'Why Are We Funding Foreign Militaries?': Senator-Elect Abdul El-Sayed Questions US Aid to Pakistan
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Abdul El-Sayed, the first Muslim elected to the US Senate, has questioned American military assistance to Pakistan, arguing that taxpayers' money should not fund foreign militaries or support actions that violate international law.
The Michigan Democrat made the remarks while discussing US foreign policy and military assistance to several countries, including Pakistan, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
El-Sayed argued that Washington should prioritise domestic needs instead of spending public money on foreign military establishments. He also stressed that the US must apply international law consistently when deciding which countries receive military support.
El-Sayed made the comments in an interview with NPR after winning Michigan's Senate seat, in which he argued that billions of dollars spent on foreign military assistance could instead fund schools, healthcare and infrastructure in the US.
"We don't need and deserve more war, more bombs for foreign governments. What we need and deserve is good healthcare and good childcare, functional infrastructure and good schools for our kids," he said.
Referring to US military assistance to Pakistan and other countries, El-Sayed said American taxpayers should not be expected to finance foreign militaries.
"Whether it's Israel or Egypt or Saudi Arabia or Jordan or Pakistan, I don't think any of us pay our tax dollars to subsidise foreign militaries," he said.
Questions US Military Assistance Policy
El-Sayed's remarks reflect his broader opposition to US military spending overseas. He has argued that Washington should apply the same standards to all countries receiving American military assistance.
During the interview, he also criticised US support for Israel, calling for an end to arms sales involving weapons used in actions he described as genocide and apartheid.
He called for equal rights, peace, dignity and self-determination for Palestinians and Jewish Israelis, and opposed US efforts to shield countries from accountability for alleged violations of international law.
His comments on Pakistan came as part of this wider criticism of foreign military funding. He did not separately establish that US assistance to Pakistan was being used to violate international law.
Who Is Abdul El-Sayed?
The 42-year-old former public health official defeated Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate election, making history as the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.
A Democrat, El-Sayed campaigned on reducing living costs, expanding healthcare through Medicare for All and limiting corporate influence in politics.
His victory also marked a political milestone amid a campaign in which his Muslim identity and positions on US support for Israel became major issues.
El-Sayed is expected to take his seat in the Senate in January 2027.
