Washington: US Congressman Dana Rohrabacher has introduced a Pakistan Terrorism Accountability (PTA) bill that proposes to deduct 50 million dollars from US aid to Islamabad every time an American is killed "as a result of actions of the ISI". For each person killed, 50 million dollars would be subtracted from the 2.2 billion dollars US foreign assistance to Pakistan, and given to the victim`s family, reports The News.
"Of the amounts made available for assistance to Pakistan for fiscal year 2013 or any subsequent fiscal year, the President shall withhold $50 million for each United States citizen who is killed as a result of actions of Pakistan`s ISI or support provided by the ISI to other organisations or individuals, including the Haqqani Network," the bill said.
"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," Rohrabacher said.
"Pakistan has for decades leveraged radical terrorist groups to carry out attacks in India and Afghanistan," he added.
"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," Rohrabacher alleged. Former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, had 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," he added.
According to the legislation, the 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. Asserting that ISI has strong links with the Haqqani network, the legislation says that it shall be the policy of the US to limit its foreign assistance to Pakistan if the country’s military or intelligence services continue to support or provide assistance to organisations that target US citizens.
ANI