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Article snippet: WASHINGTON — In most countries where the United States has national security interests, the toppling of a prime minister would prompt hurried meetings in Washington and concern over how the change in government will affect American strategy in the region. But not so with forced to step down as prime minister of Pakistan amid corruption charges, raised eyebrows at the State Department and the Pentagon, but little else. The Pakistani military is largely viewed as the real source of power in Islamabad, and that is not going to change with a new prime minister. Still, the removal of Mr. Sharif comes as the White House is trying to determine a strategy for Haqqani network have a sanctuary. The White House has held up a Pentagon request to send additional troops to Afghanistan while officials grapple with how much pressure to put on the Pakistani government to crack down on the groups. The Pakistani government has “failed to take significant action” to prevent those groups from threatening American and Afghan forces in neighboring Afghanistan, the State Department said last week in a report on terrorism. And Pentagon officials are withholding $50 million in military reimbursements to Pakistan for the fiscal year that ended in October 2016, signaling displeasure with Islamabad’s failed efforts against the Haqqani network, a ruthless wing of the Taliban based in Pakistan that has become an integral part of the insurgency’s leadership. American and Afghan officials are st... Link to the full article to read more