US Senators John McCain and Carl Levin, the chair and ranking members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Wednesday said the US should not pay $5,000 per truck demanded by Pakistan for supplies to troops in Afghanistan, which McCain called “extortion”. Talking to “The Cable”, Senator McCain said: “We can’t look at aid in that light. It’s now becoming a matter of principle.” Meanwhile, Senator Carl Levin said the US should not pay Pakistan fees anywhere near that level. The reactions from the US senators come in light of a New York Times report which stated that Pakistan wanted upwards of $5,000 for each truck that passed through its territory, whereas the fees paid prior to the Salala attack was about $250 per truck.