:chai:
WASHINGTON: Strict U.S. controls over equipment and a failure to provide other equipment, such as spare parts, has impeded Pakistan’s ability to hunt down Taliban and al-Qaeda, a US newspaper reported citing Pakistani officials.
According to a report published in a US daily Pakistani officials said Pakistan received 1300 pairs of U.S.-made night-vision goggles that enable them to see and fight al-Qaeda and Taliban insurgents in the dark. The sophisticated goggles were supplied by the Bush administration at a cost of US $6.4 million.
But every three months, the troops had to turn in their goggles for two weeks to be inventoried, because the U.S. military wanted to make sure none were stolen, U.S. and Pakistani officials said. **Militants perceived a pattern and scurried into the open without fear during the two-week counts.
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Pakistani officials say that strict U.S. control over equipment and a failure to provide other equipment, such as spare parts, has impeded their ability to hunt down Taliban and al-Qaeda sympathizers, the report said. In addition to goggles, the U.S.-made attack helicopters are grounded for weeks because of parts shortages.
Pakistan needs still more help, including persistent access to night-vision goggles, helicopters and other gear that is particularly useful in fighting an insurgency, said Mahmud Ali Durrani, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States.