US military strategist slams Trump admin over $1 billion IMF bailout for Pak
Ex-Pentagon adviser Michael Rubin slammed the IMF's $1B bailout to Pakistan, calling it aid to a "terror-addled, pro-China regime." He said it undermines Trump, bails out China, and rewards Pakistan's terrorism-linked actions against India.
In Short
- Michael Rubin criticised Trump administration for inaction on IMF's $1 billion bailout to Pakistan
- IMF's funding seen as undermining US efforts to ease India-Pakistan tensions
- Rubin called Pakistan a 'satrapy of China' and bailout a cover for Chinese debt
Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a former Pentagon adviser, blasted the Trump administration's inaction over the International Monetary Fund's move to provide $1 billion bailout for Pakistan.
"To release $1 billion to a terror-addled, pro-China regime... was not just about Pakistan; it was about the IMF thumbing its nose at President Donald Trump," Rubin wrote in a scathing op-ed in Washington Examiner.
On Friday, the IMF agreed to release $1 billion to Pakistan, one of the world’s most corrupt countries. "Its move came after Pakistan-based terrorists infiltrated India and executed non-Muslims in front of their families," Rubin said. "Rather than say good riddance and deny ties, Pakistani military officers attended the terrorists’ funerals while in uniform and then attacked India."
The decision comes at a time when the US administration is attempting to de-escalate tensions between two nuclear states in South Asia. But Rubin argues the IMF’s funding directly undermines that goal and should not have gone unchallenged.
Rubin also emphasised the broader geopolitical implications of the bailout, describing Pakistan as "a satrapy of China." With Islamabad already $40 billion in debt through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Rubin said IMF money "is also effectively bailing out the People’s Republic of China."
Rubin urged the Trump administration to flex its financial muscle and reconsider its IMF commitments. "Trump should not tolerate such waste, fraud, or disrespect," he said, pointing to the more than $150 billion the US contributes to IMF. On Feb. 4, Trump signed an executive order that required the secretary of state to review within 180 days US participation in all international organisations "of which the United States is a member and provides any type of funding," Rubin said.
He concluded with a jab at the institution’s track record: "Terrorist sponsors seldom prioritise their own citizenry’s well-being."
'PAKISTAN WENT RUNNING FOR CEASEFIRE LIKE A SCARED DOG'
Earlier in an interview with ANI, Rubin credited India’s swift and precise military retaliation -- dubbed Operation Sindoor -- for shifting the global focus to Pakistan’s role in cross-border terrorism and undermining Islamabad’s long-standing narrative.
Rubin painted a scathing picture of Pakistan’s battlefield performance. "Militarily, Pakistan is shocked... Pakistan has started every single war with India and yet convinced itself that somehow it has won," he said. "It’s going to be very difficult for Pakistan to convince itself that it won this 4-day war."
He described Pakistan’s military response as disorganised and ineffective. "Islamabad went running to try to achieve a ceasefire like a scared dog with its tail between its legs," Rubin told ANI, adding, "There is absolutely no spin that the Pakistani military can put on what occurred... they not only lost, they lost very, very badly."
Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a former Pentagon adviser, blasted the Trump administration's inaction over the International Monetary Fund's move to provide $1 billion bailout for Pakistan.
"To release $1 billion to a terror-addled, pro-China regime... was not just about Pakistan; it was about the IMF thumbing its nose at President Donald Trump," Rubin wrote in a scathing op-ed in Washington Examiner.
On Friday, the IMF agreed to release $1 billion to Pakistan, one of the world’s most corrupt countries. "Its move came after Pakistan-based terrorists infiltrated India and executed non-Muslims in front of their families," Rubin said. "Rather than say good riddance and deny ties, Pakistani military officers attended the terrorists’ funerals while in uniform and then attacked India."
The decision comes at a time when the US administration is attempting to de-escalate tensions between two nuclear states in South Asia. But Rubin argues the IMF’s funding directly undermines that goal and should not have gone unchallenged.
Rubin also emphasised the broader geopolitical implications of the bailout, describing Pakistan as "a satrapy of China." With Islamabad already $40 billion in debt through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Rubin said IMF money "is also effectively bailing out the People’s Republic of China."
Rubin urged the Trump administration to flex its financial muscle and reconsider its IMF commitments. "Trump should not tolerate such waste, fraud, or disrespect," he said, pointing to the more than $150 billion the US contributes to IMF. On Feb. 4, Trump signed an executive order that required the secretary of state to review within 180 days US participation in all international organisations "of which the United States is a member and provides any type of funding," Rubin said.
He concluded with a jab at the institution’s track record: "Terrorist sponsors seldom prioritise their own citizenry’s well-being."
'PAKISTAN WENT RUNNING FOR CEASEFIRE LIKE A SCARED DOG'
Earlier in an interview with ANI, Rubin credited India’s swift and precise military retaliation -- dubbed Operation Sindoor -- for shifting the global focus to Pakistan’s role in cross-border terrorism and undermining Islamabad’s long-standing narrative.
Rubin painted a scathing picture of Pakistan’s battlefield performance. "Militarily, Pakistan is shocked... Pakistan has started every single war with India and yet convinced itself that somehow it has won," he said. "It’s going to be very difficult for Pakistan to convince itself that it won this 4-day war."
He described Pakistan’s military response as disorganised and ineffective. "Islamabad went running to try to achieve a ceasefire like a scared dog with its tail between its legs," Rubin told ANI, adding, "There is absolutely no spin that the Pakistani military can put on what occurred... they not only lost, they lost very, very badly."