US lawmakers of both Democratic and Republican parties have slammed the Obama administration’s request for $2.4 billion for Pakistan, calling it a “black hole” where the US has “sunk” $24 billion over the last decade.
“Pakistan is like a black hole for American aid,” Gary Ackerman, top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs panel on the Middle East and South Asia said during a hearing Wednesday.
“Our tax dollars go in, our diplomats go in – sometimes, our aid professionals go in – sometimes, our hopes go in, our prayers go in,” he said. “Nothing good ever comes out.”
Alleging that Islamabad continues to pursue its national interest at America’s expense and that of its allies, Ackerman said: “Pakistan continues to shelter, directly support and sponsor terrorists.”
“Officially acknowledging this indisputable fact might be grossly impolitic; but that doesn’t make it less true. American standing in Pakistani public opinion is terrible and getting worse,” he said.
Similarly Republican Dana Rohrabacher blasted US support for Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who he said was taking “marching orders” from Pakistan.
“We should cut Pakistan off of every cent because it has been used for evil purposes, including killing American troops,” he said.
However, a State Department official testifying at the hearing suggested cutting off aid would be short-sighted.
“Our current discussions with the Pakistanis on how best to pursue our common interests will take time to resolve, and it’s not easy right now to provide satisfying answers to some questions,” Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Daniel Feldman said in written testimony.
But “the fact of the matter is, that we’ve been able to kill more terrorists on Pakistani soil than just about any place else,” he said citing President Barack Obama’s words after the death of Osama bin Laden last May. “We could not have done that without Pakistani cooperation.”
what a pety and we were expecting the fruits of our long freinship with oppurtunist America.When it fulfils its desire,it kicks out,america is not a trustworthy and faithful freind.We must get rid of this greedy freindship without any delay.
And the best part: the actual people of this country never see a cent of those dollars. And WHAT national interests is the establishment pursuing when its people are without every basic necessity and which are also fast going out of reach for everyone?
most of that $24 billion goes straight into the pockets of US corporations, NGOs, contractors, and 'experts'. Pakistan gets mere peanuts. Pakistan has lost nearly $70 billion because of this "war on terror"!
Working for a US Corporation, myself am a witness of a hold back on investment since 2000 as Pakistan was marked as on risk country after going Nuclear that to supported by the Kargil Incident,
Also there was flight of capital to the tune of 75 Million US $ on average per year, as an ex employee just learned from public sources that the left over infrastructure is put up for sale for mere 250 Million Dollars. Any one intrested in buying good business ? Lols
Oh Funny… the US is waking up now when we stopped listening to them (temporarily). Yeah stay away from us, who asked you to come here. Screw off Yanks. To all those abusng the Army and making fun of your country, Yes the Govt is full of corrupt people but we voted them to power, didnt we know the history of Zardari? Say whatever, you want to say about the Gov't but repect Pakistan and do not say anything against Pakista, whatever we are we are because of it. We point fingers in all directions, accusations are common but we all are at fault. Lets bring in Imran Khan in the next elections and Inshallah, we wil start to look ahead in a positive way.
Yea right! US has PLEDGED $24B in aid and only given a small amount of that per year which also goes directly into this corrupt gov'ts pockets and mansions. The rest goes to the army which is being forced to fight this darn "war on terror" which the US got us involved in costing us 40,000 lives of civilians and soldiers, rise in extremism, and over $70B loss to the economy in the last couple of years alone! Yea they offer us prayers and send in "aid" workers like Raymond Davis who beat up someone in Arizona recently just over parking spot – so funny. We don't want your prayer, "aid" workers or "aid". If you to be true friends, stop drone attacks, and open your market for Pak goods and services. Then we will believe you're prayers. Cheers.
i think Gary Ackermare went wrong Pakistan is a black hole in which there exist a red hole which they actually fail to acknowledge red hole filled with the blood of our martyrs the annihilated Pakistan they left after war against terrorism and after long struggle of decade still Pakistan is still having the after affects of this war and humorous thing is that in my sense Pakistan is still USA good partner but India is strategic partner …….
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