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US takes Mush remarks seriously
Ashish Kumar Sen writes from Washington

Sends team to Pak WASHINGTON: Amidst former President Pervez Musharraf's revelation that Pakistan used US military aid to strengthen its defences against India, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of the Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, on Tuesday said a team was recently sent to Islamabad to review the reimbursement system under Coalition Support Funds. — PTI

The Obama administration takes “very seriously” remarks by Pervez Musharraf that Pakistan used US military aid to build up its defenses against India. The former president told Pakistan’s Express News television channel that Pakistan “did right” by using this equipment against India.

On Monday, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said, “as a general principle, we take very seriously any allegation of using US-origin military assistance for purposes other than we had already agreed to and that we had intended them for.”

New Delhi has raised concerns in the past that US military aid provided to Pakistan to aid its fight against the Taliban and Al- Qaida will be used against India. Musharraf's government received $10 billion in aid from the George Bush administration after the Pakistani leader signed on to Bush's “war on terror” in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

Kelly said anytime the US sells arms or “provides the means to sell arms, we put in place ... safeguards and monitoring mechanisms to make sure that these weapons are used for the intended and agreed-to purpose. And this is the same for Pakistan as well.”

Musharraf told his interviewer: “There is nothing like this equipment has come from the US and must only be used against Taliban, or that equipment has come from China and must be used against this or that.” He confirmed that the weapons were used against India. “We did right. What we did, we did right. We have to ensure Pakistan's security. From whichever side the threat comes, we will use the entire force there,” he said.

Kelly, meanwhile, noted that Musharraf, who now lives in a modest London apartment, is a private citizen. But, he added, “this is a former president who’s made these allegations, and we take seriously any allegations like this.” He said as far as he knew, Pakistan has not been responsible for similar violations.

A new bill proposed by Senator John Kerry and Senator Richard Lugar seeks to triple foreign assistance to $1.5 billion per year to Pakistan. The legislation authorises $7.5 billion over the next five years. The money is intended to emphasise economic growth and development, and advocates an additional $7.5 billion over the subsequent five years. But, the legislation de-links military from non-military aid.

The bill conditions military assistance on certification that the Pakistani security forces are: Making concerted efforts to prevent Al-Qaida and associated terrorist groups from operating in the territory of Pakistan; making concerted efforts to prevent the Taliban from using the territory of Pakistan as a sanctuary from which to launch attacks within Afghanistan; and are not materially interfering in the political or judicial processes of Pakistan.

Yet some lawmakers are worried Pakistan may misuse the aid. At a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing earlier this year Congressman Gerald Connolly sought assurances that the money is not used to build up Pakistan’s defences against the perceived threat from India.

In 2007, the New York Times reported that Pakistan had used $5 billion in US aid on weapons systems designed to fight India. “Money has been diverted to help finance weapons systems designed to counter India, not Al-Qaida or the Taliban,” the paper cited unnamed American officials as saying. Pakistan’s military had promptly dismissed that report as “nonsense.”