US Waiver for Multi-Billion Dollar Aid to Pakistan |
By Rajeev Sharma
In a major policy reversal, surprisingly not highlighted by the Indian media, the poll-bound administration of President Barack Obama has waived legal requirements that
imposed stiff conditions on the multi-billion dollar military and civil aid to Pakistan.
The United States State Department has formally but quietly notified the US Congress recently of its decision to continue with aid to Pakistan, citing “US national security
interests”. The disclosure has come in a recently released report of the Congressional Research Service, a government body responsible for providing authoritative information
to the members of the Congress to help them in their decision-making process.
The CRS report, authored by foreign policy experts Susan Epstein and Alan Kronstadt, has not released the reason behind such a move and the reasoning has been kept
classified. “In mid-August 2012 the State Department quietly notified Congress of its intention to cite U.S. national security provisions in waiving two certification requirements
that placed conditions on U.S. assistance to Pakistan,” the report said.
The two certification requirements that have now been waived are the 2009 Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012. Both of
these American legislations require the US government to certify that Pakistan is cooperating with the US in return for aid.
The Obama administration’s move would inevitably trigger a ripple effect on the overall Indian national security scenario. It is surprising indeed that the American waiver on the
US military and civil aid worth billions of dollars has gone virtually unnoticed. It is equally baffling to understand how it is in the US national security interest to release billions of
dollars without the necessary checks and balances mechanism to a country like Pakistan that is either unwilling or incapable, or both, to effectively address the American and
international security concerns.
Pakistan’s Track Record
Pakistan has long been a leading recipient of US foreign aid despite contentious issues in the bilateral relationship. Following the May 2011 US commando raid in Pakistan to
kill Osama bin Laden, which troubled US-Pakistani relations further and prompted the 112th Congress to consider new restrictions on, or even elimination of, the billions of
annual assistance dollars currently being provided.
Since the raid, U.S.-Pakistani military cooperation has been disrupted and clouded by increased mutual distrust; Islamabad has significantly reduced the number of US military
trainers allowed in the country, and the Obama Administration indicated that deliveries of certain security-related financial transfers and other aid are under suspension. A
November 2011 incident near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border left two dozen Pakistani soldiers dead after their posts came under fire from NATO forces; the event further
disrupted relations. Meanwhile, many observers believe Pakistan’s civilian government is increasingly weak and ineffectual.
The American Laws
In 2011, the US has provided about $600 million in disaster and refugee assistance for the widespread summer 2010 Pakistan floods. Flooding in 2011 was confined to the
southern Sindh province, for which the US has pledged more than $110.0 million in FY 2011 and FY 2012.
Section 102(b)(1)(B)(i) of Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009 (EPPA) limits economic assistance to $750 million per year unless the President’s Special
Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan certifies that assistance to Pakistan is making reasonable progress in achieving the principal U.S. aid objectives. The Secretary of
State may waive the limitations if it is in the national security interest of the United States to do so – a clause that Hillary Clinton evoked.
Section 203 (U.S.C. 8423) limits all security-related assistance and arms transfers to Pakistan during FY2011-FY 2014 unless the Secretary of State annually certifies and
reports to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Foreign Relations, Armed Services, Oversight and Government Reform, and Select Committees on Intelligence that;
More Safeguards
The American legislations also make it clear and binding that none of the security-related aid for FY 2010 through FY 2014 or any funds given to Pakistan may be used towards
the purchase of F-16 combat aircraft and related munitions and logistics, with the exception of basing construction at Pakistan’s Shabaz air base. The Secretary may waive this
certification requirement if s/he determines that “it is important to the national security interests of the United States to do so.”
Moreover, the American laws stipulate that to release any economic or security assistance funds for Pakistan the Secretary of State must certify to Congress that the U.S. and
Pakistani governments “have agreed, in writing, to achievable and sustainable goals, benchmarks for measuring progress, and expected results for the use of such funds, and
have established mechanisms within each implementing agency to ensure that such funds are used for the purposes for which they were intended.”
Also, to meet these requirements, the Secretary of State must certify that the Pakistani government is “cooperating with the United States in efforts against the Haqqani
Network, the Quetta Shura Taliban, Lashkar-e-Toiba, al Qaeda and other domestic and foreign terrorist organizations, including taking steps to end support for such groups
and prevent them from operating in Pakistan and carrying out cross border attacks into neighboring countries.
--------
*The writer is a New Delhi-based journalist-author and strategic analyst who can be reached at .
SOURCE: http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/node/1027
In a major policy reversal, surprisingly not highlighted by the Indian media, the poll-bound administration of President Barack Obama has waived legal requirements that
imposed stiff conditions on the multi-billion dollar military and civil aid to Pakistan.
The United States State Department has formally but quietly notified the US Congress recently of its decision to continue with aid to Pakistan, citing “US national security
interests”. The disclosure has come in a recently released report of the Congressional Research Service, a government body responsible for providing authoritative information
to the members of the Congress to help them in their decision-making process.
The CRS report, authored by foreign policy experts Susan Epstein and Alan Kronstadt, has not released the reason behind such a move and the reasoning has been kept
classified. “In mid-August 2012 the State Department quietly notified Congress of its intention to cite U.S. national security provisions in waiving two certification requirements
that placed conditions on U.S. assistance to Pakistan,” the report said.
The two certification requirements that have now been waived are the 2009 Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012. Both of
these American legislations require the US government to certify that Pakistan is cooperating with the US in return for aid.
The Obama administration’s move would inevitably trigger a ripple effect on the overall Indian national security scenario. It is surprising indeed that the American waiver on the
US military and civil aid worth billions of dollars has gone virtually unnoticed. It is equally baffling to understand how it is in the US national security interest to release billions of
dollars without the necessary checks and balances mechanism to a country like Pakistan that is either unwilling or incapable, or both, to effectively address the American and
international security concerns.
