US putting final touches to new $2 bn assistance to Pak

[HAIDER]

WASHINGTON: The US is preparing a new USD 2 billion security assistance to Pakistan over the next five years to bolster the country's anti-terrorism capability, notwithstanding objections raised by New Delhi that the aid could be diverted for use against India.

The package aims to address Pakistan's insistence that it does not have the wherewithal "to go after terrorists" and will pave the way for supply of American helicopters, weapon systems and advanced technical equipment to intercept communication to Islamabad, CNN reported quoting US officials.

The security assistance is expected to be unveiled at the US-Pak strategic dialogue being held here later this week and is being sanctioned inspite of the Obama administration of late being critical of Islamabad's sincerity in the fight against terrorism, the TV network said.

The USD 2 billion package will be on top of billions of dollars that the Obama Administration has already given to Pakistan in military aid and a USD 7.5 billion aid package over five years in non-military counter terrorism assistance approved by Congress last year.

"They key is to beef up their ability to go after militants, it can't be diverted to other threats," one senior US official was quoted as saying.

Islamabad has been stonewalling pressure from Washington to launch a major military campaign on North Waziristan, which US security agencies believe to be the hot-bed of al-Qaeda, Haqqani network and other militant groups.

The latest US military assistance to Pakistan comes weeks after the Defence Minister, A K Antony, expressed India's strong opposition to such a supply of military hardware.

Antony, who was in Washington last month to hold bilateral talks with the Defence Secretary, Robert Gates, and the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, had conveyed India's concerns about supply of US arms to Pakistan, arguing that a section of these are being targeted against India.
US putting final touches to new $2 bn assistance to Pak - The Economic Times

 

[S_O_C_O_M]

U.S. Plans Increased Military Aid for Pakistan​

Administration Seeks More Action by Islamabad Against Militants.​

Pakistani troops at the Afghan border in July.

Coalition commander Gen. David Petraeus with Pakistan's Gen. Ashfaq Kayani in Kabul.


By ADAM ENTOUS And JULIAN E. BARNES
WASHINGTON—The Obama administration is planning to ramp up military support to the Pakistani army as part of an effort to persuade Islamabad to do far more to combat Islamic militants.

Top U.S. policy makers, who will meet with their Pakistani counterparts in Washington this week, say they doubt Islamabad will agree in the near term to mount a major army campaign against al Qaeda-linked militants in their biggest sanctuary bordering Afghanistan, officials say. Instead, American officials are pushing Pakistan to agree to interim steps to increase pressure on the militant groups, such as by carrying out more targeted operations using U.S.-trained special operations units, according to officials close to the deliberations.

U.S. frustration with Pakistan has grown over what American officials see as Islamabad's unwillingness to mount a campaign against militants who have havens in North Waziristan and Baluchistan. North Waziristan is the main base for operations for the Haqqani network, an extremist group that frequently attacks U.S. forces in eastern Afghanistan and has close ties to al Qaeda, which also takes refuge in the area. Leaders of the Afghan Taliban are based in Baluchistan.

Pakistani officials said Islamabad is willing to step up the current level of surgical strikes. But they said a full-scale clearing operation in North Waziristan isn't possible because large numbers of its troops and equipment are being used to respond to recent devastating flooding, the country's worst yet, and are being used to rout militants from other areas.

The new military aid, which is contingent on congressional approval, is expected to amount to more than $2 billion over five years, would pay for equipment Pakistan can use for counterinsurgency and counterterror operations. U.S. officials say they hope the new aid could effectively eliminate Pakistan's objections that it doesn't have the equipment needed to launch more operations in tribal areas.

Department of Defense officials, including Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will meet on Wednesday with Pakistani Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ashfaq Kayani at the Pentagon.

In a recent report to Congress, the White House said it believed the Pakistani military was avoiding direct conflict with the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda forces for political reasons. Despite the U.S. calls for a crackdown on the Haqqani network, some Pakistani officials continue to support the group, viewing it as a longtime ally that has steadfastly opposed Indian involvement in Afghanistan.

