afford to keep our military out in the mountains for such a long period of time,” said Mukhtar, a member of the civilian government, which is viewed as subordinate to the military.

A Pakistani army spokesman, Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, said it would be “inappropriate” to comment on Mukhtar’s statement.