Kerry's concerns on oversight for the Pakistani aid

[karynnj]

A few weeks ago, there was a Boston Globe article that spoke of Kerry and Lugar complaining of the time the Obama administration gave them to monitor the Pakistani funds. Here is the entire BG article:

John Kerry, the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had been repeatedly praised by the Obama administration for working so long and hard to bring billions of foreign aid dollars to Pakistan. The effort to increase aid to Pakistan - a key ally in the war in neighboring Afghanistan - began when Joe Biden and Barack Obama were Kerry's colleagues on the committee. But even among close colleagues and friends, disagreements arise. Kerry and Richard Lugar, the Indiana Republican who is the ranking member of the committee, sent this March 5 letter scolding the State Department for giving them only two weeks to look over plans for $1.4 billion in Pakistan - and few details. Since the letter was sent, the State Department has sent a series of officials to get grilled on Capitol Hill about the plan.

They then had a link to a letter to Jacob Lew. http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/03-05-10%20JK%20RL%20to%20Lew%20re%20Pakistan%20FY%2010.pdf

It had been very significant that they wrote strict oversight provisions into the bill in the first place - and it was a reaction to reports that showed that the aid in the Bush years mostly did not go where intended. ( http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct2=us%2F0_0_s_2_1_aa&usg=AFQjCNFd28anffJXwWe_L1wfyst0Mfxkjg&cid=1448579366&ei=bwDQSvjsIpSDlgf-nK6MAw&rt=SEARCH&vm=STANDARD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newsweek.com%2Fid%2F217022 ) This was also what caused anger in Pakistan.

There have been a series of articles in the Pakistani and Indian press in the last few days about a letter that Kerry (and the SFRC staff - I think) wrote to Holbrooke was leaked to the media. This leads to three interesting topics - Kerry's recommendations, the question of who leaked this, and how it plays politically. Remember all the anger that there were any requirements at all on the aid?

Here is a Pakistani article which includes the full text of the letter - http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=29431

On the eve of billions of dollars of Kerry-Lugar money beginning to flow to the PPP government, Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has raised several red flags, asking critical questions about accountability and almost warning that significant portions may end up in accounts of the corrupt elite.

In a strong indictment of the present system in Pakistan, Senator Kerry has written a long seven-page letter to special US envoy Richard Holbrooke dated May 25, 2010 (a brief part of which was reported a few days later by the Boston Globe). Kerry says: “The danger is much greater than merely the possibility of a portion of the funds being poorly spent.”

Kerry’s letter reveals that more than 50 per cent of the KLB funds would go in 2010 directly to the Government of Pakistan or local partners.

“The potential for misuse is significant enough to raise warning flags about the pace of funnelling funds through institutions without a strong track record of transparent, accountable, and effective money management or significant experience in the successful delivery of projects,” Kerry points out in his letter.

An Indian newspaper apparently does not know that "could" and "would" have two very different meanings. http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Senator-Kerry-seeks-tighter-control-over-civilian-aid-to-Pak/633205/

From the leaked letter, the SFRC does seem to be taking their oversight role seriously - just as they said they would. Going back to the letter to Lew, did the Obama administration by initially giving the SFRC only 2 weeks try to avoid oversight? This is something that had Bush tried, we would be furious.

As to the leak, who could have leaked it. Could the leak be someone who sides with India? Could it be US AID or other US or Pakistani civil groups that Kerry would prefer were handling it? It is unlikely to be Kerry's office, as they could issue any concerns they have in a press release and they have no reputation of leaking anything. I don't think it would be Holbrooke as it does not make him look good at all.

I'm just confused at this point - on what Holbrooke is doing and what is going on here.

[ProSense]

1. Why would anyone be opposed to tightening accountablity?

Let's hope the State Department comes up with some rules that are strong and enforceable.

Kerry, understandably, doesn't want to see the purpose of the aid negated by lack of oversight.


"As to the leak, who could have leaked it. Could the leak be someone who sides with India? Could it be US AID or other US or Pakistani civil groups that Kerry would prefer were handling it? It is unlikely to be Kerry's office, as they could issue any concerns they have in a press release and they have no reputation of leaking anything. I don't think it would be Holbrooke as it does not make him look good at all. "

Could it be someone who sides with Bush (Republicans), in other words, someone just trying to stir controversy?