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WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has rejected or deferred millions of dollars in military aid requests from Pakistan amid criticism that the Islamabad government has squandered U.S. funding and allowed al-Qaeda to recreate a safe haven in its western tribal regions.
In February alone, the Defense Department turned down or delayed more than $81 million requested by Pakistan, according to a report issued Tuesday by the Government Accountability Office.
The rejection represents a small portion of nearly $1 billion a year Pakistan has received, but it marks a change in U.S. policy, which allowed Pakistan to spend military aid without such strings attached.