Pakistan received about $1.9 billion in military assistance from the U.S. in fiscal 2010, which ended Sept. 30, including about $300 million in grants to buy U.S. defense equipment. The new package of defense equipment would average out to an additional $100 million a year in aid, although the size of the grants would start lower and grow over time.

By seeking assurances from Pakistan that the new equipment will be used only to combat militants in the border areas, the U.S. hopes to reassure India that it isn't trying to further boost the power of Pakistan's conventional military.

Officials from both the U.S. and Pakistan rejected the notion that the military assistance and talks were a quid pro quo, arguing that they are trying to build a partnership, not cut a deal.

U.S. officials, although they denied that the increased aid was part of an explicit deal to get Islamabad to mount a ground offensive in North Waziristan, said they hoped increased Pakistani military capabilities would translate into increased action on the ground.

"It would seem natural that they could become more aggressive" in the tribal areas, said one American official.

The U.S. trains Pakistan's paramilitary Frontier Corps, as well as members of the country's regular army, air force and navy. In 2010 alone, more than 1,100 Pakistani special operations troops were trained by the U.S., according to a recent White House report to Congress.

U.S. officials hope that this week's talks also result in an agreement on ways to make joint border-control centers and intelligence fusion centers more effective. The border-control centers, most on the Afghan side, help Pakistan, Afghanistan and the U.S. share information and coordinate cross-border operations. Intelligence fusion centers, most in Pakistan, share video feeds from drones and help develop target lists.

U.S. and Pakistani officials also emphasized that if Washington pushes too much it could undermine recent progress and erode Islamabad's will to fight in the tribal areas. "This is our war now; that is the biggest achievement of the last two years," said a Pakistani official.

The new military aid, which would complement an existing five-year, $7.5 billion nonmilitary package approved last year, will require U.S. congressional approval. Key members of Congress, upset by Pakistan's inaction in North Waziristan and concerned about the Pakistani army's human-rights record in the tribal areas, could hold up part or all of the funding and impose conditions of their own. "There is a lot of skepticism," said one a senior aide of the sentiment in Congress.

Islamabad remains skeptical of U.S. pressure to push into North Waziristan, playing down the region's importance as a safe haven for terrorists. Gen. Athar Abbas, spokesman for the Pakistan army, said the importance of North Waziristan as a base for hardened Taliban fighters had been exaggerated by U.S. officials.

"The effect of the Haqqani network in disturbing the U.S. in Afghanistan has been overblown," he said.

American officials hope that expanding the work of the joint U.S.-Pakistani intelligence fusion centers could help the Central Intelligence Agency improve its targeting of members of the Haqqani network and other militants.

The CIA has stepped up strikes on militant targets in the region using armed aerial drones, in part to add to pressure on the Haqqanis and the Afghan Taliban, but also to try to disrupt a suspected terrorist plot to strike Western Europe.

Speaking to a small group of reporters on Tuesday, CIA Director Leon Panetta said the stepped-up campaign were "taking a serious toll" on the Haqqani network. "All of that, I think, must be having an impact," he said.

—Tom Wright in Islamabad contributed to this article.

U.S. Plans Added Military Aid for Pakistan - WSJ.com

 

[abdullahk]

ahh yes from 1965 america and pakistan have been friends. but you see to me it looks like pakistan is the cousin at the family thankgiveing dinner who has problems of money, violence, drugs, ect... but if i see it WOT has led us to lose billions but what america has to offer? 2 billion for 5years talk about tuff love eh?

 

[S_O_C_O_M]

The new military aid, which is contingent on congressional approval, is expected to amount to more than $2 billion over five years, would pay for equipment Pakistan can use for counterinsurgency and counterterror operations. U.S. officials say they hope the new aid could effectively eliminate Pakistan's objections that it doesn't have the equipment needed to launch more operations in tribal areas.

F-16 Block 52, helicopters, tanks, advanced missiles.

 

[Omar1984]

F-16 Block 52 = 19 million dollars

53 F-16 Block 52 =$1,007,000,000

The rest for helicopters, tanks, advanced missiles.

