US Aid

[Aamir Hussain]

AG: I do not understand the third Para of your post number 14. Is it something along these lines; as long as there is a threat of external interference (West), the mullahs will accommodate the Chinese influence!!!

If that is the theory than I am afraid we underestimate the mullah and really do not know what the Chinese want from us in the long run and what would be their influence and how deep the inroads. Once the Chinese largess is accepted and swallowed, there would be a need for reciprocity, naturally. Do we really know what do they want from us? Are we in a position to deliver on it?

This kind of brinkmanship can be turned into another disaster easily. The best thing to do is to first "Free" ourselves from the internal influences ( Including the influences of our Arab and Ajami Brothers) that does not allow us as a nation to move forward and forces us to look at things in a single dimension and than tackle the so called west influence or invite the Chinese into our realm. This is what Muse was putting forward in his post on the subject (Post 10) and I agree to most of what he has written.

Remember the ten thousand Chinese workers in Pakistan and the massage parlors in ISB??? This is when the Sh-t will hit the fan and we would be at square one again.

We need to sort things out at home first.

 

[fatman17]

US Congress pushes ahead with freeze on Pakistan military aid

James Hardy JDW Asia-Pacific Editor - London

Additional reporting by

Jon Grevatt Jane's Asia-Pacific Industry Reporter - Bangkok



The 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), approved by leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees of the US Congress on 12 December, demands the freezing of USD1.1 billion in military aid to Pakistan until the administration of President Barack Obama provides guarantees that Islamabad is trying to close down improvised explosive device (IED) networks that target international troops in Afghanistan.

The funding in question is the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund (PCCF), which was targeted by the Obama administration in June after Pakistan expelled about 100 US military trainers in response to the US special forces raid that killed Osama bin Laden. An earlier version of the bill that went through the House - known as HR 1540 - proposed that just one-quarter of the PCCF be made available to Islamabad. The PCCF had previously been allocated USD1.1 billion, meaning that about USD825 million would be frozen.

The most recent NDAA text states that "none of the amounts authorised to be appropriated under this Act for the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Fund or transferred to the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Fund from the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund should be made available" until the DoD and State Department offer guarantees "that the Government of Pakistan is demonstrating a continuing commitment to and is making significant efforts towards the implementation of a strategy to counter IEDs".

IEDs are the greatest threat to US-led forces operating in Afghanistan as part of the International Assistance Security Force (ISAF). According to data compiled by Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Centre, there were at least 655 IED attacks in Afghanistan in 2011 to date. Of those, at least 151 specifically targeted ISAF soldiers - although this number does not include attacks where ISAF was the intended target but where civilians were instead injured. This figure also does not include attacks that targeted ISAF but which caused no casualties.

The actual amount of money to be frozen has become something of a political football: a statement by House Armed Services Committee chairman Buck McKeon on 12 December said that nearly USD700 million of the PCCF had been frozen until the US Department of Defense (DoD) delivered "a strategy for improving the effectiveness of such assistance and assurances that Pakistan is countering IED networks in their country that are targeting coalition forces" in Afghanistan.

However, in a 15 December statement the US embassy in Islamabad emphasised that Washington had "not 'cut' USD700 million in military aid" but that the funds were subject to a "reporting requirement". It added: "Once the Secretary of Defense certifies that Pakistan is co-operating in our joint efforts to combat improvised explosive devices, the funds will be released. ... This is standard practice in nearly every country that receives US military assistance."

During a weekly briefing, also on 15 December, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit responded to the decision by saying it "is not based on facts and takes a narrow vision of the overall situation".

Pakistani sensitivity to the freeze and "reporting requirement" may be linked to the country's memory of the Pressler Amendment of 1985, which required similar certification for conventional arms sales in relation to Islamabad's secret nuclear weapons programme. The Reagan and Bush Sr administrations repeatedly argued that providing Pakistan with "a credible conventional deterrent" - such as F-16 fighter aircraft - would make it "less motivated to purchase a nuclear weapons capability", in Congressional testimony given by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Teresita Schaffer on 2 August 1989. This was later proven to be false and the Pressler Amendment was eventually invoked by President George HW Bush in 1992, thereby stopping US arms sales to Pakistan and leading to a major breakdown in relations that was only partially repaired by President George W Bush in the aftermath of 9/11.


