Just when everyone had started exploring the unlikely possibility of Pakistan PM Imran Khan having silenced US President Donald Trump on Twitter, the Commander-in-Chief struck again.
But this time, he seemed to have two targets in mind.
While admitting that Osama Bin Laden should have been caught much earlier, Trump accused Pakistan of hiding information on Laden's whereabouts while accepting billions of dollars in aid from the US.
Trump trained his guns at Former US President Bill Clinton in the same tweet. He said Clinton "missed his shot" even when Trump had "pointed him (Laden) out" in his book "just before the attack on World Trade Center".
Of course we should have captured Osama Bin Laden long before we did. I pointed him out in my book just BEFORE the attack on the World Trade Center. President Clinton famously missed his shot. We paid Pakistan Billions of Dollars & they never told us he was living there. Fools!..
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2018
In his next tweet, Trump reiterated his charge that Pakistan does not do anything in spite of getting billions of dollars in aid from the US. Clubbing Pakistan with countries which Trump said "take from the United States without giving anything in return", he signed off with an ominous "That's ENDING!"
....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. They were just one of many countries that take from the United States without giving anything in return. That’s ENDING!
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2018
In less than an hour, Imran Khan took to Twitter again to fend off the fresh attack.
Trump’s false assertions add insult to the injury Pak has suffered in US WoT in terms of lives lost & destabilised & economic costs. He needs to be informed abt historical facts. Pak has suffered enough fighting US's war. Now we will do what is best for our people & our interests
Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 19, 2018
It is true that Trump Administration has been stricter with Pakistan when compared with previous governments in the US. But it is not yet clear whether it will bring about a perceptible change in ground realities in South and West Asia vis-a-vis terrorism. Right from 2001, when the 'War on Terror' was waged, Pakistan has been able to 'help' the US in Afghanistan all the while shielding the terror apparatus that remains at the very core of the security problem of the region.