Obama Signs $7.5bn Pakistan Aid Bill Into Law

Source: Guardian

President Barack Obama today signed into law a $7.5bn aid package for Pakistan that the US-ally's military criticised as American meddling in its internal affairs.

The measure provides $1.5bn annually over five years for economic and social programmes and comes as Pakistan faces a string of violent militant attacks and bombings as its military orchestrates an offensive into the Taliban heartland.

The law is the Obama administration's attempt to strengthen the weak civilian government in Islamabad and encourage its fight against Taliban and al-Qaida militants operating along the border with Afghanistan, where the United States is fighting an eight-year war.

The stability of a nuclear-armed Pakistan is deemed crucial to US-led efforts to battle extremists in South Asia.

The White House said the law, which was passed unanimously by Congress, is "the tangible manifestation of broad support for Pakistan in the US".

But it was only signed after a rushed visit this week to Washington by Pakistan's foreign minister, who secured assurances from senior lawmakers that the bill is not an attempt to micromanage operations by the country's powerful military and the US-backed civilian government.

The bill was not changed before Obama signed it. John Kerry, the US senator from Massachusetts and Howard Berman, a member of the US House from California, however, did provide an unusual written statement to accompany the bill that states that "any interpretation of this act which suggests that the United States does not fully recognise and respect the sovereignty of Pakistan would be directly contrary to congressional intent".

more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/15/pakistan-aid-obama

Its probably not a good idea to announce you're sending $7 + billion to a tyrannical regime just hours after telling your own senior citizens theres no money to give them a cost of living increase.

Just sayin......