COMMENT

The US Congress' decision to freeze the funding reflects the realities of a terrible year in the US-Pakistan relationship. The arrest in January of a CIA contractor after he shot two Pakistani men in Lahore was the first of a tumultuous series of clashes over US operations on Pakistani soil: the most serious of which was undoubtedly the US raid on Abbottabad to kill Osama bin Laden.

The expulsion of 100 US military trainers was Pakistan's immediate response and the trigger for the US decision to freeze funding. A war of words between the two countries erupted in July, and when a NATO airstrike that killed 24 Pakistani troops in November, the Pakistan government's response was to finally close down a US unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) facility at Shamsi airfield in Baluchistan Province and stop NATO freight convoys from Karachi into Afghanistan.

Regardless of this particular freeze, Pakistan remains a major recipient of US military aid via Foreign Military Financing, Coalition Support Funds (CSFs) and counter-terrorism funds provided by the State Department and other agencies.

According to a CRS report published in June 2011, the CSF payments are used to fund Pakistani Army operations and "help to keep more than 100,000 Pakistani troops in the field in northwest Pakistan by paying for their food, clothing and housing. They also compensate Islamabad for coalition usage of Pakistani airfields and seaports". According to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), Pakistan is the largest benefactor among 27 coalition partners, receiving 81 per cent of CSF reimbursements as of May 2008.

FMF has provided Pakistan with 12 F-16C and six F-16D Block 50/52 fighters, while other DoD-run funds have paid for Mi-17 multirole helicopters, King Air 350 surveillance aircraft, refitted C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, "450 vehicles for the Frontier Corps, 20 Buffalo explosives detection and disposal vehicles, hundreds of M141 Bunker Defeat Munitions, helicopter spare parts, sophisticated explosives detectors, night-vision devices, radios, body armour, helmets, first aid kits, litters and large amounts of other individual soldier equipment", according to the CRS report.

The scope and extent of this funding make it difficult to ascertain whether the freezing of PCCF alone will have a major effect on the Pakistani military. What is clear is that Islamabad was unlikely to be surprised by Congress' decision and may choose to respond by increasing its dependence for materiel on "all-weather friend" China.

In recent years Pakistan has requested soft loans from Beijing to buy the jointly developed JF-17 Thunder fighter aircraft and Chinese-built J-10 fighters. Other major acquisitions potentially funded by Beijing include the anticipated purchase of six Chinese submarines and missile boats. Pakistan has also procured four Sword-class frigates from China - a modified version of the Jiangwei II (Type 053H3) design - and six Z-9EC anti-submarine warfare helicopters.



Related Articles
•Pakistan dismisses 'symbolic' $800m cut in US aid, jdw.janes.com, 11.07.11

•US, Pakistan split over Bin Laden raid, jdw.janes.com, 15.06.11

 

[araz]

We are back where we were post cessation of Afghan war. The US is bankrupt and wants to withdraw. pakistan is a convenient scapegoat and therefore without listening to what we have to say the US and International press is spewing its version of events out as gospel truth. No one here denies that PA and the Pak Govtt have played a double game, allowing US access to bomb its own areas and yet saving its sympathizers to fight in the end game.
The problem with US equipment is that in any mis adventure from the Western border most of this equipment would be useless. PAF has tried very hard to develop a twin tier of Chinese and Westerrn equipment but this plan has had limited success due to resource constraints and inefficiency(more like latency within the Government).What is then the significance of the acquisitions from the US? Is it going to be used as a tech demonstrator? Are we in a position to to benefit from reverse engineering /tech sharing. It depends on what interests the chinese, which may or may not be a twin edged sword.
The policy of appeasing the US in preference of USSR and China( to a much lesser extent) has so many holes in it that one does not know what more to expose. However, with a trust deficit(vis a vis USSR at least) we have left ourselves a very hard job to ask for them to trust us now. This stupidity instead of standing firmly by the non alligned charter and having friendly relationship always seemed the most reasonable route to follow, but trust pakistan to do anything reasonable¬!¬ Heaven forbid!!!.
Where do we go from here. i think the US affair is going to get from bad to worse. I think PA has gotten their pound of flesh out of them and the people have had enough of suffering the backlash of the Taliban (ala bomb blasts). I think the current step is the right one and we should stand firm. Even if the crisis resolves we have to review the full scope of our relationship with the US vis a vis WOT and politely but firmly opt out. I think just the benefit of some peace in the country would be enough to spruce up our industry although there are other factors impeding the growth. We will continue to rely on the chinese for our defence needs but need to increasingly enter into more joint ventures. This is the only way out of our dilemma. However in the short term it would be a cultural shock which will hit our high ups more than the masses.
Araz

