US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis says will try to work with Pakistan ‘one more time’

Over the past decade relations between Pakistan and the United States have been frayed.

“We need to try one more time to make this strategy work with them, by, with and through the Pakistanis, and if our best efforts fail, the president is prepared to take whatever steps are necessary,” Mattis said at a House Armed Services Committee hearing.

During the briefing Mattis added that the minister would be travelling to Islamabad soon, however he did not give details.

Possible responses to the situation by Trump administration include expanding US drone strikes and perhaps eventually downgrading Pakistan’s status as a major non Nato ally.

When a lawmaker asked Mattis whether revoking of Pakistan’s major Non-Nato ally status was amongst the options which were being considered to deal with Islamabad, Matti siad “I am sure it will be.”

Pakistan argues that it has done a great deal to help the United States in tracking down terrorists and points out that it has suffered hundreds of deaths in militant attacks in response to its crackdowns.

US officials have told Reuters that the United States will send about 3,500 additional troops to Afghanistan.

Dunford said that the current cost for the United States in Afghanistan was about $12.5 billion a year, and the new strategy would cost an additional $1.1 billion.

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