SHINKIARI, Feb 22: US President George W. Bush is not coming to Pakistan with a wish-list, US Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker said here on Wednesday.
In a brief chat with newsmen after addressing a farewell ceremony for the combined medical relief team 3 of the United States, he said the forthcoming visit of Mr Bush itself symbolised the strength, depth and breadth of the ties between Washington and Islamabad.
Mr Crocker also referred to other high-level visits including that of US Vice President Dick Cheney to Islamabad and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s visit to Washington.
He said the devastating earthquake of Oct 8, 2005 was a terrible experience for Pakistan, but the tragedy brought the two countries closer to each other.
Describing the US response to the earthquake disaster as quick, Mr Crocker said the activities of the US disaster assistance relief team were a manifestation of the close relationship enjoyed by the two countries.
The US ambassador pointed out it was the longest humanitarian assistance operation ever conducted by US forces anywhere in the world. “We are proud of what has been accomplished,” he said.
Currently, Pakistan is in the phase of transition from relief to rehabilitation and reconstruction, he said, adding that the US will support the country in reconstruction also.
He said the US is also providing $200 million to support the earthquake reconstruction programme in the country. The first tranche under the four-year grant agreement has already been released, marking the next phase of US government assistance for earthquake relief - helping communities rehabilitate, rebuild and revive.
According to him, the first tranche of $15 million represents the firm commitment of President Bush and the American people to post-quake relief and reconstruction efforts in Pakistan. The agreement is the first contribution toward the $200 million pledge for rebuilding schools and hospitals destroyed by the earthquake and for reviving the livelihoods and systems needed for effective education and health care.
The new grant is in addition to the current 5-year, $1.5 billion USAID programme that provides education, health, economic growth and governance support throughout Pakistan.
Washington has pledged a total of $510 million in earthquake relief and reconstruction efforts to assist the people of Pakistan and to support Pakistani government relief and reconstruction efforts, and the $200 million grant agreement for reconstruction is part of the US pledge.
Commander of the US disaster assistance relief team (Dart) in Pakistan Rear Admiral LeFever, GoC 37 Division Maj-Gen Shakeel Hussain, Commander of the Combined Medical Relief Team 3 Lt-Col Jamie Gannon and Shinkiari Tehsil Nazim Khurram Hanif also spoke on the occasion.
The US Navy-Marine Corps hospital in Shinkiari will soon be heading home after having treated close to 15,000 patients.
The CMRT 3 served the medical needs of the NWFP, while 12 local medical facilities were being restored from the damage caused by the Oct 8 earthquake.
As the demands of the initial relief effort became less intensive, the CMRT focused on medical outreach, vaccinating and providing basic healthcare to thousands of villagers in remote and inaccessible areas. Now with relief efforts segueing into long-term reconstruction, the Marines and sailors of CMRT 3 are preparing their return to III Marine Expeditionary Force in Japan.
Over 200 Marine Corps and Navy personnel staffed the CMRT, including ten doctors, six nurses and 40 hospital corpsmen.
Since Nov 17, 2005, CMRT 3 brought state-of-the-art medical care to around 15,000 patients, performing over 50 life-saving surgeries. The CMRT is a self-contained 60-bed mobile hospital with operating rooms, an intensive care unit, radiology, laboratory and pharmacy.
