News
Friday, December 02, 2011
US Senate ties strings to Pak military aidWASHINGTON: The US Senate voted on Wednesday to tie strings to military aid to Pakistan and stem the spread of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles from Libya as they advanced a massive annual defence-spending bill.
The White House has threatened to veto the $662 billion measure over tough new rules requiring military detention of terrorism suspects and affirming that US citizens who join extremist groups may be detained forever without trial.
The Pentagon-funding bill was due to clear the Senate by week’s end, touching off negotiations with the House of Representatives to resolve differences between both chambers’ versions and send a compromise to President Barack Obama. The Defence Authorisation legislation was seen as a sure bet for passage because it affects US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Senators on Wednesday unanimously approved an amendment by Democratic Senator Bob Casey aimed at blocking counterinsurgency aid to Pakistan until Islamabad takes aggressive steps to curb the use of roadside bombs blamed for the deaths of US soldiers in Afghanistan. afp
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk