News
Thursday, July 21, 2011
US House panel weighs bill, restricting aid to Pakistan
WASHINGTON: A House panel on Wednesday pushed ahead on a bill to block US assistance to Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen and the Palestinian Authority unless the Obama administration reassures Congress that they are cooperating in the war on terrorism.
The Republican-drafted measure was a direct challenge to President Barack Obama as members of the Grand Old Party (GOP) majority sought to limit his foreign policy authority, slash US contributions to international organisations and reverse policies on abortion. Overall, the bill would cut $6.4 billion from Obama’s request of $51 billion for the State Department and foreign operations in the next budget.
Frustrated with Pakistan’s effort in the war on terror, the bill would bar civilian and security aid to Islamabad unless the secretary of state can certify to Congress that it is pursuing terrorists and helping the US investigate how Osama bin Laden managed to live unscathed deep inside Pakistan.
Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said the intent was to put Pakistan “on notice that it is no longer business as usual and that they will be held to account if they continue to refuse to cooperate with our efforts to eliminate the nuclear black market, destroy the remaining elements of Osama Bin Laden’s network and vigorously pursue our counterterrorism objectives.
“I think the prospect of a cut-off of assistance will get their attention and that the games being played with our security will finally stop,” said the Florida Republican.
The panel’s top Democrat, Republican Howard Berman, said the US should get tough with Pakistan, but the bill’s approach was shortsighted.
“The key to long-term stability in Pakistan, and the only way we’ll ever get Pakistan to change its behaviour, is by strengthening its civilian institutions — not weakening them as this bill will do,” Berman said.
While the Republican-controlled House is likely to back the bill, it has little chance in the Democratic-led Senate. In fact, Congress has not passed an authorisation bill in almost a decade. However, the panel’s actions could resonate with the Appropriations Committee that will put together a spending bill for foreign aid later this year.
An authorisation bill sets out the policy while a separate spending bill provides the money.
Early in the daylong session, the committee narrowly backed an amendment to slash the $48.5 million that the US provides for the Organisation of American States, the political, judicial and social forum for the 35 countries in the hemisphere. The vote was 22-20 for the amendment by Rep Connie Mack, R-Fla.
Democrats railed that the measure smacked of US isolationism by the GOP-controlled committee. “This is folly. It’s more than folly, it’s dangerous,” said Rep Gary Ackerman, D-NY, who questioned why the US would abandon an opportunity to influence nations within its hemisphere.
Mack insisted that the measure did not represent isolationism but rather was targeted at an organisation that backs Venezuela and its US foe, President Hugo Chavez. “Let’s engage our allies and friends, but let’s not continue to support an organisation that’s perpetuating some countries’ ability” to destroy democracies, Mack said. In a digression in support of the measure, Rep David Rivera, a Republican, criticised Cuba and its record on human rights, detailing a series of events including the imprisonment of a US AID contractor. But Ackerman pointed out that Cuba is not a member of OAS and can’t join until it becomes a democracy.
Under the sweeping bill, aid to the Palestinian Authority would be contingent on the secretary certifying that no member of Hamas or any other terrorist organisation was serving in a policy position. The two rival Palestinian leaderships — the secular Fatah and the Islamist Hamas — reconciled and are trying to form a new government. Israel and the US both consider Hamas a terrorist organisation.
The Obama administration has requested some $550 million in aid for the Palestinian Authority.
Assistance for Egypt would be based on whether its new government “is not directly or indirectly controlled by a foreign terrorist organisation.” ap
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk