US promises 'hard look' at Pakistan aid, wants action on 26/11
Underlining that Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, US envoy Timothy J. Roemer on Wednesday said Washington will take a "hard look" at the assistance being given to the country and pressed Islamabad to do more to bring the terrorists who attacked Mumbai to book.
"We are certainly going to see Capitol Hill take a very hard look at the assistance that we give, and we invest in security for Pakistan and quite frankly for India. India has a vested interest in a more prosperous Pakistan," Roemer told reporters here on the sideline of an event.
Saying Pakistan needs to do more against terrorists, Roemer said it has to be seen whether Islamabad is using the funds given by the US in a "proper way". "Congress is going to engage in I think two very fundamentally important tasks in the weeks ahead.
One will be as we share or sell certain military equipment to Pakistan, is that being used in the proper way to take on counter terrorism efforts. "We have seen over the past 18 months Pakistan has stepped up those efforts to target Al Qaeda leadership and degrade the leadership. Are they doing enough on Lashkar-e-Tayyaba? Are they doing enough on Mumbai trials? Are they doing enough on Hafiz Saeed and (Zakiur Rehman) Lakhvi? No, they need to do more," he said.
He said Pakistan needs to show results on the Mumbai trials, saying senior US officials visiting Islamabad have been pressing for it.
"Senior level visitors from the US going to Islamabad have made very clear that Pakistan needs to do more. They need to show progress and results on the Mumbai trials. That Mumbai attack on 26/11 killed scores of Indians, six Americans, and the US wants to see progress and results and justice." Roemer also said Osama's discovery in Pakistan would also be taken up. The fugutive was killed by US forces in a mansion in Pakistan's Abbottabad town on Sunday night.
"The second part of this will be in respect to Bin Laden being discovered outside of Islamabad. We remember Khalid Sheikh Mohammad was discovered inside Rawalpindi back in 2003, this is a concern. "Congress will ask tough questions and go to the bottom. How do we more effectively use that aid, I am sure Pakistan is helping us not only degrade Al Qaeda, but go after groups like Lashkar-e-Tayyaba," he said.
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