Lawmakers angry with Pakistan warn of cuts in aid

WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans and Democrats warned Pakistan on Tuesday that billions of dollars in American aid are at stake if Islamabad doesn’t step up its efforts against terrorists, a clear sign of the growing exasperation after the U.S. takedown of Osama bin Laden deep inside Pakistan.  

The frustration evident at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing exposed the dilemma for the United States, which needs Pakistan for its supply routes into Afghanistan in the 10th year of the war there and its help in any talks with the Taliban. Still, questions loom about the uneven ally in the aftermath of the May 2 raid in which U.S. SEALs killed bin Laden on an estate near a Pakistani military training academy.

Just back from a weekend trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan, the committee chairman, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said he told Pakistani leaders about the deep concerns in Congress and the nation about the country’s eagerness in the terror fight. The White House signed off on Kerry’s trip, which sought to ease tensions with Pakistan.

“I underscored the importance of seizing this moment to firmly reject an anti-American narrative that exploits our differences instead of finding common ground and advancing mutual goals,” Kerry said, three hours after landing on U.S. soil.

At the State Department, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the United States remains committed to the people and government of Pakistan as they defend their democracy against extremists.

“Obviously there are important concerns and many questions that have to be addressed and worked through,“ she said. ”But I would just remind us all that in recent years our cooperation between our governments, our militaries, our law enforcement agencies has increased pressure on al-Qaida and the Taliban, and we want that progress to continue.”

At the Senate hearing, the sourness toward Pakistan came from all political quarters.

“After the bin Laden mission, I think all of us, our initial response in regards to Pakistan is: How could Pakistan either be so inept or so complicitous?” said Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md. “So I think we’re now going through an evaluation, whether Pakistan’s our ally and friend.”

Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee said many in Congress “are wanting to call ’time out’ on aid until we can ascertain what is in our best interest and what I would consider to be more of a transactional relationship.”

The United States has provided some $20 billion in aid to Pakistan since 2001, and there have been efforts in Congress to cut some of the $1.1 billion for Pakistan in the defense bill in the House.

“Going forward, Pakistan must do much more than it has to root out terrorists in Pakistan,” said Sen. Dick Lugar of Indiana, the committee’s top Republican.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said Pakistan is a country that “plays a double game,” and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said “selective engagement makes us think of selective assistance.”

Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, said his constituents have asked, “Why are we spending our kids’ and our grandkids’ money to do this in a country that really doesn’t like us? ... It’s a hard sell to the American people.”

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