US plans $ 2.8 bn military aid to Pakistan: report

The US is planning a USD 2.8 billion military aid to Pakistan to successfully fight terrorism, but Washington would ensure that the money is not spent in a way that would give Islamabad a greater capacity to attack another country, primarily India, a media report said. The Obama Administration is planning to propose to the Congress a USD 2.8 billion military aid to Pakistan, in addition to the USD 7.5 billion non-military aid in the next five years as proposed in the Kerry-Lugar Bill, the FOX News said quoting unnamed Defence Department officials. The officials said the US would have control over the spending of money under this fund, who would ensure that the money is not spent in a way that would give Pakistan a greater capacity to attack another country, primarily India, it reported. This has been one of the major concern of India in the past, wherein US funds to fight against terrorism, has been used to purchase fighter jets, primarily aimed at India. In an interview to FOX News, US Central Command chief General David Petraeus said the plan for military-aid will be called the "Pakistani Counterinsurgency Capability Fund". It said the military aid of USD 2.8 billion would be distributed over five years, with the first USD 400 million of it added to the fiscal year 2009 supplemental request for war fighting. Another USD 700 million would be in the fiscal 2010 base budget. For each of the fiscal from 2011 to 2013, Pakistan would receive USD 575 million, the report said. Bruce Riedel, chairman of the Interagency Policy Review on Pakistan and Afghanistan, had earlier said: "In the course of implementing this new strategy, General Petraeus and CENTCOM will study exactly what Pakistan's military needs are that are best related to the counterinsurgency fight." The White Paper of the Interagency Policy Group, stresses on the need to strengthen the US efforts to develop and operationally enable Pakistani security forces so that they are capable of succeeding sustained counterterrorism and counterinsurgency. "In part this will include increased US military assistance for helicopters to provide air mobility, night vision equipment, and training and equipment specifically for Pakistani Special Operation Forces and their Frontier Cops," the White Paper said.

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt