nytimes: U.S. Officials See Waste in Billions Sent to Pakistan

dec 27th, 2007

a few hundred dollars out of these billions went into benazir's execution.

and inflating expense accounts, how very like sandeep pandey of ASHA/AIDS fame. he spent rs. 1 lakh on a jaityayatra to pakistan. he was apparently buying gold-plated gas for his car.

also, reminds me of another malayalam proverb when the pakistanis complain that they are not getting all the goodies they wanted to play with:

ari thinnathum pora, asarichiye kadichatum pora, pinneyum naykka murumuruppu

not enough that he ate the rice, nor that he bit the housewife, even after all this the dog is growling and fussing

talk of ingratitude.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Shahryar

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/24/world/asia/24military.html?ei=5088&en=19a8b44eb685fafa&ex=1356152400&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

 

December 24, 2007

U.S. Officials See Waste in Billions Sent to Pakistan

By DAVID ROHDE, CARLOTTA GALL, ERIC SCHMITT and DAVID E. SANGER

 

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — After the United States has spent more than $5 billion in a largely failed effort to bolster the Pakistani military effort against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, some American officials now acknowledge that there were too few controls over the money. The strategy to improve the Pakistani military, they said, needs to be completely revamped.

 

In interviews in Islamabad and Washington, Bush administration and military officials said they believed that much of the American money was not making its way to frontline Pakistani units. Money has been diverted to help finance weapons systems designed to counter India, not Al Qaeda or the Taliban, the officials said, adding that the United States has paid tens of millions of dollars in inflated Pakistani reimbursement claims for fuel, ammunition and other costs.

 

"I personally believe there is exaggeration and inflation," said a senior American military official who has reviewed the program, referring to Pakistani requests for reimbursement. "Then, I point back to the United States and say we didn't have to give them money this way."

 

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For their part, Pakistani officials angrily accused the United States of refusing to sell Pakistan the advanced helicopters, reconnaissance aircraft, radios and night-vision equipment it needs .

 

"There have been many aspects of equipment that we've been keen on getting," said Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad, the Pakistani military's chief spokesman. "There have been many delays which have hampered this war against extremists."

 

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