Author: Chidanand Rajghatta
Publication: The Times of India
Date: May 23, 2009
Introduction: Must Allocate 75% Funds for
Tackling Terror
Protesters demonstrating against misuse of
American taxpayer dollars briefly disrupted a Senate hearing on US aid to
Pakistan on Thursday, but US lawmakers by and large fell in line with the
Obama administration's proposal to not legislate exacting conditions on the
multi-billion dollar assistance but hold Islamabad to account through executive
oversight.
Shouting "Say no to a war economy," and "No more blood money,"
some half-dozen placard-waving demonstrators interrupted a testimony by top
ranking US general Mike Mullen. They were evicted quickly even as law-makers
agonized about throwing US taxpayer dollars at Pakistan without sufficient
benchmarks and accountability.
India remained the elephant in the room as
Senators mulled gravely over the security of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and
its unbridled expansion, the rogue nature of the Pakistani intelligence agency
ISI, and Islamabad's fundamental insecurity vis-à-vis New Delhi, in
a hearing that reflected the complex nature of the Af-Pak situation.
As with the House legislation, the Senate
bill too avoided explicitly mentioning India. But in both cases, sources monitoring
the accountability factors expressed satisfaction over the euphemism that
will make US aid conditional to Pakistan ceasing terrorist activity against
''neighbouring countries.''
More important, sources said, was the addition
of the names of terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed
to Al-Qaida and Taliban which Pakistan has to act against to be eligible for
US aid. Lawmakers have also insisted Pakistan spend 75% of the funds on counter-insurgency
efforts and scuppered any effort by Islamabad to buy F-16 fighter jets with
anything but its own money.
Meanwhile, Congressional staffers clarified
that the House bill on aid to Pakistan did not explicitly mention US access
to AQ Khan at any time as a condition for assistance. However, the legislation
calls on Pakistan ''to ensure access of US investigators to individuals suspected
of engaging in worldwide proliferation of nuclear materials, as necessary,
and restrict such individuals from travel or any other activity that could
result in further proliferation.''
