Resolution to stop aid moved in US Congress

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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How about if Pakistani Parliament preempts the US Congress and passes law forbidding the govt from taking money from the US; imposes 100% tariffs on all US stuff going to Afghanistan? :smiley:

http://www.dawn.com/2011/09/28/resolution-to-stop-aid-moved-in-us-congress.html

WASHINGTON: US lawmakers are continuing their assault on Pakistan here and quietly moved a resolution in Congress, asking for cutting all but nuclear-safety assistance to the country.

The move contrasts sharply with recent efforts by US and Pakistani governments aimed at reducing tensions over Islamabad’s alleged links to the Haqqani network of militants.

On Monday evening, US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Marc Grossman, spoke with Ambassador Husain Haqqani and conveyed Washington’s desire to deescalate tensions.

Mr Grossman is believed to have told the ambassador that “the US considers Pakistan an ally and despite challenges and disagreements will continue to work with the country’s democratic leadership”.

Also on Monday, Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh met US Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides and both agreed to resolve the dispute through “diplomatic means”, official sources said.

“Mr Nides agreed that current adversarial heights and the war of words need to be reduced,” said a diplomatic source.

In another move aimed at de-escalation, Mr Grossman and Ambassador Haqqani plan to address a joint news conference on Wednesday and talk about the efforts both sides have so far made to overcome the crisis.

But temperatures remain high in both chambers of the US Congress where lawmakers continue to attack Pakistan, with some even suggesting that Washington should now encourage India to take a higher profile in Afghanistan.

The current crisis in bilateral relations began last week after scathing remarks by Admiral Mike Mullen, outgoing Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, who spoke openly of the links between Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence and the Haqqani network.

Soon after the admiral’s statement, Congressman Ted Poe, a Republican from Texas, tabled H. R. 3013, also known as the Pakistan Accountability Act, a piece of legislation which, if passed by Congress, will freeze all US aid to Pakistan with the exception of funds that are designated to help secure nuclear weapons.

The Pakistan Accountability Act stipulates that:

(a) Prohibition:- Except as provided in subsection (b), assistance may not be provided to Pakistan under any provision of law.

(b) Exception:- Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to assistance to ensure the security of nuclear weapons.

(c) Effective Date:- This Act shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply with respect to amounts
allocated for assistance to Pakistan that are unexpended on or after such date.

“Ever since we found Osama bin Laden living the high life in Abbottabad, we’ve had our suspicions about Pakistan,” Congressman Poe told the House while introducing the resolution.

“Turns out they are disloyal, deceptive, and a danger to the United States. This so-called ally takes billions in US aid, while at the same time supporting the militants who attack us.”

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Re: Resolution to stop aid moved in US Congress

Good. Very good. The quick we get out of the clutches of the US government and its “aid” the better for the country. The country can and will survive without aid and we have others who shall support us if necessary. If not our greedy and corrupt politicians need to learn to tighten their belts.

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:k:

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Re: Resolution to stop aid moved in US Congress

This morning Hina Rabbani Khar was on NPR she said Pakistan has spent 68 billion dollars on this war . America reimburses us for what we spent it is not an aid per se.

Listen to her interview here
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/09/28/140860934/pakistans-foreign-minister-blame-game-is-counterproductive

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Says ‘Blame Game Is Counterproductive’

Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, addresses the United Nations’ 66th General Assembly on Sept. 27.
Enlarge Lou Rouse/AFP/Getty Images

Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, addresses the United Nations’ 66th General Assembly on Sept. 27.

In an interview with Morning Edition’s Steve Inskeep, Pakistan’s foreign minister said her country and the United States “need each other” and “are fighting against the same people” but “Pakistan’s dignity must not be compromised.”

Hina Rabbani Khar spoke at a time of increased tension between the two countries and as the United States ratcheted up its rhetoric against Pakistan. Last week, Mike Mullen, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, put Pakistan on the defensive when he told Congress that Pakistan was “actively and passively” supporting militant groups that were responsible for the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, earlier this month.

Steve asked Khar why Pakistan had reacted so strongly to Mullen’s comments. Khar said 30,000 Pakistanis have died as a result of the war on terror.

Hina Rabbani Khar on Morning Edition

“Imagine, how the U.S. would react? We have 6,000-some soldiers who have died in the battle,” she said. “Imagine how the U.S. would react if such a number had lost their lives and then comments would come from other countries, which said that you are the problem, you are part of the problem.”

But very much in the spirit of the speech she gave in the United Nations on Tuesday, Khar emphasized unity in the fight against terrorism.

“Maturity demands, the complexity of the situation demands that we are able to look at this as a common problem. I’m am convinced that is a common problem. I’m just not so convinced that your people are convinced we are in it together,” she told Steve.

While she said she had “strong reservations” about Mullen’s comments, she said that the “intelligence world is a complex world.” She also seem to pin Mullen’s words on politics.

