WASHINGTON: Just two days after Pakistan released CIA contractor
Rayamond Allen Davis, arrested in a double murder case, Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton signed a certification to the Congress asserting
that Islamabad is co-operating with the US in preventing and
dismantling terror networks, congressional watchdog has said.
The
Department of State transmitted the certification to Congress with a
classified memorandum of justification to support it on March 29, a
report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said.
This
certification paved the way for the US to provide security-related
assistance to Pakistan in fiscal year 2011 as mandated by the Enhanced
partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009. The Department of State had
originally requested USD 296 million in fiscal year 2011 for Pakistan.
Raymond
Davis was arrested after gunning down two men in Lahore in January this
year which led to a diplomatic row between the two nations. He was
later released after the payment of blood money on March 16 and the
certification was signed on March 18.
The Enhanced Partnership
with Pakistan Act of 2009, popular as the Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill,
among other things, limits certain security-related assistance to
Pakistan each fiscal year from 2011 through 2014.
In her
certification, Clinton said Pakistan continues to cooperate with the US
in efforts to dismantle supplier networks relating to the acquisition
of nuclear weapons-related materials, such as providing relevant
information from or direct access to Pakistani nationals associated
with such networks. She certified Islamabad is co-operating in
preventing al-Qaeda, Taliban and associated terrorist groups, such as
Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, from operating in its territory,
including carrying out cross-border attacks into neighboring countries,
closing terrorist camps in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas,
dismantling terrorist bases of operations in other parts of the
country, including Quetta and Muridke, and taking action when provided
with intelligence about high-level terrorist targets.
Before
the United States can provide security-related assistance to Pakistan
in each of those fiscal years, the Secretary of State must certify that
Pakistan continues to cooperate with the US on dismantling nuclear
networks, it demonstrated a sustained commitment to and made
significant efforts toward combating terrorism in the preceding fiscal
year, and the country’s security forces are not subverting the
political and judicial processes there.
The GAO report said
since 2002, the US has provided Pakistan with increasing levels of
security, democratic, economic and development assistance, as well as
reimbursements.
In fact, the US assistance increased 151 per
cent, from USD 1.06 billion in fiscal year 2002 to USD 2.65 billion in
fiscal year 2010. In the same period, US reimbursements to Pakistan
have increased 28 per cent, from USD 1.17 billion in fiscal year 2002
to USD 1.50 billion in fiscal year 2010.
The Act authorises USD
1.5 billion in democratic, economic, and development assistance to
Pakistan each year for fiscal years 2010 through 2014. The US has
provided assistance for a broad range of activities. For example, it
has provided USD 4.78 billion through the Economic Support Fund, which
is used for projects such as rehabilitating and constructing public
schools and improving energy, agricultural and water infrastructure.
The
US has also provided USD 2.16 billion in Foreign Military Financing
(FMF), which helps develop the professionalism and capabilities of
Pakistan’s military.
Washington also provided Excess Defense
Articles to Pakistan between 2002 and 2010; however, this assistance
has been provided in the form of equipment rather than funds.
The
GAO report said, according to discussions with State Department
officials and its review of the law and State budget requests, the
Enhanced Partnership Act could limit about USD 350 million in FMF
(Foreign Military Financing) that State requested for Pakistan in
fiscal year 2012. That is approximately 12 per cent of the
administration’s fiscal year 2012 request of USD 3 billion for total
foreign assistance to Pakistan.
This leaves about 88 per cent,
or USD 2,615 million that is not limited. The FMF programme provides
grants for Pakistan’s acquisition of US defense articles, services and
training, primarily for activities related to counter-insurgency and
counterterrorism operations.
In past, Pakistan had used these
grants to refurbish or upgrade defense articles that the US had
provided under the Excess Defense Articles programme, including Cobra
helicopters, armored personnel carriers and the frigate USS McInerney.
Clinton
certified that Pakistan during the preceding fiscal year has
demonstrated a sustained commitment to and is making significant
efforts towards combating terrorist groups consistent with the purposes
of assistance described in section 201, including taking into account
the extent to which the Government of Pakistan has made progress on
matters such as: ceasing support, including by any elements within the
Pakistan military or its intelligence agency, to extremist and
terrorist groups, particularly to any group that has conducted attacks
against United States or coalition forces in Afghanistan, or against
the territory or people of neighboring countries. Online