Angry over the revelation that Osama bin Laden was hiding in plain sight in Pakistan, Congress is now debating whether to make changes to the foreign aid given to the United States’ “inconstant” ally, known in some circles as a “frenemy.”

 

Pakistan has received more than $14 billion in security assistance since 2001, and more than $20 billion overall when economic aid is factored in.

 

Among the expenses charged to U.S. taxpayers:

 

·       $8.9 billion from the Pentagon’s Coalition Support Funds;

·       $2.2 billion from Foreign Military Financing to be used to buy U.S.-made weapons;

·       $1.9 billion from the Counterinsurgency Capability Fund, which is now administered by the State Department;

·       $528 million for International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement, including border security;

·       $288 million from the Pentagon’s Counternarcotics Funds.

 

Experts on Pakistan’s politics have long suspected that much of the money the U.S. has been giving Pakistan to fight terrorism and drug trafficking was really being used to oppose India in the disputed region of Kashmir.

 

U.S. lawmakers who have been turning a blind eye to the Pakistani aid situation are now wondering what good all this assistance has done if the most wanted terrorist in the world was able to live in a suburban neighborhood just 40 miles from Pakistan’s capital and half a mile from Pakistan’s leading military academy.

 

Democrats and Republicans plan to debate the idea of adding conditions to any future assistance sent to Islamabad.

-David Wallechinsky, Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Direct Overt U.S. Aid and Military Reimbursements to Pakistan, FY2002-FY2012 (Congressional Research Service) (pdf)

Lawmakers Call for Tougher Restrictions on Aid to Pakistan (by John Bennett, The Hill)

Were Pakistani Forces Protecting Osama bin Laden? (by David Wallechinsky, AllGov)