In a rare show of bi-partisan unity, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted 30-0 to withhold $33 million in military aid to Pakistan as a result of Islamabad’s conviction of the doctor who assisted the CIA in finding Osama bin Laden. The panel cut $1 million for each year that Dr. Shakil Afridi was sentenced for treason and stipulated that the money would not be released until Afridi was pardoned.
Republicans and some former intelligence professionals expressed anger at the administration for failing to protect Dr. Afridi. Representative Peter King (R-NY) suggested that the White House “put him [Afridi] out there,” but the administration immediately denied the charge, suggesting that it was Pakistan that leaked Afridi’s name.
While the cut may be small, it comes on the heels of a re-examination of aid to Pakistan by Congress. In light of the closing by Pakistan of the primary truck route into Afghanistan last November following a friendly fire incident, the subcommittee on foreign aid voted recently to cut military assistance to Pakistan by 58%. And the anger expressed by senators over the treatment of Dr. Afridi suggests that a sea change may have occurred in congressional opinion regarding support for Pakistan, as members appear tired and frustrated with Islamabad’s double game of supporting terrorists while reluctantly assisting US intelligence in tracking down members of al-Qaeda.
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8 comments:
but I tought we didn't negotiate with terrorists. Pakistan is a terrorist nation. We don't pay money to get our own citizens out of there.
Why on earth are we giving aid to so many other countries anyway. We can't financially take care of our own country. Have a huge deficit yet keep giving millions we dont have. Everyone wants to complain about programs for the poor maybe they should be doing more complaining about aid to Pakistan Afganistan Iraq and everywhere else the government sends tax dollars old people here have to choose between medicine and food. Appalachia is full of poverty and so many other things this money could be used for or paid towards our deficit here. Our government whether democrat or republican is so screwed up. It needs to become we the people for the people of our own nation. .
Any senator that votes for the "law of the sea "treaty should be thrown out of office.
That's good news. But how many millions or billions do we give em. Should have cut off all aid. They play both sides of the fence, like our Muslim President.
BOUT flippin TIME you idiots quit giving OUR money away!!!!!!
Liberal Democrats in MD can't even preserve Teacher Pensions that were already paid by MD taxpayers. How in the world does anyone expect them to manage the money giveaway to Pakistan with any sanity?
Clean house for heaven's sake in November.
So, I want an accounting. Is this 10% of what we're going to give them anyway? What are the numbers, and why are we giving terrorist nations annual payments to support their forces anyway? Are we daft?
Oh, I guess we arem we givw ALL the terrorist nations money every year. I must ask everyone to write their Congressmen and Senators to ask why.
obama will support any muslim nation , it's his culture.
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