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US writes off Pakistan's 496 million dollar debt
(DPA) 16 July 2004
Pakistan on Friday got a debt relief of 496 million dollars from the United States in return for its support to Washington in the ongoing war on terror.  Until the dramatic events of September 11, Pakistan owed some 3 billion dollars to the United States out of which a total of almost 1.7 billion dollars has now been written off.  US Ambassador Nancy Powell signed the agreement with the Secretary of Economic Affairs Division Waqar Masood in Islamabad.  The debt write-off was promised by US President George W. Bush during President Pervez Musharraf's Washington visit in October 2002.  "This agreement marks a continuation in the United States partnership with the government and people of Pakistan," Ambassador Powell said.  The Bush Administration has also pledged a 3 billion dollar five-year economic and military assistance package to Pakistan, which will go in to effect after congressional approval later this year.  In addition, the United States is also providing 100 million dollars a year, which will fund ongoing USAID programmes to improve education, health projects and good governance in Pakistan.  A key war-on-terror ally, Pakistan provided critical logistic and intelligence support to the United States to help topple the radical Taleban regime in Afghanistan in December 2001 which was accused of sheltering Osama bin Laden and his associates.  Pakistan has also arrested and handed over to the United States more than 600 Al Qaeda terrorists and their supporters.
[COMMENT] ****** Simply Amazing... Pakistan may have seemed to provide "critical logistic and intelligence support" during the invasion of Afghanistan, but have done little to support the search for bin Laden since the Bush junta redirected their efforts to Iraq.  How can the US continue to claim these people are our friends when they do little to fight the so-called "War on Terror" - unless they call getting caught selling nuclear weapons technology to radical states and then shrugging their shoulders help.  Bush is being played and we are paying for it.  But, that's just this old Curmudgeon's opinion.*****

posted by A Curmudgeon 1:12 PM