Author: Press Trust of India
Publication: IBNLive.com
Date: May 5, 2011
URL: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bill-introduced-in-us-to-freeze-aid-to-pakistan/151328-2.html
A legislation has been introduced in the US
House of Representatives which if passed would cut aid to Pakistan unless
the State Department can certify that Islamabad was not harbouring slain al
Qaeda chief
Osama bin Laden.
"Osama bin Laden has met his maker, and
we appreciate the Navy SEALs for arranging the meeting, but Pakistan gives
us some concern. It seems like Pakistan might be playing both sides, and they
have a lot of explaining to do," Texas Republican Ted Poe said in his
remarks on the floor of the House after introducing the bill.
"For all these years, we believed that
Osama bin Laden was on the run, living in a cave; but, apparently, Satan's
Pawn has been living for years in a million-dollar compound just yards away
from a Pakistani military base, but Pakistan claims no knowledge of Osama
bin Laden's whereabouts. I just don t buy it," Poe said.
Poe said he has introduced a bill that would
require Congress and the American people to get a full understanding of what
Pakistan knew about bin Laden's whereabouts and when they knew it, before
US give them anymore American money.
"Congress has already appropriated USD
3 billion in aid to Pakistan for this year; and unless Pakistan can prove
that they were not providing sanctuary for America's number one enemy, they
should not receive any American aid," he said.
Poe serves on the House Foreign Affairs and
Judiciary Committees. He is the vice chair of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee
on Oversight and Investigations as well as the Subcommittee on Terrorism,
Nonproliferation and Trade.
He also serves on the Judiciary Subcommittee
on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security.