February 26, 2008	Tuesday	Safar 18, 1429

WASHINGTON, Feb 25: The US administration has recently been reluctant to build up Pakistan’s capability to fight terrorists, often refusing to provide equipment needed to enhance the country’s potential to engage the militants, diplomatic sources told Dawn.

Also, during the last six month, the Pentagon has slowed the process for reimbursing the bills Pakistan submits for the expenses incurred during its engagement with the extremists, the sources said.

Bills for the March-June 2007 quarter were reimbursed only recently while those for July to October are still pending.

Pakistan’s Defence Ministry submits the bills monthly for maintaining its 80,000-100,000 troops along the Afghan border.

Recent reports in the US media claimed that no receipts were attached to these bills. Yet the US has disbursed about $80 million monthly for the past six years, the reports said.

The US media also reported that the Pentagon is reconsidering its policy for reimbursing Pakistani troops and may demand proper accounting for the money it sends. Allegations of misappropriation of funds and of the US desire to tighten the process are also heard at congressional hearings.

Pakistan, however, has rejected such reports as misleading, adding that such official leaks amount to ‘blackmailing’.

In Washington, diplomatic sources told Dawn that so far they had not seen any official indication that the US intended to stop reimbursements or was reconsidering the present arrangement.

The sources, however, said that since mid 2007, they had noticed a ‘new reluctance’ in building up Pakistan’s capability to fight terrorism.

The Americans are particularly reluctant to enhance Pakistan’s intelligence gathering abilities. They also have been refusing to provide precision targeting equipment, which can lower collateral damage in a war that is often fought in civilian areas.

The diplomatic sources said that while Pakistan realises that it’s in its own interest to fight terrorists, it does not have resources to conduct such a major operation without external support.

The sources also rejected the suggestion that the money paid to Pakistan was ‘huge.’

According to these sources, the US pays Pakistan $650 per soldier per month. In Afghanistan, the US is spending $80,000 per soldier per month and $100,000 per soldier per month in Iraq.

“So you can see that there is no comparison between what Pakistan gets and what is the international norm,” said one diplomatic source. “It does not mean that Pakistan wants a raise, all they are asking is to put things in the right perspective.”

The arrangement under the Coalition Support Funds allows Pakistan to submit bills for food, clothing, fuel charges, transportation, medical service, damaged and destroyed equipment, helicopter flying hours, repair and maintenance and communication services.

Pakistan, however, does not claim pay and allowances, collateral damage, and charges for depletion of equipment.

“Above all, there is no compensation for the dead and injured,” said the diplomatic source, while noting that Pakistan has already lost more than 1,000 soldiers in this war.

“Similarly, they do not claim compensation for civilian lives or for damages to civilian property,” the source said.

“The bills they send are first cleared by the US Embassy in Pakistan. All objections are resolved at the embassy level and then the bill is sent,” the source said, pointing out that the bills are sent to Washington by the US Embassy and not by any Pakistani agency.