US offers Pakistan over $3 bn in financial aid against reopening of NATO supply route

[figatova]

US offers financial aid against reopening of NATO supply route

* Offer given to finance minister for upcoming federal budget

* Pakistan likely to accept over $3 billion assistance package

By Manzoor Qadir

ISLAMABAD: The US has offered a lucrative monetary favour to the coalition government led by the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) for the federal budget 2012-13 in exchange for resumption of supply routes of NATO forces stationed in Afghanistan, Daily Times has learnt.

The sources privy to recent diplomatic parleys between Pakistani authorities and US Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides said that the offer was made to Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh for the upcoming budget, which the PPP-led government wants to make “people-friendly” in order to muster public support for the next general elections.

The sources said the fresh US offer was an additional attraction for Pakistan as Washington had already expressed its willingness to pay compensation for 24 soldiers killed in NATO air strikes at Salala checkpost. The US has also offered “other” taxes on NATO supplies passing through Pakistan, they added.

The offer depicts US’ keenness to have NATO supply resumed as soon as possible. It also puts Pakistan’s top hierarchy at crossroads as “what to do and what not to”, the sources said.

The PPP intends to announce the budget for 2012-13 with focus on economic stability, prudent fiscal policy, generating opportunities for youth, protecting vulnerable groups, controlling inflation and social safety net programme. The US offer for financial assistance becomes important in the wake of PPP’s ambitious budget plans.

The sources said the government was in a fix following opposition parties putting conditions before the NATO supply route was re-opened. One of these conditions is forcing the US to end its drone strikes in the Tribal Areas.

However, the sources added, Pakistan was ready to accept the lucrative US offer which would be over $3 billion.

The US offer comes at time when the budget deficit is expected to shoot up to five percent of the GDP because key foreign inflows such as Coalition Support Fund are not likely to fully materialise by June 30, the sources said.

Nides, the US deputy secretary of state for management and resources, had visited Islamabad to discuss resumption of NATO supplies to allied forces.

During his visit, Nides met with different Pakistani officials with a view to formulate a new agreement between the two countries.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...-4-2012_pg7_10

[figatova]

Related:

'US to rely on India, NDN if Pak doesn't re-open NATO supply routes'

http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsde...y-routes-.html

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http://en.ria.ru/analysis/20120321/172299865.html

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http://www.defensenews.com/article/2...text|FRONTPAGE

[TheEngineer]

I would rather give my tax dollars to Greece, Portugal, Ireland and Spain ... I'm sure they would put it to better use ...

[figatova]

Originally Posted by TheEngineer

I would rather give my tax dollars to Greece, Portugal, Ireland and Spain ... I'm sure they would put it to better use ...

The title and article are misleading. This is not aid for Pakistan but bribe money for the Pakistani military dictatorship.

[crowhawk]

Originally Posted by figatova

The title and article are misleading. This is not aid for Pakistan but bribe money for the Pakistani military dictatorship.

Most of what the govt of the USA refer to as "foreign aid" is bribe money. Which is at best conditional (except for the annual $3.6 billion to Israel) on US corporate interests being granted certain "concessions". At worst it is a backdoor means of fighting proxy wars & funding/arming, often despotic, puppet leaders, such as General Surhato in Indonesia, the Shah of Iran & countless other tyranical regimes from Chile, to El Salvador & Nicaragua to Libya. Who will act as a front while those same US corporate/military interests bleed the country's natural resources & enslave it with debt, courtessy of loans from US banks.

Refusing the USA/NATO the ability to resupply in Pakistan was a polular move amongst ordinary Pakistanis, who have become incensed at the injuries & deaths of innocent Pakistani civilians from CIA drone attacks in NW Pakistan/Waziristan. 160 of these casualties were children & Barack Obama's subsequent description of the the child casualties as "not a large number" didn't go down too well. US Special Forces death squads, deliberately violating Pakistani sovereignty to carry out the execution of Osama Bin'Laden, won't have helped the situation.

This coupled with the recent activities of the US military in Afghanistan. The latest atrocity commited against Afghan civilians, coming so soon after the release of vidoes showing US troops urinating on the corpses of dead Afghan teenagers & the burning of Qurans, means that allowing US troops to resupply & use Pakistani territory as a route into Afghanistan will be very unpopular. No matter how much money they are prepared to offer.

[figatova]

^^^ yep. I would add the only reason why the Pakistani military dictatorship is still in power against the wishes of the vast majority of the Pakistani plebs which sees its government as a mere puppet of American imperialism is because of that bribe money.

[YWAHW]

If that is what it costs to be able to remove $70 billion worth of IED resistant vehicles then so be it. There isn't any other way of getting them out of Afghanistan unless you tear them apart and send the pieces back on an airplane.

[figatova]

Originally Posted by YWAHW

If that is what it costs to be able to remove $70 billion worth of IED resistant vehicles then so be it. There isn't any other way of getting them out of Afghanistan unless you tear them apart and send the pieces back on an airplane.

Most of those will be scraped, given away or sold off on the cheap. Just like you did in Iraq.
Two reasons for that:
-you don't need them
-It's cheaper to give them away than to ship them back home

The supply route is essential to support current operations, and that's what this is all about. Clue's in the name.