 

[All-Green]

We are back where we were post cessation of Afghan war. The US is bankrupt and wants to withdraw. pakistan is a convenient scapegoat and therefore without listening to what we have to say the US and International press is spewing its version of events out as gospel truth. No one here denies that PA and the Pak Govtt have played a double game, allowing US access to bomb its own areas and yet saving its sympathizers to fight in the end game.
The problem with US equipment is that in any mis adventure from the Western border most of this equipment would be useless. PAF has tried very hard to develop a twin tier of Chinese and Westerrn equipment but this plan has had limited success due to resource constraints and inefficiency(more like latency within the Government).What is then the significance of the acquisitions from the US? Is it going to be used as a tech demonstrator? Are we in a position to to benefit from reverse engineering /tech sharing. It depends on what interests the chinese, which may or may not be a twin edged sword.
The policy of appeasing the US in preference of USSR and China( to a much lesser extent) has so many holes in it that one does not know what more to expose. However, with a trust deficit(vis a vis USSR at least) we have left ourselves a very hard job to ask for them to trust us now. This stupidity instead of standing firmly by the non alligned charter and having friendly relationship always seemed the most reasonable route to follow, but trust pakistan to do anything reasonable¬!¬ Heaven forbid!!!.
Where do we go from here. i think the US affair is going to get from bad to worse. I think PA has gotten their pound of flesh out of them and the people have had enough of suffering the backlash of the Taliban (ala bomb blasts). I think the current step is the right one and we should stand firm. Even if the crisis resolves we have to review the full scope of our relationship with the US vis a vis WOT and politely but firmly opt out. I think just the benefit of some peace in the country would be enough to spruce up our industry although there are other factors impeding the growth. We will continue to rely on the chinese for our defence needs but need to increasingly enter into more joint ventures. This is the only way out of our dilemma. However in the short term it would be a cultural shock which will hit our high ups more than the masses.
Araz

Thanks Araz, i too have been thinking on the same lines.

I will take it up a notch and say that right now we need to make sure that India and Iran also see us as a business opportunity than a threat.
The gas pipeline needs to be there and we need to give assurances and take assurances from them (hint Baluchistan).

There are a few things like Gwadar lying around wasted, which can really become a gateway to heaven.
However we need to take firm decisions in order to grab the opportunities with both hands.

Pakistan should focus on transit (non NATO) and Trade with China, India, Afghanistan and Iran.
Moreover we should offer a transit to Russia as well.
Let us truly become non aligned and focus on trade.
We have to take decisions in order to realize the strategic location of Pakistan, which seems a myth but actually is Allah's gift to us...if we choose to use it that is.

The western toys are no more going to serve us, better we dig our heels and let USA go.

Interestingly i think USA may also like the NATO blockade, it may give them an excuse to pull out...
You never know with Uncle Sam, he can spin it either way via global media

In the meanwhile military should only focus its ISI on removing the extremists and giving the future government a breathing space where it can ensure better terms with all our neighbors... this is a priority to me since extremism cannot allow Pakistan a normal foreign policy, just as servitude to America eventually isolated us.

 

[araz]

Thanks Araz, i too have been thinking on the same lines.

I will take it up a notch and say that right now we need to make sure that India and Iran also see us as a business opportunity than a threat.
The gas pipeline needs to be there and we need to give assurances and take assurances from them (hint Baluchistan).

There are a few things like Gwadar lying around wasted, which can really become a gateway to heaven.
However we need to take firm decisions in order to grab the opportunities with both hands.

Pakistan should focus on transit (non NATO) and Trade with China, India, Afghanistan and Iran.
Moreover we should offer a transit to Russia as well.
Let us truly become non aligned and focus on trade.
We have to take decisions in order to realize the strategic location of Pakistan, which seems a myth but actually is Allah's gift to us...if we choose to use it that is.

The western toys are no more going to serve us, better we dig our heels and let USA go.