And what about the billions of $ in damage and losing thousands of innocent Pakistani lives after Taliban take their revenge in Pakistan's cities like TTP did during the Swat and South Waziristan operation.


india doesnt need to destroy Pakistan, this war OF terror is doing the job for india and for all of Pakistan's other enemies

 

[razgriz19]

F-16 Block 52 = 19 million dollars

53 F-16 Block 52 =$1,007,000,000

The rest for helicopters, tanks, advanced missiles.

who told u that blk 52 cost only 19 million?????????
and btw we lost nearly $40-50billion since WoT started and us paid us less than $15 billion...

 

[NWO]

who told u that blk 52 cost only 19 million?????????
and btw we lost nearly $40-50billion since WoT started and us paid us less than $15 billion...

The TTP should be defeated, and it'll be better if we do it without outside help since than Pakistan won't have to owe anybody any 'favors'.

 

[Omar1984]

The TTP should be defeated, and it'll be better if we do it without outside help since than Pakistan won't have to owe anybody any 'favors'.

TTP is already defeated, besides U.S. wants Pakistan army to go after Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network in North Waziristan not TTP that's why Pakistan is getting an increase in military "aid", but the losses and damages to Pakistan and Pakistanis will be far greater than this aid.

 

[TOPGUN]

We are not getting these vipers via aid ... we are paying it out of pocket get the facts right people and understand them ... all we need is hungry trolls to start bitting of them false news.

 

[sensenreason]

I have no problems with Pakistan getting weapons that they would want but the hypocrisy of US that puts roadblocks on Indian purchases for which India will pay top dollar versus US gifting weaponry to Pakistan is at best a good strategy and at worst treason.

This aid to Pakistan right before Obama's visit to India demonstrates the failed policy of Manmohan Singh. He still is holding on to the world view of Bush years. Even in the Bush years the so-called strategic partnership did not encourage FBI to take specific names like Headley when warning about terrorism. The worst part is that he travelled to India even after 26/11. It shows the duplicious role of the US in this so-called WOT and the absolute mindblowing in efficiency of India's internal security apparatus.

 

[Urbanized Greyhound]

Its time for the GOI to wake up to international geo-political reality rather than grow complacent day by day...under the faulty presumption that U.S and India are " allies" or "natural partners".....

 

[Last Hope]

Will you people stop fighting ??
Of course Pakistan is improving its army strenth,
but it never means that India is any weaker,
Even if it is, we must not think of our 'enemies' as weak...
This is the biggest problem !!
Over confidence!
and yea again,
Stop having a fight on every thread!

Pakistan Zindabad!

 

[mohan goyal]

don't need to worry guys, US will recover this amount in 1 year. infact the loss to pakistani economy is more than anything else, due to these WoT.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

The articles suggest that the US will be disbursing this money primarily for COIN equipment. That would likely mean it will be used for helicopter purchases, training etc.

It will not be used to obtain F-16's or other military equipment targeted for use primarily in a conventional conflict with India. Of course any weapon system used in COIN can also be used in a conventional war, and if the resources are directed towards bolstering Pakistan's heli capabilities, then those helicopters will also bolster its conventional capabilities.

In addition, this potentially frees up some Pakistani resources that might be applied towards weapon systems for use in a conventional conflict with India.

 

[REHAN NIAZI FALCON]

I have no problems with Pakistan getting weapons that they would want but the hypocrisy of US that puts roadblocks on Indian purchases for which India will pay top dollar versus US gifting weaponry to Pakistan is at best a good strategy and at worst treason.

This aid to Pakistan right before Obama's visit to India demonstrates the failed policy of Manmohan Singh. He still is holding on to the world view of Bush years. Even in the Bush years the so-called strategic partnership did not encourage FBI to take specific names like Headley when warning about terrorism. The worst part is that he travelled to India even after 26/11. It shows the duplicious role of the US in this so-called WOT and the absolute mindblowing in efficiency of India's internal security apparatus.

is india ivolved in any such operation .....
is india fighting war on terror ...
are taliban fighting with india......
had india lost its soldiers in war against terror........\
many more...........
than why.............. any reason............