Friday, June 12, 2009

House votes to triple amount of jizya to Pakistan

Jihad Watch

Pakistan's double game is no secret. It was the object of a New York Times Magazine piece last September. Here is a snippet from "Right at the Edge," by Dexter Filkins, September 5, 2008: After the attacks of Sept. 11, President Pervez Musharraf threw his lot in with the United States. Pakistan has helped track down Al Qaeda suspects, launched a series of attacks against militants inside the tribal areas — a new offensive got under way just weeks ago — and given many assurances of devotion to the antiterrorist cause. For such efforts, Musharraf and the Pakistani government have been paid handsomely, receiving more than $10 billion in American money since 2001.

But as the incident on the Afghan border suggests, little in Pakistan is what it appears. For years, the survival of Pakistan’s military and civilian leaders has depended on a double game: assuring the United States that they were vigorously repressing Islamic militants — and in some cases actually doing so — while simultaneously tolerating and assisting the same militants.

Musharraf is gone, but the same game is still being played. And the solution arrived at by the solons? Give the Pakistanis even more money! "U.S. House passes bill to triple aid to Pakistan," by Paul Eckert for Reuters, June 11 (thanks to Sr. Soph):

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved tripling U.S. aid to Pakistan to about $1.5 billion a year for each of the next five years in a key part of a strategy to combat extremism with economic and social development.

The bill also includes military aid with conditions that require the Obama administration to certify that Pakistan remains committed to combating terrorist groups -- a provision that was criticized by the key U.S. ally in South Asia.

As ineffectual as such certification will be, the Pakistanis criticized it anyway. They want the jizya with no strings attached.

The $1.5 billion in annual funding includes money for Pakistani schools, the judicial system, parliament and law enforcement agencies.

The action came the same day that U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed to major donors for more funding for Pakistan, saying it was at risk of a "spiraling secondary crisis" without more international aid.

The bill, which includes $400 million in annual military aid for 2010-2013, also passed as Pakistan's military opened a second front against domestic Taliban militants who U.S. officials fear could destabilize nuclear-armed Pakistan....

"Support in Congress for aid for Pakistan will strengthen the resolve of the Pakistani people and government in confronting violent extremists and terrorists," said Pakistan's ambassador in Washington, Husain Haqqani.

Sure. It always has before, now, hasn't it?

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