Bush paves legal hurdle for $300m aid bill

WASHINGTON—US President George W Bush has decided to waive a domestic law for Pakistan to pump in USD 300 million security assistance in the country amid stepped up efforts by Washington to bring its new civilian government on board in the “war on terror”.
Bush has decided to exempt Pakistan from a law that restricts funding to the countries where the legitimate head of state has been deposed in a military coup with a view to facilitating the transition to democratic rule, the White House said adding it was important to US efforts to respond to, deter, or prevent acts of international terrorism.
It said Bush, who had given the waiver to Pakistan every year since 2003, had asked the US Congress for about 300 million dollars for security assistance to Pakistan. “The Pakistani government is conducting military, police, and intelligence operations to fight terrorist groups on Pakistani soil and bring terrorists to justice,” White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. Bush in a message to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has said that he has made a determination to waive section 608 of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2008 Stressing that the US expected continued cooperation from Islamabad on the anti-terror fight, the White House said Bush called the new Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani and both leaders had agreed that it was in their countries’ best interests to continue to fight terrorists and extremists.
“...They had a very good conversation... They both agreed that it is in both of their countries’ best interests to continue to fight terrorists and extremists. So we anticipate continued cooperation,” Press Secretary Dana Perino said. The Presidential waiver and the telephone call came as two top State Department officials — Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher were in Pakistan meeting top leaders in the country.
“He (Negroponte) has met with President Musharraf. I think he’s met with Mr. Nawaz Sharif. And I would expect that he meets with Prime Minister Gillani, as well as other important members of the Pakistani political elite and the political power structure,” State Deprtment Spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. “It’s an opportunity for us to engage, at a very senior level, with a new Pakistani government, as they are making this transitio... To a new phase of their democracy.”
“We look forward to working with that new government, as well as President Musharraf, going forward,” he said. Pointing that the two countries had “overlapping interests”, he said the US would like to see Pakistan “broaden and deepen” its economic and political reform. “We think that that and fighting violent extremism are inextricably a long-term hedge against the expansion of violent extremists and terrorists in the region in Pakistan, as is broadening and deepening of these economic and political reforms.”
US President George W Bush has decided to waive a domestic law for Pakistan to pump in USD 300 million security assistance in the country amid stepped up efforts by Washington to bring its new civilian government on board in the “war on terror”.
Bush has decided to exempt Pakistan from a law that restricts funding to the countries where the legitimate Head of State has been deposed in a military coup with a view to facilitating the transition to democratic rule, the White House said adding it was important to US efforts to respond to, deter, or prevent acts of international terrorism.—Agencies