Top US senators present Pakistan aid plan

WASHINGTON - Two influential US senators have introduced legislation that would triple American aid to
Pakistan' to $1.5 billion, marking President Asif Ali Zardari's arrival here later today here for a week-long visit to
the United States.
The move, part of Obama aadministration's strategy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, is separate from the military
aid, which would be determined each year based on cooperation with the United States on fighting Al Qadea
and the Taliban.
The legislation would also require the president to submit a detailed strategy for assistance to Pakistan.
Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Sen. Richard Lugar, a senior
Republican on the panel, say that there needs to be an overhaul of the US-Pakistan relationship.
"The status quo is not working: the United States believes it is paying too much and getting too littleand most
Pakistanis believe exactly the opposite," they say in a summary of the bill.
"The Kerry-Lugar approach towards Pakistan emphasizes a long-term relationship built on mutual trust and
cooperation: only then will the people of Pakistan see the United States as an ally with shared interests and
goals, such as defeating militant extremists that threaten the national security of both countries."
Under Kerry-Lugar, economic assistance is no longer the poor cousin to military aid. Rather than locking in a
level of such aid which might not be in line with rapidly-changing Pakistani capabilities and commitment, the bill
leaves the level of security aid to be determined on a year-by-year basis.
The Senate bill sets a much more positive tone compared with a version of the measure introduced in the House
of Representative, which contains some very stringent conditions on U.S. assistance for
the country.
Today, most Pakistanis believe the United States will cut and run when it serves our purpose, a belief which
undermines our long-term efforts to defeat extremists, foster democratic change, and support transparent and
accountable institutions that promote security and stability in Pakistan.
The status quo is not working: the United States believes it is paying too much and getting too littleand most
Pakistanis believe exactly the opposite."