US gives $3bn in aid to Pakistan

[hulaku]

The United States has provided more than $3bn in aid to Pakistan since President Zardari came to power a year ago, its ambassador in Islamabad says.

Anne W Patterson said the money was given in "combined security, economic and development assistance".

She made the comments in response to media reports that US aid to Pakistan was determined on an assessment of the government's performance.

Ms Patterson said partisan politics did not determine assistance to Pakistan.

"The US government will continue to deliver assistance to Pakistan through a variety of long-standing vectors as required by American law to ensure transparency and accountability, and is not depriving the Pakistani government any degree of direct funding as a result of a lack of confidence or trust," the US ambassador said.

Ms Patterson said that some of the anticipated non-military aid would be "directly transferred to the government" and the remainder sent through government institutions and non-governmental organisations.

"There's a huge internal capacity to develop Pakistan, and we want to tap into it," she said.

"Using a deliberate qualifying process, we will stream more funding through national, provincial, and local institutions, and built their capacity to work with us in the future."

Earlier this week, Pakistan's former president, Pervez Musharraf, reportedly said the US military aid given to Pakistan during his tenure had been used to strengthen defences against India.

But in a statement issued on Wednesday, Mr Musharraf, currently on a lecture tour of the US, said Pakistan "never violated any agreement or mis-utilised US funds".

"As far as the equipment issued to a military unit is concerned, the equipment moves wherever the unit is deployed," he said.

The US gave $10bn to Pakistan to fight the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

In 2007, Pakistan rejected a report which said it had used $5bn on weapons systems designed to fight India.

Pakistan's military described the New York Times report as "nonsense".

In May this year, the US announced it was sending $110m (£71m) in aid to Pakistan to help it cope with the refugee crisis in the north-west.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8260292.stm

[hulaku]

And a couple of days back this had happened


Musharraf admits US aid diverted

Former president Pervez Musharraf says the US military aid given to Pakistan during his tenure was used to strengthen defences against India.

The money was used to arm the troops who moved with their equipment from the western border to the east based on the perceived threats, he said.

The US gave $10bn dollars to Pakistan to fight the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

In 2007, Pakistan rejected a report which said it had used $5bn on weapons systems designed to fight India.

Pakistan's military had described the New York Times report as "nonsense".

'Did right'

"Wherever there is a threat to Pakistan, we will use it [equipment provided by the US] there. If the threat comes from al-Qaeda or Taliban, it will be used there. If the threat comes from India, we will most surely use it there," Mr Musharraf told Pakistan's Express News television channel.

"There is nothing like this equipment has come from the US and must only be used against Taliban, or that equipment has come from China and must be used against this or that," he added.

Mr Musharraf confirmed that the weapons were indeed used against India.

"We did right. What we did, we did right. We have to ensure Pakistan's security. From whichever side the threat comes, we will use the entire force there."

Mr Musharraf said he did not care if this diversion of aid angered the US.

"Whoever wishes to be angry, let them be angry, why should we bother? We have to maintain our security, and the Americans should know, and the whole world should know that we won't compromise our security, and will use the equipment everywhere."

Meanwhile, India said Mr Musharraf's statement merely confirmed "what we have suspected over a long time and what we have suggested all along".

"We do not feel that such assistance should be turned around and used against us," news agency ******* quoted India's junior external affairs minister Shashi Tharoor as saying.

"We pose no threat to Pakistan and we find that this kind of diversion is neither in the interest of the sub continent nor of those who are giving this assistance."

This is the first time Pakistan has admitted to diverting the US aid to strengthen its defences against India.

In the past, Pakistan's army has dismissed claims that aid from the US had been misappropriated.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8254360.stm

[ggk]

The money was used to arm the troops who moved with their equipment from the western border to the east based on the perceived threats, he said.

"As far as the equipment issued to a military unit is concerned, the equipment moves wherever the unit is deployed," he said.


are we talking about weapon issued to soldier or are we talking about cruisemissile here?

because weapon do really goes wherever the units deployed...

[Excalibur]

i suspect that this money will be used for war preparations against india rather than for war with taliban.

[AL-Khalid]

India is a rising shining ne super power of the world according ot the indians off course. India should not be worried about our little weak military.

[Darklord]

India is a rising shining ne super power of the world according ot the indians off course. India should not be worried about our little weak military.

Who said Indians are "off course?" We are right on it.p-)