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Pakistani security forces and intelligence agencies have arrested Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri’s daughter and son-in-law Umar Jalal Kathio in a massive operation in Karachi
Pakistani security forces and intelligence agencies have arrested Al-Qaida chief Ayman al-Zawahiri’s daughter and son-in-law Umar Jalal Kathio in a massive operation in Karachi, reports in Pakistani media said on November 19. Umar Jalal had also served as former Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden’s bodyguard and driver.
The move was made by the Pakistanis soon after the American President Donald Trump signalled at twisting their ears in an interview given in America. President Trump defended his administration’s decision to cut off aid to Pakistan, berating the country for not doing “a damn thing for us.” In an interview with Fox News’ Chris Wallace that aired on November 11, Trump pointed to Osama bin Laden’s presence in Pakistan as proof.
In a series of tweets, President Trump stated, “…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!”
He continued, “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!..”
Uncle Sam Angry
The alliance between the United States and Pakistan has always been tenuous, but tensions have increased since Trump’s election. The administration suspended most of its military aid to Pakistan at the beginning of this year for its failure to act against terrorist groups.
The U.S. also excluded Pakistani officers from the International Military Education and Training Program and was successful in getting Pakistan back on the global Financial Action Task Force’s grey list, which includes countries that have failed to curb terrorist financing.
The United States has long complained about Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies playing a double game in the region, protecting some militant groups while taking on others. Pakistan has consistently denied these allegations but also maintained that its top priority is to protect its strategic interest, which is believed to include keeping relationships with proxy forces that can aid Pakistan in a fight against India. Pakistanis also are quick to point to America’s unholy alliances, including its support for the Taliban’s forebears in Afghanistan.
