Pak on notice: US Senate links aid to action on LeT
BOOST FOR INDIA Pak could lose $350 million in defence funding if House of Representatives passes similar legislation
WASHINGTON: The US Senate passed legislation on Monday that for the first time proposes to link defence aid to Pakistan with action taken by it against the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the banned terror group founded by Hafiz Saeed.
An amount of $350 million, which is half of the $700 million set aside under the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) for compensating Pakistan for its cooperation in operations in Afghanistan, will be tied to Islamabad’s actions against the group behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
This will be in addition to action required against the Haqqani Network, which has been part of the precondition for three years. The LeT has primarily targeted India but it has also been increasingly blamed for attacks on US forces in Afghanistan.
The development coincided with India increasing pressure on Pakistan over its support for terrorism and the clandestine proliferation of nuclear technology to North Korea.
During a meeting with US secretary of state Rex Tillerson and Japanese foreign minister Taro Kono in New York, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj sought an investigation into North Korea’s nuclear proliferation linkages and action against those responsible — a veiled reference to Pakistan. Swaraj deplored North Korea’s nuclear tests and said “its proliferation linkages must be explored and those involved must be held accountable”, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.
At the United Nations Human Rights Council meet in Geneva, India launched a scathing attack on Pakistan, describing it as “the face of international terrorism”.
Responding to Pakistan’s statement at the session, Indian diplomat Vishnu Reddy said: “Even the Pakistan foreign minister admitted that internationally banned outfits including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-eMohammed are operating from within Pakistan.”
“They must shut down its terrorist manufacturing units and bring the perpetrators of terrorism to justice.”
The US Senate’s move to link defence aid to action against the LeT is, technically, only a proposal and will make it to the final legislation only if it is reconciled with the version of the defence budget proposed and passed by the House of Representatives.
This will be done during a legislative process called “confer- ence”, which may or may not approve the Senate’s proposal.
But the proposal itself was described by Senate officials, who requested anonymity to discuss the implications freely, as symbolically significant and reflecting the sense of the Senate and its frustration with an untrustworthy ally.
According to Section 1213 of the Defense Authorization Bill passed by the Senate for 2018 — which is essentially the proposed $700 billion defence budget — the CSF payment will be incumbent on Pakistan conducting “military operations that are contributing to significantly disrupting the safe havens, fundraising and recruiting efforts, and freedom of movement of the Haqqani Network and Lashkare-Tayyiba (another way to spell Lashkar-e-Taiba) in Pakistan”.
The bill added Pakistan must show “it has taken steps to demonstrate its commitment to prevent the Haqqani Network and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba from using any Pakistan territory as a safe haven and for fundraising and recruiting efforts”.
Pakistan must also show that it “is making an attempt to actively coordinate with the Government of Afghanistan to restrict the movement of militants, such as the Haqqani Network and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border”.
Islamabad must also demonstrate “progress in arresting and prosecuting senior leaders and mid-level operatives” of the Haqqani Network and LeT.
Pakistan doesn’t stand to lose too much because of this new addition to conditions because it is already not able to collect the full amount under the CSF due to the US administration’s failure to certify it is doing enough against the Haqqani Network.
But, as a US official said on background, “this was a big signal” from the Senate.