Interestingly i think USA may also like the NATO blockade, it may give them an excuse to pull out...
You never know with Uncle Sam, he can spin it either way via global media

In the meanwhile military should only focus its ISI on removing the extremists and giving the future government a breathing space where it can ensure better terms with all our neighbors... this is a priority to me since extremism cannot allow Pakistan a normal foreign policy, just as servitude to America eventually isolated us.

I fully agree with your post. Trade is the way to go and all parties who want to be involved need to be involved; india, Russia ,Iran included. What we are not realizing is that even if we go and sit in China's laps tomorrow, our fiscal constraints will always hamper us and China will sooner or later get fed up of our parasitic ways. We as a nation need to develop pride in our selves and stand on our own two feet.
The market forces and the resources that Pakistan have inxcluding cheap labour can really propel us forwards, but we have to take the right steps and allow the traders to trade, industrialists to invest and generate jobs, and enterpreuners to ply their trade. This in the presence of just and forcefully regulated rules will allow growth to over come most of our problems in the short to medium term.
The planning for such a growth spurt needs to be clinical and its implemenbtation even more accurate. We need to stop being lazy and complacent and work hard for our own benefit not to serve some master , Whether white , yellow or Brown.
I have said it before and need to say it again, We need to have a referendum on which direction as a nation we want to take, what is the aim of Pakistan, which theology we are going to adapt and then move on from there.#
Araz

 

[araz]

And we thought they had balls. I dont know what we have gotten ourselves into again. I think we can forget about peace n the streets, towns and garrisons. What I dont understand is what are the people of Pakistan getting with the opening of the supply lines other than suicide bombings and murder and mayhem. Add to that the utter cluelessness of the government and the general lack of direction. I honestly dont understand how any country can go on like this. Can someone please do an analysis of what Pakistan has been promised equipment wise and what has actually been delivered.
Araz

 

[Penguin]

Date Posted: 11-Jul-201i
There has frequently been a substantial difference between an agreed budget and actual disbursement, however. The PCCF allocation totalled USD400 million for 2009, according to the CRS, yet just USD125 million was received by Pakistan as a result of actual project requirements.

This means there is a pot of money, but if you don't go and claim it (and provide receipts ;-), it is not actually yours. Kind of like 'no cure, no pay' ...

 

[Penguin]

The US Aid should always have been thought of as a short term measure, after all, no institution in Pakistan can claim an entitlement to US taxpayer monies

Folks will need to take into account the rather fundamental differences between the governments/'regimes' in China and the US. By definition, relations with US will be more volatile because there is more potential for policy shifts (given different incumbent admnistrations etc). Also, thinking about relationships, what good is are friend if they don't confront you with the error of your ways if necessary (i.e. friendship doesn't mean that your friend says yes hurrah to whatever you do).

 

[Penguin]

So what after China??? I think a better way to do this would be to look at where we can leverage both China and US to ensure a gain for us.

The collection of revenues shoul continue whether we have a relationship with US or not.

It would be unwise to rely solely on either the US or China (or ANY foreign power for that matter). There are different problems and hence difference players/stakeholders/relations with each problem. In the Pakistan v India dynamic, relations with China may be crucial. In the Pakistan internal security / terrorism / Afghanistan dynamic, relations with the US may be crucial. Pakistan will always need a big external friend to counterbalance large foreign countries or powers e.g. India, Russia. Question is which friend at what time for what issue.

 

[Penguin]

The ground reality is that whosoever is in power, has to play a balancing act without giving into the extremes in our society.
We cannot jump into the arms of the west nor can we become thaikaidaar of the Muslim world.
Once Pakistan is an Uber Power, then we can be more secure in making such absolute choices...right now we need to survive and ensure that Pakistanis gradually start trusting the State to make the best choice for them.

We have to somehow negate the interference of the west and certain brother Muslim countries in shaping our society and create the feeling that poor or rich, Pakistan shapes its own future.
Even a relatively poor man can have pride, self respect and freedom; however that can only be if the man makes his own choices.

The one benefit i see of a break from US is that it makes it easy for Pakistan to keep strategic partnership with China alive and maybe even enhance it further.
The reason i am saying this is that because if USA was absent in this region and had no interest in Pakistan, our zealots have the potential to start maligning our relationship with China.
I can imagine the conspiracy theories, especially the "Hog and Magog" (Yajooj Majooj) sort of theories... ;-)

Just as long as we have a perceived threat of external interference by the west or the brother Muslim countries, our relationship with China can be stable even with the current mindset of our nation. China is currently perceived as a neutral entity whether you are Anti west or Anti Islamist.

