Kerry: Cutting aid to Pakistan would be "unkind," they helped us find bin Laden

Who is Kerry trying to fool? The Pakistani government didn't help the U.S. find bin Laden. In fact, they were enraged that they had not been filled in on the details of the hunt, which was a wise decision in light of the jihadist ties of the ISI, the Pakistani spy service. How enraged were they? Look:

Pakistan opposition leader on bin Laden killing: "This is the biggest tragedy in the history of Pakistan after the fall of East Pakistan in 1971" -- May 6, 2011

Pakistan warns U.S. of "disastrous consequences" for any more bin Laden-style raids -- May 6, 2011

Pakistan paying U.S. lobbyists to deny it helped bin Laden -- May 5, 2011

CIA confirms: Pakistanis not notified of OBL takedown over fears they would "jeopardize the mission" -- May 3, 2011

Pakistan's jihadist ties may have led U.S. to hit bin Laden alone -- May 2, 2011

Pakistani security forces protected Osama bin Laden for 10 years -- May 2, 2011

Huge numbers of people in Pakistan hated the bin Laden raid as well:

Most Pakistanis grieve for Osama bin Laden -- May 17, 2011

Pakistan: 4,000 rally to protest bin Laden killing, chant "America is the worst enemy of humanity!" -- May 15, 2011

Pakistan: Tiny Minority of Extremists buys 100,000 Osama bin Laden posters -- May 10, 2011

Pro-Osama rally in Pakistan: "Bin Laden was the hero of the Muslim world and after his martyrdom he has won the title of great mujahed" -- May 2, 2011

And this is still true:

Time to cut off Pakistan -- Robert Spencer, May 17, 2011

"Aid cut to Pakistan will be unkind, argues Kerry," by Anwar Iqbal in Dawn, January 24 (thanks to Lookmann):

WASHINGTON: Senator John Kerry, President Barack Obama’s nominee for secretary of state, said during his confirmation hearing on Thursday that cutting US aid to Pakistan, would be a “dramatic, draconian and sledge-hammer” measure.
Senator Kerry also said that Pakistan’s role in leading the United States to Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad had not been sufficiently appreciated.

In his first appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in his new role, Mr Kerry told the senators he foresaw a “more rapid” transition in Afghanistan, allowing an accelerated withdrawal of US troops before the 2014 deadline.

But the senator, who headed the committee before his nomination, assured the Afghans that America’s counter-terrorism mission in their country would continue beyond 2014.

It was Senator Rand Paul, a new Republican face in the committee, who suggested cutting US aid to Pakistan “if they do not release Dr Shakil Afridi” who, he said, was imprisoned for helping the CIA in locating Osama bin Laden. The Al Qaeda leader was killed in a US military raid on his compound in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011.

Mr Kerry informed the senator that he had discussed this issue directly with President Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan’s Army Chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and like most Americans found it “incomprehensible if not repugnant, that somebody who helped us find Osama bin Laden is in jail in Pakistan”.

And “that bothers every American,” he added.

The senior US lawmaker, who stayed engaged with both Pakistan and Afghanistan as President Obama’s informal emissary during his first term, urged Senator Paul to also look at what the Pakistanis say.

“Pakistanis make the argument Dr Afridi did not know what he was doing, who he was specifically targeting … it was like a business for him,” he said, adding that this was no excuse for keeping the physician in jail.

But he said that he would stay engaged with Pakistan rather than resorting to “a pretty dramatic, draconian, sledge-hammer” approach of cutting US aid to the country Senator Paul had suggested.

Senator Kerry told the committee that the US had “a lot of interests” in this relationship, such as using Pakistani roads for sending critical supplies to US troops in Afghanistan.

The United States, he noted, was also receiving valuable on the ground intelligence cooperation from Pakistan, which also helped the Americans locate OBL.

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9 Comments

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margaritha | January 25, 2013 3:29 PM | Reply

John Kerry- the 'hissing damp squib'!

BlueRaven | January 25, 2013 4:14 PM | Reply

Senator Kerry - "Pakistan’s role in leading the United States to Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad had not been sufficiently appreciated."

Sure Senator. I have been wondering like crazy why do we treat Pakistan with a contempt? They are soooo trustworthy. Kerry got it right. He is a cracking genius.

Why do we elect so many clowns?

Battle_of_Tours | January 25, 2013 6:50 PM | Reply

How about the 'thanks' Pakistan gave the doctor who helped finger OBL through his DNA? http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/12/11/hero-doctor-who-helped-nail-bin-laden-tortured-in-pakistani-prison-says-family/
Guess they didn't get the memo? The senator is a waste of oxygen.

Cathy | January 25, 2013 9:41 PM | Reply

Hero doctor who helped nail Bin Laden tortured in Pakistani prison, says family
Published December 11, 2012
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/12/11/hero-doctor-who-helped-nail-bin-laden-tortured-in-pakistani-prison-says-family/

memo | January 26, 2013 7:51 AM | Reply

Everybody should see this video of Rand Paul about stopping aid to Pakistan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDBnz60RTUw

CWD | January 26, 2013 7:53 AM | Reply

Horseface Kerry had done it again. He'll either flip, flop or both. In this case --- He flopped because he can't seem to remember what happened during or after the raid concerning Pakistan's attitude. Especially what's been done to that poor Doctor that "did" help us locate O.B.L. By the way Kerry. You still dodging taxes by docking your yacht in Rhode Island rather than Massachusetts?

memo | January 26, 2013 7:53 AM | Reply

One thing I forgot to mention is that John Kerry got up right after Rand Paul's speech and said it would be dangerous to cut off aid to Pakistan.

Charlie Griffith | January 26, 2013 11:41 AM | Reply

We're right in the midst of a social revolution now on the order of the radicalization of our 1960's.

At its core is that wretched contemporary term, "Political Correctness", including obviously, that faux perceived need for "Diversity"....which in itself should indicate the innate shallowness of its personification by the likes of an Obama being democratically twice elected as our president and commander-in-chief in wartime; a Hillary ensconced as our secretary of state, vividly revealed as a woman, first and foremost, on the defensive at that tragic session in front of the World on television making that astonishing statement, "What difference does it make?", thereby attempting to flick aside as mere irrelevances the details leading up to and during the rape (supposedly, judging by the photo of him half naked with his pants loosened, being dragged by his assailants)and subsequent murder.....of her appointed Ambassador to Libya, and also at the same time being the personal representative of our sitting president.

We are witnessing a great leveling, where mediocre charisma and opportunism both trump common sense and our national well being....no less.

Within living memory of some of us, that atrocity at Ben Ghazi was/is an Act of War, now dismissively set aside.....regardless of her witnessing the flag draped caskets being offloaded from that aircraft.

Now, take just a further moment longer to ponder the likes of this Kerry, a Vietnam War veteran who hurled his medals onto the steps of the very Capitol Building where he has now the chutzpah/testicles to seek Congressional Consent to his confirmation as a new secretary of state.

Try, if you will, to make the ludicrous comparison with Cordell Hull, Dean Rusk or Henry Kissinger.

So, dear Readers, the inevitable conclusion has to be that we are witnessing a social revolution, and we're in one helluva mess.

John C. Barile | January 26, 2013 4:27 PM | Reply

Kerry, Brennan, Panetta -- what a line-up of lightweights.

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