Agnostic, you make me laugh. We owe Pakistan nothing.
US paying Pakistan $100m monthly for logistics support: report
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency (globalsecurity.org)
Islamabad, March 22, IRNA - Pakistan receives almost $100 million per month, on account of logistics support, it provides to the US troops in the war against terrorism, reports said Monday.
According to a half-yearly review report of the Asian Development
Bank (ADB), the logistics support payments increased by 83.3 percent during July-December 2003 to total $581 million or about $97 million a month.
Pakistan and the United States signed an acquisition and cross
servicing agreement (ACSA) in early 2002 to facilitate reciprocal
provision of logistics support and services between the two armed
forces, to be used primarily during combined exercising, training,
deployments, operations or other cooperative efforts.
Items permitted under the ACSA include food, water,
transportation, POL, communications and medical services and also
covers use of facilities, training services, repairs and maintenance
etc, said the Manilla-based bank.
In addition to normal billing of fuel, water and communication
charges, the government also charges for the facilities, like
airbases, storages etc., it offered to US forces in the region.
The agreement was mainly concluded to formalize the arrangement
of logistical support offered to the US forces in Afghanistan.
Pakistan furnishes monthly bills to the United States in this
regard, and the United States pays these charges out of its defence
allocations.
The billing varies depending on the usage and consumption pattern
in a given month, according to the report.
Initially, the government hoped a payment of around $60-75
million a month, but recent upsurge indicates heightened activity of
the US troops in the region.
Last year, a report of the US Central Command detailed this
logistical support in the operation enduring freedom (OEF), saying
Pakistan provided five air bases/airfields, and emergency landing
rights for planes anywhere in Pakistan.
On the average 0.4 million liters of fuel per day was provided to
the US forces as well as all other services on the bases used by them.
"A total of 57,800 sorties have been generated from Pakistan`s
air space/soil," the CENTCOM said.
In order to facilitate launching of air operations into
Afghanistan, Pakistan provided 2/3 of its air space as air corridor to
the US/coalition forces.
By so doing, Pakistan had to reschedule/redirect many of the
commercial flights.
The Pakistan Navy also provided landing facility to the
US/coalition ships at Pasni.
At sea, Pakistan Navy operations/training were curtailed in order
to accommodate and facilitate the operations of US/coalition naval
forces.
The Naval Operations at Pasni were the largest operations in size,
duration and depth that the US Marine Corps had conducted since the
Korean War.
Pakistan also apprehended more than 550 most wanted men in the
US-led war against terrorism, including the most wanted al-Qaeda
figures, Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, Abu-Zubaida and Ramzi bin Al-Shaiba.
Pakistan has also launched a massive operation in the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
Pakistani forces with the help of FC penetrated the tribal areas
soon after the first US strikes in the Tora Bora valley in Afghanistan
just across the border, particularly focusing on Waziristan, Miran
Shah and Wana.
The CENTCOM report also estimated a loss of over $10 billion
since October 2001 to Pakistan due to its support to the OEF.
The United States offered Pakistan compensation in the shape of
direct grants and debt write-offs, and support in the shape of debt
rescheduling agreement and new concessional multilateral loans.
TK/TSH/216
End
US paying Pakistan $100m monthly for logistics support: report
DJ Pakistan To Get $500M-$600M From US For Logistics Support-Min
ISLAMABAD (Dow Jones)--Pakistan will receive $500 million-$600 million within the next six months as compensation for providing logistics support to the U.S. during its war on terror in Afghanistan, the country's finance minister said Wednesday.
"The U.S. is likely to release the amount in the next six monthsas we have sent all the completed bills," said Shaukat Tarin.
Washington has to pay Pakistan $1.4 billion as the outstanding amount under the Coalition Support Fund.
Pakistan is seeking nearly $1.5 billion during the current fiscal year under the fund, said Tarin.
"A congressional oversight is in process in the U.S., which will clear the appropriations," said Tarin.
-By Islamabad Bureau, Dow Jones Newswires; 91-11-43563354;
meenakshi.ray@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
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