Agarwal
Councller (250+ posts)
US Senators forrelease of funds to Pakistan
AP | 2 hours ago
Sen. Rand Paul,a Republican, is pushing for a vote later this month to cut off future funds.That vote is contingent in part on what Pakistan does in the case of ShakilAfridi, the doctor who helped the United States track down Osama bin Laden butwas convicted and sentenced to 33 years for high treason. File Photo byReuters
WASHINGTON:Pakistan should get $1.1 billion in US funds that have been held up for monthsnow that Islamabad has reopened crucial NATO supply lines to Afghanistan, topSenators said Tuesday.
A major obstacle to releasing the moneywas removed last week when Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton apologizedto Pakistan for the killing of 24 Pakistani troops last fall and Pakistan, inreturn, agreed to reopen the overland supply lines to US-led coalition forces.
Congress has already approved the moneyto reimburse Pakistan for counterterrorism operations, but it has been on holdfor some six months.
Armed Services Committee Chairman CarlLevin, D-Michigan, a Democrat and one of the panels top Republicans, LindseyGraham, said the money should be released, albeit reluctantly.
They dont deserve it. What theyvedone is presumably earned it by the amount of money theyve laid out in termsof their anti-terrorist activity and protecting our lines, Levin told a groupof reporters.
He said he would vote to approve therelease.
The Pentagon intends to submit $1.1billion in approved requests for reimbursement of money the Pakistan governmenthas spent on counterterrorism operations that were incurred largely along theborder.
If our commanders believe that releasingthe funds helps the war effort, yes. I dont want to second guess thesepeople, Graham said. Pakistan on a good day is very hard. It is an unreliableally. You cant trust them, you cant abandon them. The biggest beneficiary isthe men and women fighting the war. And I want Pakistan to be stable. And ifthe money helps them become more stable, good.
If you cut the money off, whatleverage do you have? There may come a day when we do that, but not yet, hesaid.
Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican, is pushingfor a vote later this month to cut off future funds.
That vote is contingent in part on whatPakistan does in the case of Shakil Afridi, the doctor who helped the UnitedStates track down Osama bin Laden but was convicted and sentenced to 33 yearsfor high treason. Afridi ran a vaccination program for the CIA to collect DNAand verify bin Ladens presence at the compound in Abbottabad where UScommandos found and killed the al Qaeda leader in May 2011.
His appeal trial is scheduled for July19.
Moira Bagley, a spokeswoman for Paul,said it was unclear whether the Senate would get a vote on the reimbursementmoney because the funds have been appropriated.
Lawmakers have shown their frustrationwith Pakistan on future budget requests. In May, the Senate AppropriationsCommittee voted to slash millions in foreign aid to Pakistan from the Obamaadministration request for the fiscal year beginning Oct 1.
Members of Congress have questionedIslamabads commitment to the fight against terrorism and resentment stilllingers in Congress more than a year after bin Laden was killed deep insidePakistan.
AP | 2 hours ago
Sen. Rand Paul,a Republican, is pushing for a vote later this month to cut off future funds.That vote is contingent in part on what Pakistan does in the case of ShakilAfridi, the doctor who helped the United States track down Osama bin Laden butwas convicted and sentenced to 33 years for high treason. File Photo byReuters
WASHINGTON:Pakistan should get $1.1 billion in US funds that have been held up for monthsnow that Islamabad has reopened crucial NATO supply lines to Afghanistan, topSenators said Tuesday.
A major obstacle to releasing the moneywas removed last week when Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton apologizedto Pakistan for the killing of 24 Pakistani troops last fall and Pakistan, inreturn, agreed to reopen the overland supply lines to US-led coalition forces.
Congress has already approved the moneyto reimburse Pakistan for counterterrorism operations, but it has been on holdfor some six months.
Armed Services Committee Chairman CarlLevin, D-Michigan, a Democrat and one of the panels top Republicans, LindseyGraham, said the money should be released, albeit reluctantly.
They dont deserve it. What theyvedone is presumably earned it by the amount of money theyve laid out in termsof their anti-terrorist activity and protecting our lines, Levin told a groupof reporters.
He said he would vote to approve therelease.
The Pentagon intends to submit $1.1billion in approved requests for reimbursement of money the Pakistan governmenthas spent on counterterrorism operations that were incurred largely along theborder.
If our commanders believe that releasingthe funds helps the war effort, yes. I dont want to second guess thesepeople, Graham said. Pakistan on a good day is very hard. It is an unreliableally. You cant trust them, you cant abandon them. The biggest beneficiary isthe men and women fighting the war. And I want Pakistan to be stable. And ifthe money helps them become more stable, good.
If you cut the money off, whatleverage do you have? There may come a day when we do that, but not yet, hesaid.
Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican, is pushingfor a vote later this month to cut off future funds.
That vote is contingent in part on whatPakistan does in the case of Shakil Afridi, the doctor who helped the UnitedStates track down Osama bin Laden but was convicted and sentenced to 33 yearsfor high treason. Afridi ran a vaccination program for the CIA to collect DNAand verify bin Ladens presence at the compound in Abbottabad where UScommandos found and killed the al Qaeda leader in May 2011.
His appeal trial is scheduled for July19.
Moira Bagley, a spokeswoman for Paul,said it was unclear whether the Senate would get a vote on the reimbursementmoney because the funds have been appropriated.
Lawmakers have shown their frustrationwith Pakistan on future budget requests. In May, the Senate AppropriationsCommittee voted to slash millions in foreign aid to Pakistan from the Obamaadministration request for the fiscal year beginning Oct 1.
Members of Congress have questionedIslamabads commitment to the fight against terrorism and resentment stilllingers in Congress more than a year after bin Laden was killed deep insidePakistan.
