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| India-Pakistan | ||
| US bills seek ban on trade; 90pc aid cut | ||
| 2012-05-12 | ||
| [Dawn] The US Congress on Thursday proposed stopping preferential trade with Pakistain and reducing aid to just 10 per cent of available funds unless Islamabad reopened NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions... supply routes.
The restrictions were endorsed by an overwhelming majority as both Republicans and Democrats castigated Pakistain for closing the supply routes and for allegedly patronising various terrorist groups. "The bill places appropriate conditions on aid to Pakistain," said Congressman Adam Smith, a ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. "It is imperative that Pakistain support our counter-terrorism efforts and work to prevent the interdiction of improvised bombs to Afghanistan." On Wednesday, a House appropriations panel for foreign aid denied $800 million to Pakistain from a special fund for training and equipping Pakistain's military in counter-insurgency tactics. During a debate inside the aid panel, Congressman Jesse Jackson accused Pakistain of "harbouring a runaway" and likened the US-Pakistain relationship to a "bad marriage". This bill has been referred to the full committee but no date has yet been announced for the full committee session. Last week, government officials in Islamabad had told opposition members and politicians opposing the reopening of routes that the United States could slap strict sanctions on Pakistain if the supply lines remained closed. Although the bill adopted by the aid panel specifies an amount -- $800 million -- the bill passed by the powerful Armed Services Committee on Thursday could have more serious repercussions for Pakistain. It contains language that can be interpreted to stop all military assistance to Pakistain if relations between the two countries continue to deteriorate. The bill urges Pakistain to tackle all terrorist groups operating from its territory and deal with the menace of improvised bombs if it wants to continue receiving US economic and military assistance. One section of the bill urges "prohibiting preferential procurement of goods or services from Pakistain" until it reopens the ground lines of communication for coalition operations in Afghanistan. Pakistain closed the supply lines after the Nov 26 US raid on a border post that killed 24 Pak soldiers. Additionally, this section would prohibit all reimbursements to Pakistain until the US secretary of defence provides a report to Congress that outlines: "the model for reimbursement, including how claims are proposed and adjudicated; new conditions or caveats that the government of Pakistain places on the use of its supply routes; and the new cost associated with transit through supply routes in Pakistain." The secretary of defence will also have to certify that Pakistain is committed to: supporting counter-terrorism operations against Al Qaeda, its associated movements, the Haqqani network, and other domestic and foreign terrorist organizations. Another certification will state that Pakistain is "preventing the proliferation of nuclear-related material and expertise; and issuing visas in a timely manner for United States visitors engaged in counter-terrorism efforts and assistance programmes in Pakistain." Section 1217 extends the Pakistain Counter-insurgency Fund through fiscal year 2013 but contains amendments that require the secretaries of defence and state to submit an update on the strategy to utilise the fund, and the metrics used to determine progress with respect to the fund. This section would also limit the authority of the secretary of defence to obligate or expend funds made available to the Pakistain Counter-insurgency Fund during fiscal year 2013 to not more than 10 per cent of the amount available until such time as the update is submitted to the appropriate congressional committees. On Wednesday afternoon, another panel denied $800 million that was requested for a special fund for training and equipping Pakistain's military in counter-insurgency tactics. The overwhelming support to the proposed restrictions on Pakistain indicates that the bill will pass the full House because it enjoys bipartisan support. The bill authorises $554 billion for national defence and $88.5 billion for overseas contingencies operations. It is nearly $4 billion more than President B.O.'s budget request. Separately, the US House Appropriations Subcommittee for State and Foreign Operations has called for a complete ban on economic or security assistance to Pakistain until the secretary of state certifies that Pakistain is cooperating and taking action against terrorist networks. The House subcommittee has proposed that no assistance under Economic Support Fund, International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement, Foreign Military Financing Programme and the Pakistain Counter-insurgency Capability Fund be released until the secretary of state certifies to the Appropriations Committee. The bill also requires the Pak military and intelligence agencies to stop "intervening extra-judicially into political and judicial processes in the country". | ||
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 Why leave them with 10%? |
| Posted by: gorb 2012-05-12 19:47 |
| #2 it would also have to get through the Democrat-controlled Senate and somehow avoid the Obama veto pen... True, but after all that crowing about how he personally shot Osama, who was lounging by the Motel Six pool in Abbotabad, it might be hard to sell the American people on why we should send money to these back-stabbers. Especially when the economy at home is in the dumpster. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2012-05-12 12:40 |
| #1 Its apparen causing Islamabad to move quickly to meet + finally decide on reopening the land routes or not. Iff Pakland does decide to reopen, IMO this may cause Iran to intensify its efforts to dominate the Arabian side of the Persian Gulf, + Iraq + Kuwait, in order to "politely" forcefully make the Gulf all but absolutely untenable as a staging area for pro-Invasion major US-NATO/Allied fleet + air + amphib units. THE PRO-DIPLOMACY BAMMER MAY NOT WANT WAR IN THE GULF THIS SUMMER OR EARLY FALL, BUT HE MAY YET GET IT ANYWAY TO SAVE THE KSA + SMALLER GCC STATES FROM COLLAPSE, + FREE FLOW OF GULF TRADE. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2012-05-12 00:49 |