Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 2, 2008 11:52:00 AM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

US Billions in Pakistan Wasted

Posted Dec 24, 07 4:20 AM CST in World 

(Newser) – Billions of dollars the US gave to Pakistan to bolster counterterrorism efforts against al-Qaeda apparently have been diverted to prop up President Pervez Musharraf's government and finance weapons systems aimed at India, reports the New York Times. Because the US has failed to properly monitor military aid programs, progress against terror organizations is "bleak," said one official, and Pakistanis have made no progress nabbing mastermind Osama bin Laden.

Pakistan routinely overstates the costs of fuel, ammunition and weapons by as much as a third to get inflated reimbursements from the US, some observers estimate. “We didn’t have to give them money this way," said an American military official. Pakistani authorities deny the accusations, but one European diplomat remarked: "I wonder if the Americans have not been taken for a ride."

Source New York Times

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • US Can't Be Sure Pakistan's $5.6B Went to Fight Terror

    Jun 25, 08 12:28 PM CDT
    US Can't Be Sure Pakistan's $5.6B Went to Fight Terror The Defense Department cannot show that nearly $6 billion the US has sent to Pakistan since 2001 has been used, as intended, to fight terrorism. In a report yesterday, the Government Accountability Office said the Pentagon hadn’t properly tracked the funds, CNN reports, blindly signing off on questionable charges—leading critics to charge that Pakistan bolstered its own defense capability at US expense. More »

  • Probe Looms for US Billions to Pakistan

    Feb 21, 08 6:12 AM CST
    Probe Looms for US Billions to Pakistan The electoral defeat of President Pervez Musharraf may prompt Congress to scrutinize the Coalition Support Funds—billions of dollars paid by the US to Pakistan to foot the bill for military action against al-Qaeda near the border with Afghanistan. US officials approve some $80 million a month despite only vague accounting by the Pakistan government for how the money is spent, reports the Washington Post. More »

  • New Pakistan Leaders to Seek Talks With Militants

    Feb 20, 08 3:28 AM CST
    New Pakistan Leaders to Seek Talks With Militants The victors in the Pakistan elections favor negotiations with al-Qaeda and the Taliban over  military confrontation, reports the New York Times. “We will have a dialogue with those who are up in the mountains,” said Asif Ali Zardari, widower of assassinated opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. “We want to take all those along who are working against Pakistan.” More »

  • CIA May Launch New Covert Ops in Pakistan

    Jan 6, 08 7:32 AM CST
    CIA May Launch New Covert Ops in Pakistan Bush administration officials are weighing plans for the CIA and US military to conduct new, more aggressive covert operations in Pakistan, the New York Times reports. The proposal is a response to growing al-Qaeda and Taliban efforts to destabilize Pakistan, cast in sharp focus by the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. Pakistan officials, however, say they will not allow such operations. More »

  • US Seeks 'Plan B' in Pakistan

    Nov 15, 07 4:08 AM CST
    US Seeks 'Plan B' in Pakistan As Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf continues to crack down on opponents, the US is losing faith in his ability to survive, the New York Times reports. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte will meet with Musharraf tomorrow in an effort to help calm the situation, but administration officials are already looking for a Plan B. That could mean another general or a fragile alliance between former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and the military.    More »

Pakistani tribal people wait as authorities block the main road during an operation against militants near Miran Shah, capital of Pakistan's tribal area of Waziristan, along the Afghanistan border. The...   (Associated Press)
Pakistan army soldiers patrol in Miran Shah, capital of Pakistan's tribal area of North Waziristan along the Afghanistan border. Pakistani tribal people wait as authorities block the main road during...   (Associated Press)
Pakistani army troops monitor the area at Sholam checkpoint near Wana, the main town of Pakistans South Waristian tribal area along Afghan border, Wednesday, April 11, 2007. The New York Times reports...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Billions Wasted

Threads (
1
 of 1)

Tags

Pakistan • al-Qaeda • India • Pervez Musharraf • Taliban • Condoleezza Rice • Osama bin Laden • tribal areas • US military aid • Coalition Support Funds • Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other World Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »