Time magazine - gives a negative title, How a U.S. Aid Package to Pakistan Could Threaten Zardari, but it does go into the details of what the flack is. Short summary - it pushes Pakistan away from military control and condoning terrorist activities.
This is very heavy stuff. In my opinion, the Kerry/Lugar bill seems a way to actually use aid and diplomacy to help move Pakistan from being what, given their bomb we can't call it, a nation that really has supported terrorism. Historically they, after all, did have something to do with the Taliban, the A. Q. Khan network spread nuclear technology to Iran and North Korea, and they clearly have not really gone after terrorists that have attacked India. This is clearly high stakes and I would hope Obama realizes that Zadari will likely need support from us.
This is a nasty situation, where the path of least resistance taken by decades of American policy - of giving aid with no strings and ignoring oversight reports that can't see where much of the money went and seeing some was diverted has led to Pakistan being a source of instability - even though now the government seems to be moving in a better direction. For all the blame given Saddam's Iraq, Korea and Iran, it is Pakistan which was responsible for spreading nuclear technology to unstable countries
After decades of coddling military dictators in Pakistan, Washington wants a different relationship with its key partner in the war against al-Qaeda. The Kerry-Lugar Act which has passed the Senate, after a similar bill passed in the House last month, would provide $7.5 billion in nonmilitary aid over the next five years, in an ambitious plan to counter widespread anti-American sentiment there by helping Pakistan's civilian government deliver essential services to its population. Unlike previous no-strings aid packages, Kerry-Lugar makes support conditional on Pakistan's military being subordinated to its elected government, and taking action against militants sheltering on its soil. But by dangling the prospect of a desperately needed aid package on terms deemed intrusive by the military and opposition parties, the legislation may be weakening the very civilian government it hoped to bolster.
The furor over the aid package has left President Asif Ali Zardari increasingly isolated as normally fractious opposition parties unite against its "humiliating" conditions, with even the junior partners in Zardari's ruling coalition expressing misgivings. Public opinion ranges from suspicion to hostility, and the army high command broke with its recent habit of remaining quiet on political matters to issue an ominous statement. Following a meeting of its corps commanders, the army — the country's most powerful institution, long accustomed to keeping the political class in line — expressed "serious concern" over what it said were the "national security" implications of the aid package. The statement said that army chief General Ashfaq Kayani had also "reiterated that Pakistan is a sovereign state and has all the rights to analyze and respond to in accordance with her own national interests."
The generals' ire is focused on the bill's requirements that the U.S. Secretary of State certify, at six-month intervals, that the military remains under civilian oversight, even specifying such details as the need for the government to control senior command promotions. Kerry-Lugar also requires that the Pakistani military act against militant networks on its soil, specifying those based in Quetta and Muridke. U.S. officials believe that the leadership of the Afghan Taliban, including Mullah Omar, operates unmolested from the southwestern city of Quetta — a charge denied by Pakistan. Murdike, just outside Lahore, is the headquarters of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), the militant group most recently responsible for last November's Mumbai massacre.
One of the Kerry-Lugar conditions most likely to trigger nationalist resistance is the requirement that Pakistan grant U.S. investigators "direct access to Pakistani nationals" associated with nuclear-proliferation networks. That's a reference to Dr. A.Q. Khan, the Pakistani nuclear scientist who confessed to sharing nuclear-weapons secrets with Iran, North Korea and Libya. Although he was placed under house arrest in Pakistan, authorities there have consistently refused to allow him to be questioned by foreign investigators. "For all his sins, he's still considered a hero in Pakistan," says Tariq Azeem, an opposition senator who served in the government of former President Pervez Musharraf.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1929306,00.htmlIn Pakistan, the Pakistani Information officer, Kaira defends the bill:
slamabad, Oct. 6 (ANI): <snip>
The Daily Times quoted him, as saying that the checks on the assistance promised for the armed forces were in line with the government’s policies, as the government wanted a strong check on nuclear-proliferation and did not want Pakistani territory to be used to stage terrorist activities in foreign countries.
Kaira told the National Assembly that the legislation was framed after considering the aspirations and reservations of the American people.
“This is not binding on us. We have not made any agreement in this regard. The US can stop the security assistance if it is not satisfied with our performance,” he added.
He, however, said that no strings were attached to the 1.5 billion-dollar civilian economic aid meant for the social sector.
{/div]
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/south-asia/kaira-admits-that-strings-are-attached-with-the-kerry-lugar-bill_100256830.htmlThe strange thing is how all this is so under the radar. The first article I read yesterday was the first hint I saw of anything (and googling Kerry's name should have found things). In fact, my interest was because of the DU view that the bill was like previous bills. Kerry's trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan should be very very intense. It will be nice when it is over and he's arguing with the moderate Democrats on the Finance Committee.
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