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India-Pakistan |
Billions in aid to Pakistan was wasted, officials assert |
2007-12-24 |
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: After the United States has spent more than $5 billion in a largely failed effort to bolster the Pakistani military effort against militants from Al Qaeda and the Taliban, some American officials now acknowledge that there were too few controls over how the money was spent, and that the strategy to improve the Pakistani military needs to be completely revamped. In interviews in Islamabad and Washington, Bush administration and military officials said they believed that much of the American money was not making its way to frontline Pakistani units. Money has been diverted to help finance weapons systems designed to counter India, not Al Qaeda or the Taliban, the officials said, adding that the United States has paid tens of millions of dollars in inflated Pakistani reimbursement claims for fuel, ammunition and other costs. "I personally believe there is exaggeration and inflation," said a senior American military official who has reviewed the program, referring to Pakistani requests for reimbursement. "Then, I point back to the United States and say we didn't have to give them money this way." |
Posted by:john frum |
#5 We should just tell the pakiwaki foerign minister that we're done sending money. When they lose control of the situation, we'll use several multi-billion dollar Ohio class boats to solve the problem once and for all... |
Posted by: M. Murcek 2007-12-24 21:07 |
#4 We need real leadership, not more of this idiocy. |
Posted by: Grumenk Philalzabod0723 2007-12-24 20:05 |
#3 In addition, Washington reimbursed Pakistan $55 million for helicopter operation and maintenance costs for an eight-month period in 2007, American officials said. The United States later found out that the army received only $25 million from the Pakistani government for operations and maintenance of their entire national helicopter fleet for the whole of 2007. Well, gee whiz, I wonder where that extra 30 million bucks went? Oh, I'm sure it went to a good cause, or just got missplaced or...sumthin. |
Posted by: tu3031 2007-12-24 12:09 |
#2 Money has been diverted to help finance weapons systems designed to counter India, not Al Qaeda or the Taliban, the officials said, adding that the United States has paid tens of millions of dollars in inflated Pakistani reimbursement claims for fuel, ammunition and other costs. How could we have possibly foreseen this? /sarc |
Posted by: Skunky Elmomosh5044 2007-12-24 07:20 |
#1 But they fear that members of Congress will react to the troubled reimbursement program by slashing military aid to Pakistan. Hurray for Congress. |
Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2007-12-24 03:10 |