Moreover, Pakistan has a large and powerful army and sufficient supply of firepower, and having 800 million U.S. dollars withheld is no cause for concern, he said.
In an interview with the Voice of America on Monday, Pakistani military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said the U.S. decision will not impact Pakistan's ability to continue operations again Islamic extremists.
Curtis, however, argued that the suspension of the coalition support funds -- about 300 million U.S. dollars -- could prompt the Pakistani military to curtail its operations in the tribal border areas and move more quickly to strike peace deals with various militants in the region.
That would ultimately have the impact of expanding the militant groups' influence at the expense of the state in those border areas. "Washington and Islamabad need each other to fight the terrorists in the tribal areas that threaten the security of both nations," she said.
