Washington, May 12: Alleging that Pakistan has for decades leveraged radical terrorist groups to carry out attacks in India and Afghanistan, a U.S. lawmaker has introduced a bill that proposes to deduct $50 million from the U.S. aid to Islamabad every time an American is killed “as a result of actions of ISI.”
Congressman Dana Rohrabacher has introduced the “Pakistan Terrorism Accountability Act of 2012” in Congress.
The legislation would require the Department of Defence to list all Americans killed by terrorist groups operating with impunity inside Pakistan and Afghanistan and supported by elements of the Pakistani government.
For each person killed, $50 million would be subtracted from U.S. foreign assistance to Pakistan, a requested $2.2 billion, and given to the victim's family. Mr. Rohrabacher is Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.
“For too long America has funded the Pakistani government, giving it free money, while elements of the ISI and Pakistan's military operate radical Islamic groups that are actively murdering Americans. Americans will not accept this,” Mr. Rohrabacher said.
“Pakistan has for decades leveraged radical terrorist groups to carry out attacks in India and Afghanistan,” he said.
“Pakistan helped to create the Taliban and Pakistan's intelligence service hid Osama bin Laden from the U.S. for years. Today, one of the most dangerous and sophisticated groups killing American troops in Afghanistan is the Haqqani Network, which is closely operated by the Pakistani government,” Mr. Rohrabacher alleged.
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, has said the ISI directed the Haqqani Network to plan and conduct “the assault on our embassy [in September 2011]... We also have credible evidence that they were behind the June 28 attack at the Inter—Continental Hotel in Kabul.”
Mr. Mullen has also said “the Haqqani network acts as a veritable arm of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency,” said the statement issued by his office.
According to the legislation Pakistan, through Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), maintains control and influence in Afghanistan through militant Islamic networks, such as the Haqqani Network, in order to secure its strategic position and expand its sphere of influence, not only in Afghanistan, but also in Kashmir and against India.
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