Sunday, October 29, 2006
US paid Pakistan billions of dollars to counter terror
* Congressional Research Service says $3.6b given to Pakistan from Jan 2002 to Aug 2005
* $900m to be released in fiscal year 2007
By Khalid Hasan
WASHINGTON: Pakistan has received billions of dollars in reimbursement for its support of US-led counter-terrorism operations, while Congress has appropriated billions of dollars to reimburse Pakistan for its support of counter-terrorism operations.
According to an updated version of a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on Pakistan, ââ¬ÅAs of September 2006, a total of $6.64 billion had been appropriated for FY2002-FY2007 Defence Department spending for coalition support payments to Pakistan and other cooperating nations. Pentagon documents indicate that disbursements to Islamabad account for the great majority of these funds: about $3.6 billion for operations from January 2002 through August 2005, an amount roughly equal to one-quarter of Pakistanââ¬â¢s total military expenditures during that period. The Defence Department Appropriations Act, 2007 would allow that up to $900 million in Pentagon funds be used for FY2007 reimbursements.ââ¬Â
Pakistan is among the worldââ¬â¢s leading recipients of US aid, obtaining more than $3.5 billion in direct US assistance for FY2002-FY2006, including $1.5 billion in security-related aid.
The CRS report says US concerns regarding Pakistan include regional terrorism, Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, weapon proliferation, the ongoing Kashmir problem and Pakistan-India tensions, human rights protection and economic development. It recalls that a US-Pakistan relationship marked by periods of both cooperation and discord was transformed by the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States and the ensuing enlistment of Pakistan as a key ally in US-led counter-terrorism efforts.
The report adds, ââ¬ÅTop US officials regularly praise Islamabad for its ongoing cooperation, although doubts exist about Islamabadââ¬â¢s commitment to some core US interests. Pakistan is identified as a base for terrorist groups and their supporters operating in Kashmir, India, and Afghanistan.ââ¬Â
The CRS notes that since late 2003, Pakistanââ¬â¢s army has been conducting ââ¬Åunprecedentedââ¬Â counter-terrorism operations in the countryââ¬â¢s western tribal areas. Separatist violence in Indiaââ¬â¢s Jammu and Kashmir state has continued unabated since 1989, with some notable relative decline in recent years. India has blamed Pakistan for the infiltration of Islamic militants into Indian Kashmir, a charge Islamabad denies.
ââ¬ÅThe United States reportedly has received pledges from Islamabad that all ââ¬Ëcross-border terrorismââ¬â¢ would cease and that any terrorist facilities in Pakistani-controlled areas would be closed. Similar pledges have been made to India. The United States strongly encourages maintenance of a ceasefire along the Kashmiri Line of Control and continued substantive dialogue between Islamabad and New Delhi,ââ¬Â according to the updated report.
The CRS notes that Pakistanââ¬â¢s macroeconomic indicators have turned positive since 2001, but widespread poverty persists. President George Bush seeks to expand US-Pakistan trade and investment relations, the CRS adds. The United States, it points out, urges restoration of democracy and expects Pakistanââ¬â¢s planned 2007 general elections to be free and fair. Congress has granted presidential authority to waive coup-related aid sanctions through FY2006.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\10\29\story_29-10-2006_pg1_1
US paid Pakistan billions of dollars to counter terror
* Congressional Research Service says $3.6b given to Pakistan from Jan 2002 to Aug 2005
* $900m to be released in fiscal year 2007
By Khalid Hasan
WASHINGTON: Pakistan has received billions of dollars in reimbursement for its support of US-led counter-terrorism operations, while Congress has appropriated billions of dollars to reimburse Pakistan for its support of counter-terrorism operations.
According to an updated version of a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on Pakistan, ââ¬ÅAs of September 2006, a total of $6.64 billion had been appropriated for FY2002-FY2007 Defence Department spending for coalition support payments to Pakistan and other cooperating nations. Pentagon documents indicate that disbursements to Islamabad account for the great majority of these funds: about $3.6 billion for operations from January 2002 through August 2005, an amount roughly equal to one-quarter of Pakistanââ¬â¢s total military expenditures during that period. The Defence Department Appropriations Act, 2007 would allow that up to $900 million in Pentagon funds be used for FY2007 reimbursements.ââ¬Â
Pakistan is among the worldââ¬â¢s leading recipients of US aid, obtaining more than $3.5 billion in direct US assistance for FY2002-FY2006, including $1.5 billion in security-related aid.
The CRS report says US concerns regarding Pakistan include regional terrorism, Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, weapon proliferation, the ongoing Kashmir problem and Pakistan-India tensions, human rights protection and economic development. It recalls that a US-Pakistan relationship marked by periods of both cooperation and discord was transformed by the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States and the ensuing enlistment of Pakistan as a key ally in US-led counter-terrorism efforts.
The report adds, ââ¬ÅTop US officials regularly praise Islamabad for its ongoing cooperation, although doubts exist about Islamabadââ¬â¢s commitment to some core US interests. Pakistan is identified as a base for terrorist groups and their supporters operating in Kashmir, India, and Afghanistan.ââ¬Â
The CRS notes that since late 2003, Pakistanââ¬â¢s army has been conducting ââ¬Åunprecedentedââ¬Â counter-terrorism operations in the countryââ¬â¢s western tribal areas. Separatist violence in Indiaââ¬â¢s Jammu and Kashmir state has continued unabated since 1989, with some notable relative decline in recent years. India has blamed Pakistan for the infiltration of Islamic militants into Indian Kashmir, a charge Islamabad denies.
ââ¬ÅThe United States reportedly has received pledges from Islamabad that all ââ¬Ëcross-border terrorismââ¬â¢ would cease and that any terrorist facilities in Pakistani-controlled areas would be closed. Similar pledges have been made to India. The United States strongly encourages maintenance of a ceasefire along the Kashmiri Line of Control and continued substantive dialogue between Islamabad and New Delhi,ââ¬Â according to the updated report.
The CRS notes that Pakistanââ¬â¢s macroeconomic indicators have turned positive since 2001, but widespread poverty persists. President George Bush seeks to expand US-Pakistan trade and investment relations, the CRS adds. The United States, it points out, urges restoration of democracy and expects Pakistanââ¬â¢s planned 2007 general elections to be free and fair. Congress has granted presidential authority to waive coup-related aid sanctions through FY2006.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\10\29\story_29-10-2006_pg1_1
