WASHINGTON, July 10 (UPI) -- U.S. financial security aid to Pakistan is being scaled back amid growing distrust and Islamabad's defiance of U.S. policy, The New York Times said Sunday.
The United States has $2 billion allocated to assist Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies in the fight against al-Qaida and Taliban guerrillas in neighboring Afghanistan.
A series of events in the past few months in which Pakistan alleged the United States had over-stepped its authority along with suspected pro-militant collusion with terror groups by Pakistani security officials has led Washington to delay aid payments, the Times said.
Government and military sources, whom the Times didn't name, said as much as $800 million in payments had been delayed.
Pakistan has complained about the use of U.S. drone aircraft to bomb suspected border militant sites, claiming civilians have been killed. There is also lingering resentment in Islamabad that U.S. troops unilaterally stormed the compound of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and killed him in May.
Since then, Pakistan has denied visas to the U.S. military personnel needed to operate donated military equipment and in recent weeks, ordered more than 100 U.S. Army Special Forces trainers out of the country.
Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a Senate committee the Pakistani government had obligations if it wanted the assistance.
"When it comes to our military aid, we are not prepared to continue providing that at the pace we were providing it unless and until we see certain steps taken," she said.
