NEW DELHI (INDIA): Fresh from his fifth visit to Afghanistan, wherein Senator Bob Corker had a first-hand experience of the ground realities and attacks on US troops by groups operating with in Pakistan, the Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee shot off an angry letter to Secretary Kerry mentioning Pakistan’s duplicitous role in the fight on terror.
“While we’re spending tremendous amounts of US dollars and certainly tremendous sacrifice in our men and women in uniform and by other agencies, they (Pakistan) are working simultaneously to destabilize Afghanistan,” Corker said. Cautioning against the sale of F16s to Pakistan, Corker said “I do not want US taxpayer dollars going to support these acquisitions,”
Senator Corker wrote the letter to Secretary Kerry on the same day that the Obama administration proposed USD 860 million in aid for Pakistan, including USD 265 million for military hardware.
Corker was joined in the opposition to the sale by Cong. George Holding, Co-chair of the House Caucus on India and Indian-Americans who also expressed doubts saying, “The pending sale of 8 F-16 aircraft to the Government of Pakistan is deeply troubling. Holding questioned ‘how this sale strengthens our national security and more importantly, how this sale would improve stability in the region. I believe this sale requires further assessment by Congress and urge the Administration to suspend any further action on this sale.’
USINPAC has for long been advocating for the re-evaluation of the US aid package to Pakistan and to stop sending money to nations that provide assistance to terrorists. USINPAC Chairman Sanjay Puri opined, “Pakistan has continually proven to be an unreliable and unwilling partner for the US on combating the growing threat of terrorism. Taxpayer money should not be used to fund groups like the Haqqani network that attack US troops in Afghanistan and enjoy safe havens inside Pakistan.”
Source: Political Mirror