Over the weekend, in an interview with Fox News, Trump defended his administration's decision to cut off US military aid to Pakistan, saying the country hasn't done a "damn thing" for Washington. POTUS also suggested that Pakistan had assisted in sheltering Osama bin Laden.
Those remarks were also echoed on social media, with Trump tweeting to his 55.8 million followers that "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."
"Trump's false assertions add insult to the injury Pak[istan] has suffered in US [War on Terror] in terms of lives lost & destabilised & economic costs. He needs to be informed [about] historical facts. Pak[istan] has suffered enough fighting US's war. Now we will do what is best for our people & our interests," he concluded.
Weinbaum told Kiriakou that Trump's comments weren't part of a strategic move, rather something that just came "off the top of his head." And while the US may want out of Afghanistan, the scholar stressed that it can't simply part ways with the region.
"The question is: how are we going to be in the region… we have to be around on terms that the region finds acceptable," he said.