Pakistan’s Track Record
Pakistan has long been a leading recipient of US foreign aid despite contentious issues in the bilateral relationship. Following the May 2011 US commando raid in Pakistan to
kill Osama bin Laden, which troubled US-Pakistani relations further and prompted the 112th Congress to consider new restrictions on, or even elimination of, the billions of
annual assistance dollars currently being provided.
Since the raid, U.S.-Pakistani military cooperation has been disrupted and clouded by increased mutual distrust; Islamabad has significantly reduced the number of US military
trainers allowed in the country, and the Obama Administration indicated that deliveries of certain security-related financial transfers and other aid are under suspension. A
November 2011 incident near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border left two dozen Pakistani soldiers dead after their posts came under fire from NATO forces; the event further
disrupted relations. Meanwhile, many observers believe Pakistan’s civilian government is increasingly weak and ineffectual.
The American Laws
In 2011, the US has provided about $600 million in disaster and refugee assistance for the widespread summer 2010 Pakistan floods. Flooding in 2011 was confined to the
southern Sindh province, for which the US has pledged more than $110.0 million in FY 2011 and FY 2012.
Section 102(b)(1)(B)(i) of Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009 (EPPA) limits economic assistance to $750 million per year unless the President’s Special
Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan certifies that assistance to Pakistan is making reasonable progress in achieving the principal U.S. aid objectives. The Secretary of
State may waive the limitations if it is in the national security interest of the United States to do so – a clause that Hillary Clinton evoked.
Section 203 (U.S.C. 8423) limits all security-related assistance and arms transfers to Pakistan during FY2011-FY 2014 unless the Secretary of State annually certifies and
reports to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Foreign Relations, Armed Services, Oversight and Government Reform, and Select Committees on Intelligence that;
- the Pakistani government is continuing to cooperate with the United States in efforts to dismantle supplier networks relating to the acquisition of nuclear weapons-related
materials, such as providing relevant information from or direct access to Pakistani nationals associated with such networks; - the Pakistani government has during the preceding fiscal year demonstrated a sustained commitment to and is making significant efforts towards combating terrorist
groups including taking into account the extent to which the government of Pakistan has made progress on matters such as (1) ceasing support, including by any
elements within the Pakistan military or its intelligence agency, to extremist and terrorist groups, particularly to any group that has conducted attacks against U.S. or
coalition forces in Afghanistan, or against the territory or people of neighbouring countries; - preventing al Qaeda, the Taliban and associated terrorist groups, such as Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, from operating in the territory of Pakistan, including
carrying out cross-border attacks into neighboring countries, closing terrorist camps in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, dismantling terrorist bases of operations
in other parts of the country, including Quetta and Muridke, and taking action when provided with intelligence about high-level terrorist targets; - strengthening counterterrorism and anti-money laundering laws;
- the security forces of Pakistan are not materially and substantially subverting the political or judicial processes of Pakistan.
More Safeguards
The American legislations also make it clear and binding that none of the security-related aid for FY 2010 through FY 2014 or any funds given to Pakistan may be used towards
the purchase of F-16 combat aircraft and related munitions and logistics, with the exception of basing construction at Pakistan’s Shabaz air base. The Secretary may waive this
certification requirement if s/he determines that “it is important to the national security interests of the United States to do so.”
Moreover, the American laws stipulate that to release any economic or security assistance funds for Pakistan the Secretary of State must certify to Congress that the U.S. and
Pakistani governments “have agreed, in writing, to achievable and sustainable goals, benchmarks for measuring progress, and expected results for the use of such funds, and
have established mechanisms within each implementing agency to ensure that such funds are used for the purposes for which they were intended.”
Also, to meet these requirements, the Secretary of State must certify that the Pakistani government is “cooperating with the United States in efforts against the Haqqani
Network, the Quetta Shura Taliban, Lashkar-e-Toiba, al Qaeda and other domestic and foreign terrorist organizations, including taking steps to end support for such groups
and prevent them from operating in Pakistan and carrying out cross border attacks into neighboring countries.
--------
*The writer is a New Delhi-based journalist-author and strategic analyst who can be reached at .
SOURCE: http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/node/1027
COMMENTS:
All the money given to Pakistan by United States to combat Al-Qaida and Taliban terrorists and dismantle their network has been used by Pakistan's militray to crush the Baloch National liberation
movement and conduct military aggression and genocide in Balochistan.
There is no where it says in these Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act that these monies can not and should not be used to conduct genocide or commit war
crimes and human right violations in Balochistan.
We request Obama Administration that such a string must be attched to prevent our tax dollars from being used to support Pakistan's genocidal activities and military aggression in Balochistan against
the Baloch people.
--
Baloch Society of North America (BSO-NA)
Suit 300
Washington D.C.,
Tel:
Fax:
Website: bso-na.org/
All the money given to Pakistan by United States to combat Al-Qaida and Taliban terrorists and dismantle their network has been used by Pakistan's militray to crush the Baloch National liberation
movement and conduct military aggression and genocide in Balochistan.
There is no where it says in these Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act and Consolidated Appropriations Act that these monies can not and should not be used to conduct genocide or commit war
crimes and human right violations in Balochistan.
We request Obama Administration that such a string must be attched to prevent our tax dollars from being used to support Pakistan's genocidal activities and military aggression in Balochistan against
the Baloch people.
--
Baloch Society of North America (BSO-NA)
Suit 300
Washington D.C.,
Tel:
Fax:
Website: bso-na.org/