News
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Pentagon rejects some Pakistan aid requests
* US Defence Dept defends programme as ‘critical tool’ to deter terrorists
By Khalid Hasan
WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has rejected or deferred millions of dollars in military aid requests from Pakistan amid criticism that the Pakistani government has squandered US funding and allowed Al Qaeda to rebuild a haven in its western tribal regions, says a report published by the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday. In February, the Defence Department turned down or delayed more than $81 million requested by Pakistan, according to a report issued on Tuesday by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress. The rejection represents a small portion of the nearly $1 billion a year Pakistan has received through a programme called Coalition Support Funds, launched after 9/11. This could mark a sudden change in US policy towards Pakistan, which for years has spent American military aid without having to show results in the fight against Al Qaeda and other militant groups, the report said. GAO says the US has sent more than $5.5 billion to Pakistan under the programme, making it the largest portion of the $10.8 billion in US aid Islamabad has received since 2002. The study was the second by the GAO in a month to criticise US policy in Pakistan. The Defence Department defended the programme as a “critical tool” to deter terrorists in the region, in its response.
Courtesy Daily Times