However, given long term political stability and maturity; i am sure that the nation will realize the benefits of alliances and partnerships once they are based on even footing and we shall not have so much conspiracy theories being accepted as fact in all elements of our society.

One thing that remains unanswered is how a strong Pakistani Industry (consequence of stability) would dictate the relationship with China.

Yet, somehow, the future of Pakistan is only seen in terms of conflict between states/powers. What if you refuse to play and focus more internally, on development etc?

 

[Penguin]

I will take it up a notch and say that right now we need to make sure that India and Iran also see us as a business opportunity than a threat.
The gas pipeline needs to be there and we need to give assurances and take assurances from them (hint Baluchistan).

Business requires STABILITY, rule of law, that sort of thing......

 

[All-Green]

Business requires STABILITY, rule of law, that sort of thing......

Very true, however on the other hand it becomes difficult to stabilize your country without improving your economy.
Kind of ironic but stability goes hand in hand with a healthy/sustainable economy.

We can manage to do a lot better on the economic front if our Government succeeds in improving ties with neighboring countries including India. Steps to improve trade are critical in this regards.

Majority of Pakistanis just want a stable and prosperous Pakistan.
In this context better relations with neighbors is something the average Joe can understand and relate to; at least much more than dodgy alliances with powers that are not our natural neighbors.

 

[SpArK]

USAID helped to restore 128 MWs of generation capacity at Tarbela - thenews.com.pk

ISLAMABAD: In a roundup of the US assistance activities during the month of March for Pakistan, the US mission has issued a brief fact sheet on Tuesday. It encompasses five major spheres of cooperation including initiatives in energy, economic growth, community development, education, and health.

The mission’s release said that during a visit to the Tarbela Dam and Power Station in early March US Ambassador Richard Olson joined the chairman Wapda to mark the completion of the USAID-funded renovations of the power station. Under this $16.5 million effort, USAID renovated three generator units and restored 128 megawatts of generation capacity — enough to provide electricity to 300,000 homes.

It said that with support from USAID, the Government of KPK, and the KP Tourism Corporation, 251 hotels and fisheries previously damaged by conflicts and floods have increased their revenues from $454,000 in 2010 to $4.2 million in 2012. They have also generated more than 2,000 new jobs. The USAID provided $5.4 million in grants, technical assistance, and in-kind support to these businesses from 2010 to 2012.

While dilating upon the reduction in Customs delay, the release said that to support the 2010 Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement, USAID installed computer equipment, power supply, and Internet connectivity at the customs stations in Torkham, Baleli, Khairabad, Chaman, and Port Qasim, as well as at the Customs House and East and West wharfs in Karachi. These upgrades will reduce delays in the clearance of goods; curtail unauthorised trade practices, and lower trade costs along the Afghan transit corridor.

The USAID provided two tractor-towed mechanical sweepers and three garbage compactors to the Peshawar Municipal Corporation to facilitate waste management in the densely populated Town 1 area of Peshawar. The programme has already helped clean 30 kilometers of drains.

The release said that the USAID began construction of five eco-friendly, energy-efficient buildings to house new faculties of education at leading universities in Punjab and Sindh. The new facilities for teacher training will be equipped with digital libraries, science laboratories, and a media center, with wireless internet access available throughout each building. When completed, the facilities will have the capacity to train thousands of new teachers and meet our joint U.S.-Pakistan goal of improving the quality of teaching through new degree programmes, changes in recruitment policies, and a more qualified university faculty.

Construction began in Sindh at Karachi University, Sindh University, and Shah Abdul Latif University. In Punjab, construction began at the University of Punjab and the University of Education, Lahore.

The USAID and the Marie Stopes Society trained 40 field health educators who visit some of the poorest communities in Sindh and Punjab to educate men and women on health issues, and to refer women to local health facilities. USAID covers the cost of services for the most needy.

 

[RangerPK]

I have non Muslims give charity to Muslims hoping they would leave their religion. They give charity to misguide us.

Also I heard a non Muslim helping a Muslim, is like a Muslim stuck in a well, hanging by the tail of a donkey.

Do we really need their charity And a help from a donkey?