US scrambles to save $7.5bn aid package for Pakistan

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

Top generals in Islamabad raise 'serious concern' as package labelled a tool of American neo-imperialism

Declan Walsh in Islamabad

The US scrambled today to rescue a $7.5bn aid package for Pakistan that has elicited furious criticism in Islamabad and underscored growing tensions between Pakistan's civilian and military leaders. Pakistan's foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and senator John Kerry, who co-sponsored the aid package, are drafting an emergency declaration to assuage Pakistani concerns before the bill is signed into law by Barack Obama later this week.

Officials said a joint House-Senate statement would "clarify misunderstandings" about the bill in Pakistan, where critics paint it as a tool of American neo-imperialism. "There is nothing in this bill that impinges on Pakistani sovereignty – period," Kerry told reporters.

In theory the Kerry-Lugar bill, as it is known, is good news for Pakistan, a poor country divided by a growing Taliban insurgency. The US funding offers $1.5bn a year for five years for new schools, hospitals, microfinance schemes and other development aid. Only a week ago President Asif Ali Zardari trumpeted it as Pakistan's largest injection of non-military aid.

But everything changed when the country's top generals expressed "serious concern" with the bill. The army is angered at requirements that the US regularly certifies that Pakistan is fighting Islamist extremists, closing down training camps and preventing nuclear proliferation.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/14/us-pakistan-aid-row

---

Drone attacks being a given, I wouldn't be surprised in the least that Pakistan's "rife anti-Americanism", as described later in the article, is also fomented by Faux being broadcast all over the country. Not exactly the best way to 'win hearts and minds'.

Check out how many satellite and cable operators provide it there...

Pakistan

Cable Plus
Video City Cable Network
Cable Network www.hccnp.net.pk
Rousch Power Plant, www.rouschpak.com
City Cable TV Network
Sahar Cable
SM Cable Network
Chiniot Cable Network
Fauji Kabirwala Power Company Ltd
Depalpur Cable Communication,
MB Cable Network
T A Star Cable Network
S.S Cable Network
Five Star
Excel Cable Network
Global Satellite Cable Network
Fox Tel Network
Video Link
Music Zone International
Web Com (Pvt) Ltd
Ain Dice Satellite Cable Network
Nayatel ( Pvt) Ltd www.nayatel.com
Four Star Cable Network
Fox Tel Cable Network,
Candid Associates
Trivision Multi Channel
New Global Communication
Rex Cable Network
S.A Cable Network
Nizari Communication
Tahir Cable Network
Esquire Cable Network
Bismah Cable Network
Seven Friends Cable Network
Tracks Entertainment
Classic Cable Network
Global Cable Network
Luvis Cable Network
Paramount Cable Network
Sky Net Cable Ent Network
Home Entertainment ( K C S )
Star Cable Network
The Citi Communication Reg
WorldCALL Telecom Limited www.worldcall.com.pk
Rana Cable Network
City Cable Gulshan
Mehran Network (Pvt) Ltd
Show Time
Star Cable TV Network
Mian Cable Network
K+ Entertainment cable
New Digital Cable
Kashmir Cable Network
New Hollywood Cable System
WorldCALL Telecom Limited www.worldcall.com.pk
Rana Cable Network
City Cable Gulshan
Mehran Network (Pvt) Ltd
Show Time
Star Cable TV Network
Mian Cable Network
K+ Entertainment cable
New Digital Cable
Kashmir Cable Network
New Hollywood Cable System
WorldCall Telecom Limited www.worldcall.com.pk
Wateen Telecom www.wateeen.com
Al-Saba Cable
Four Star Cable Network
Video White
ABC Cable Network
O.K Video Centre & Cable
Sony Cable Network
Faisal Cable System
Max Cable Network
Sahar Cable Network
Simky Cable Network
Simky Cable Network
Sony Cable Network
5-Signals Battalian
Gandhara Cable Network
Mardan Cable
The View Cable Network
Star Cable

From: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,184837,00.html

Interestingly, they don't mention Pakistan at all on this version of the site: http://origin2.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,184837,00.html">Where in the World is FOX?

[closeupready]

1. These people are not idiots.

The US has a very, very long history of meddling in their internal affairs.

[Justyce]

2. If they don't want it, many of our OWN states with high unemployment

and people living in poverty could sure use the aid package......

[CountAllVotes]

3. Pakistan needs a bail out now!

hurry big Ben and Timmy! Hurry now and write them out that $7 billion+ check! :nuke:

[JDPriestly]

4. This is why President Obama is publicly distancing himself from Fox News.

Broadcasting Fox News in Pakistan is like broadcasting Taliban News in the US. The Fox News commentators would seem just that extreme in their rhetoric to a Muslim audience -- all the extremely we are a Christian nation stuff makes us seem like a nation of religious fanatics -- and we are not a nation of religious fanatics.

I hate to think that Glenn Beck and Bill O-Reilly and all those barely clothed women are the Pakistanis' image of Americans. Horrors!!

[Turborama]

5. I've been thinking the same thing.

I'm not sure if it's *the* reason but it wouldn't be surprising to find out that it is one of the reasons.

I hate to think that Glenn Beck and Bill O-Reilly and all those barely clothed women are the Pakistanis' image of Americans. Horrors!!

Me too! It's not just Pakistanis' image of Americans that's being warped, Faux is broadcast live in at least 57 other countries as well. Including Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim democracy.

Also, not only do they broadcast all that Christian nation stuff, they frequently broadcast http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=fox+news+islam&search_type=&aq=f">anti-Islam propaganda. For example, Gaffney recently spent an unchallenged 6 minutes describing Islam as "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYmaiEIr968">A virus more deadly than Swine Flu" on Faux.