Washington DC – Pakistan is facing a considerable financial loss from US aid as senior US Congress member Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) introduced legislation calling for a cut of $50 million for every American killed by terrorist groups with tacit support of Islamabad.
“For too long America has funded the Pakistani government, giving it free money, while elements of the ISI and Pakistan’s military operate radical Islamic groups that are actively murdering Americans,” said Rohrabacher, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, adding, “Americans will not accept this.”
The bill, titled, “Pakistan Terrorism Accountability Act of 2012,” states, “Pakistan, through the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) organization, maintains control and influence in Afghanistan through militant Islamic networks, such as the Haqqani Network, in order to secure its strategic position and expand its sphere of influence, not only in Afghanistan, but also in Kashmir and against India.”
The legislation would require the Department of Defense to list all Americans killed by terrorist groups supported by elements of the Pakistani government, which are operating with impunity inside Pakistan and Afghanistan. For each person killed, $50 million would be subtracted from US foreign assistance to Pakistan (a total of $2.2 billion) and given to the victim’s family.
“Pakistan has for decades leveraged radical terrorist groups to carry out attacks in India and Afghanistan,” continued Rohrabacher. “Pakistan helped to create the Taliban and Pakistan’s intelligence service hid Osama Bin Laden from the US for years. Today, one of the most dangerous and sophisticated groups killing American troops in Afghanistan is the Haqqani Network, which is closely operated by the Pakistani government.”
Listing the attacks of the terrorist groups, including the bombing of the Indian Embassy in Kabul on July 7, 2008, Rohrabacher affirmed, “The ISI Directorate has long supported the Haqqani Network.”
Rohrabacher cited former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, as saying that the ISI directed the Haqqani Network to plan and conduct “the assault on our embassy (in September 2011) … We also have credible evidence that they were behind the June 28th attack against the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul.”
Rohrabacher also quoted Mullen as saying, “the Haqqani network acts as a veritable arm of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency.” (IATNS)