Lawmakers ask US not to upgrade Pakistan F-16s now
WASHINGTON, July 29 (Reuters) - Two senior U.S. lawmakers said on Tuesday they had asked the Bush administration not to shift $226.5 million in U.S. counterterrorism aid to Pakistan to upgrade Pakistani F-16 fighters for the time being.
The Democratic lawmakers, House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman of California and Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, said they feared the plan could hinder counterterrorism efforts and wanted more time to study it.
First disclosed last week, the plan has caused some unease in Congress, where legislators have questioned how the upgraded F-16s, widely seen as aimed at countering any threat from India, would be used against al Qaeda and Taliban forces.
U.S. officials have long been frustrated at what they view as Pakistan's failure to do enough to combat militants along its border with Afghanistan, where the United States has some 35,000 troops, many of whom are fighting a Taliban insurgency.
Congressional staffers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Bush administration could still transfer the money if it wished but typically sought to respect such requests from lawmakers.
A U.S. official who asked not to be named said that the administration was weighing how to respond but noted that there was deadline on Thursday to make a payment to Lockheed Martin Corp, the military contractor that would upgrade the planes.
In a statement, Berman and Lowey said legislation passed by Congress last year "specifically required that military aid to Pakistan be used for counterterrorism and law enforcement activities directed against al Qaeda and the Taliban."
DIVERTING FUNDS
"We are concerned that the administration's proposal to use military assistance to pay for the F-16 upgrades will divert funds from more effective counterterrorism tools like helicopters, TOW missiles, and night-vision goggles," they added.
Berman and Lowey, who chairs the influential House panel that oversees swathes of the U.S. foreign aid budget, announced their concerns a day after Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani met President George W. Bush in Washington.
Gilani sought to reassure Bush of his government's commitment to securing its border with Afghanistan, where Taliban and al Qaeda militants pose a growing threat to both countries.
Berman and Lowey said they wanted to help Gilani's newly elected government cope with a budget crisis brought on by rising fuel and food prices and proposed that Congress provide $200 million in economic aid to help address this.
Separately, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a bill that would authorize tripling non-military aid to Pakistan to $7.5 billion over five years for development, including building schools, roads and health clinics.
The bill's sponsors include Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois as well as Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden of Delaware and its senior Republican member, Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana.
In a speech organized by the Council on Foreign Relations and the Middle East Institute, Gilani said the bill was a signal "that not only is Pakistan back in business but the United States is standing with it in a long-term, mature partnership."
The bill has no immediate effect. It would have to be passed by the full Senate and House and would typically also require separate legislation to appropriate the funds. (Editing by Chris Wilson)
