Michael Rubin, an American Enterprise Institute senior fellow and former Pentagon adviser, strongly rebuked the Trump administration for not taking action against the International Monetary Fund's move to give a $1 billion bailout to Pakistan.
In a sharply worded op-ed in the Washington Examiner, Rubin authored, "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."
The IMF sanctioned the $1 billion assistance on Friday, sending money to what Rubin referred to as "one of the world's most corrupt countries." He emphasized Pakistan's recent terrorist attacks against India, adding, "Its move came after Pakistan-based terrorists crossed into India and killed non-Muslims before their families." Rubin criticized Pakistani military officers for attending the terrorists' funerals in uniform before they attacked India.
Rubin emphasized that the bailout violates the efforts of the U.S. administration to ease tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors in South Asia. He said the IMF's action should have been vigorously opposed.
Aside from the immediate struggle, Rubin referred to broader geopolitical issues. He labeled Pakistan "a satrapy of China," already weighed down by more than $40 billion in debt from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. "IMF money is also effectively bailing out the People's Republic of China," he stated.
Challenging the Trump administration to use greater financial clout, Rubin demanded a reevaluation of U.S. commitment to the IMF. "Trump can't allow such waste, fraud, or disrespect," he said, citing more than $150 billion that the U.S. sends to the IMF each year. Rubin pointed out that on February 4, Trump had issued an executive order instructing the Secretary of State to study U.S. membership in all international organizations supported by the United States within 180 days.
He ended with a bitter reminder: "Terrorist sponsors rarely prioritize the welfare of their own citizens."
'PAKISTAN WENT RUNNING FOR CEASEFIRE LIKE A SCARED DOG'
In another interview with ANI, Rubin attributed India's prompt military response under Operation Sindoor for laying bare Pakistan's game in cross-border terrorism and upsetting Islamabad's habitual narrative.
Rubin bluntly analyzed Pakistan's military performance, saying, "Militarily, Pakistan is stunned. Pakistan has initiated every single war with India and yet managed to delude itself into believing that somehow it has won. It's going to be incredibly hard for Pakistan to convince itself that it won this 4-day war."
Characterizing Pakistan's reaction as ineffective and haphazard, Rubin stated, "Islamabad ran around attempting to secure a ceasefire like a frightened dog with its tail between its legs." He summed up bluntly, "There is absolutely no spin the Pakistani military can put on what happened. they not only lost, they lost badly, very, very badly."
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