Los Angeles Times

Pakistan finds itself on the defensive in Trump's Afghan war strategy

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan _ It feels like a lifetime ago, but it was just December, a week after his election, that then-President-elect Donald Trump was lavishing praise on Pakistan, calling it a "fantastic place ... doing amazing work."

But as Trump said in outlining his new strategy in South Asia, things look different from behind a desk in the Oval Office, and his views toward Pakistan seem to have changed since that strange phone call with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Sharif is gone, having resigned last month in the wake of a corruption scandal, leaving Pakistan's military as unquestionably the most powerful force in the country. But that military _ one of the United States' most troublesome allies and the recipient of billions of dollars in U.S. aid _ now finds itself on the defensive as Trump demands it "change immediately" its policy of harboring the Taliban and other militant

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times3 min read
Review: Dua Lipa Is A Pop Star With No Lore On 'Radical Optimism'
Dua Lipa's "Radical Optimism" has a hilarious album cover, two songs about illusionists and what may end up the year's most succulent bass playing. What it doesn't have is the kind of detailed celebrity meta-narrative that's come to define — and to p
Los Angeles Times2 min read
Three Friends Drove From California To Mexico For A Surfing Trip. Then They Disappeared
MEXICO CITY — Last month, two brothers and one of their friends crossed from the United States into Mexico to explore Baja California's famous surf breaks. Pictures posted online by one of the brothers, Callum Robinson, 33, show the men gazing out at
Los Angeles Times2 min read
Three Friends Drove From California To Mexico For A Surfing Trip. Then They Disappeared
Last month, two brothers and one of their friends crossed from the United States into Mexico to explore Baja California's famous surf breaks. One of the brothers, Callum Robinson, 33, posted snapshots of their journey on Instagram, showing the men ga

Related Books & Audiobooks