"President Trump's bombast and the precipitous way the decision seems to have been made have led to doubts that Mr. Trump has a serious plan for managing the ramifications of this move," the publication added. Back on January 1, 2018, the American head-of-state had tweeted that the US had "foolishly" given Pakistan over $33 billion in aid over the past 15 years, adding that Islamabad gives "safe havens to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!"
The rhetoric has raised hackles in Islamabad, adding to the fears that the row could undermine Pakistan's support for American operations in Afghanistan. Pakistan, which is of crucial importance to the US due to the latter using the former's road and rail networks as well as the airspace to funnel supplies for its troops in Afghanistan, "could shut down American access at any moment".
It becomes a matter of even graver importance that Trump "has given no assurance that he would not make matters worse". A decision to withdraw or limit support towards the US may, alternatively, suggest an opening into the further enhancement of Pakistan's friendship with China, "which is already investing in major new infrastructure projects and expanding its international leadership".
If Trump was to realise how precariously the frail balance is being maintained at present, quite unlikely taking into account how he quickly supported Senator Rand Paul's proposal to "take the money that would have gone to Pakistan and put it in an infrastructure fund to build roads and bridges here in the US", he might consider other options.
Which is, to say, "Harness his new friendships with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates". However, that "would, of course, require quiet negotiations, not shouting". Nevertheless, the analysis concluded on one significant point: "President Trump cannot afford to walk away from Pakistan".