“We must be very careful … when we are conducting our domestic policies, when we are trying to reach out to our people,” she said. “I would be the most popular person in Pakistan if I were to reach out to my people by saying negative things about the U.S. But it’s not in my national interest and I’m convinced of that.”

Today, The New York Times reported that in 2007 Pakistani intelligence agents and military officers were part of a group that opened fire on American Military officers. The paper reports that a Pakistani soldier “opened fire with an automatic rifle, pumping multiple rounds from just 5 or 10 yards away into an American officer, Maj. Larry J. Bauguess Jr., killing him almost instantly.”

Hina Rabbani Khar on Morning Edition

Khar first questioned the report’s authenticity and asked, “Why is this coming out now?”

“Should we take it to mean that there is some concerted campaign against Pakistan? I hope not,” she said.

Steve asked her what she would tell Americans who open the paper to see Bauguess’ face and read about the Pakistani tie to his death.

“And what would you say to the Pakistanis who would see a photograph of thousands of dead bodies that are there in Pakistan… who see young school-going children between the ages of seven and 12 who are attacked, fired by the Talibans and who read in The New York Times that they are part of the problem?” Khar asked.

Khar said her country is trying “not to be reactionary” in this situation. She emphasized on different occasions that the United States and Pakistan are on the same side.

“This incident [the Mullen comments] has only strengthened one hand,” she said. “That of the militants. If we are able to understand that, realize that I’m quite sure that we would understand that there are no unilateral solutions.”

“The blame game,” she said, “is counterproductive.”

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Re: Resolution to stop aid moved in US Congress

To my surprise, even though Hina is not that experienced, she is presenting and pressing the case in right direction :k:

Talking to MSNBC
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44612581#44612581

Talking to another channel

on side note, here is how Mush tackled it on his interview on CNN couple of years ago…

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Good one

I dare say you are hoping against hope

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Hinna is one good FM , along the lines of ZAB. I wish her success. Ameen.

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Hina spoke well … credit where it is due

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I would be far more confident in saying we dont need aid, if Pakistanis paid for their own bills, instead of simply passing the begging bowl from one party to the next.

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^^^ I totally agree. People even here are making excuses about why they shouldn’t have to pay taxes & thn we turn around & complain about foreign aid w/o which won’t survive. We are shameless no doubt.

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Re: Resolution to stop aid moved in US Congress

With the power vested in me as a commoner I hereby appoint you as Finance Minister of Peoples Republic of Pakistan.
Now go and do a good job. :smiley:

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Yes, she sopke well. But speaking well will not bring peace to the region.

Proxy armies like LeT, JeM, will have to be disarmed and disbanded. Cadres of these aremies should be sent to their homes rather than to India.

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Yeah, and I can guarantee, that when between a rock and a hard place, the Pakistani powers that be will choose to squeeze the last drop of blood from the veins of the poor, to continue to live their lives of luxury, instead of raising a penny in taxes on the rich or reducing the defense budget in any way.
No matter what, its the poor that will pay the price.

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Re: Resolution to stop aid moved in US Congress

No thanks. I have seen the fate of those who try to raise an honest buck in Pakistan. Better an Arm chair general then a dead one.

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Re: Resolution to stop aid moved in US Congress

which is the most likely scenario. In the event of the US severing aid to Pakistan, our besharam ruling elite instead of mending their corrupt ways (paying taxes, giving up luxurious life styles, stopping wasting money on VIP/VVIP protocols etc.) will rush to the Saudis for help. The saudis will take care of our begging needs in return for increasing their influence in our society thru madrassa’s feeding their particularly backward, narrow-minded and intolerant wahabi/salafi version of islam

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Pakistan can keep fielding better speaking and better presenting spokespersons - Musharraf did that well, the ambassador to the US (or was it UN) did that powerfully well (chubby feller, forgot his name - spoke beautifully) and now this lady. But when are the leaders in Pakistan going to tell their population openly what the real root cause of the problems are? Is it the USA attacking mosques, wedding processions, and GHQ? Or why USA sending in drones?

They have to own up instead of taking the easy way out.

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Re: Resolution to stop aid moved in US Congress

hazarooN kha’shiaN aisi kay hr kha’hish per dum niklay
buhat niklay meray armaaN magr kam niklay

OR

Mar na jatay gr aitbaar hota

Pakistani politicians are not capable of doing such thing, the one who have no hope of coming into power, like JI or PTI etc, they can call of such things because they know they are not going to be in power so what to loose and the one who have some chances to be in power would use diplomatic lang…

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I would personally owe Americans big time if they revoke all kind of aid for Pakistan… we do not need aid… period…

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We do NOT need Saudi aid either…

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^^ We don’t want donations or aid… it is killing our economy… we want economic development… but as long as there are aid programs, economic development would remain a dream…

True that some countries like Japan provide aid for development of economy that kind of aid in terms of expertise, technology and knowledge transfer should be the only thing we should accept…even if it comes from Israel ( just used Israel as example)