[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 86 (Thursday, May 24, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E729-E730]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   STOP PAYING PAKISTAN TO BETRAY US

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 24, 2018

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, we must remember that Pakistan 
continues to be an unreliable partner in the fight against terrorism. 
For nearly two decades, we have hoped that Pakistan would clear the 
terrorist safe havens along the Afghanistan border and end its support 
for violent extremist groups. We have even paid them $13 billion to do 
this.
  And yet, Pakistan still has not proven it is serious about combatting 
terrorism. Just earlier this month, the Pakistani Minister of Interior 
was shot by a man linked to an extremist political party in Pakistan. 
This political party believes Pakistan's blasphemy laws are not being 
strictly enforced to prosecute Christians or minority sects. The fact 
that Pakistan--a supposed ally of the United States--has a blasphemy 
law is troubling enough. Such intolerant laws only foster the extremism 
and hate that our terrorist foes thrive on.
  But Pakistan's relationship with extremism is nothing new. Even when 
members of the Pakistan government become victims of the terrorism, 
they equivocate or blame someone else, like the U.S. or Afghanistan, 
while dismissing their own role in fueling such groups.

[[Page E730]]

The evidence is clear, Pakistani sponsorship of terrorism can be traced 
to the Soviet-Afghan war and Pakistan's ongoing conflict with India. 
After 9/11, Osama bin Laden and his ilk fled to Pakistan for a clear 
reason: because they knew it was a safe place for extremists.
  For too long, we have fooled ourselves into thinking Pakistan is a 
responsible nation. During the Cold War we made a mistake identifying 
an Islamist state like Pakistan as an ally. They do not share our 
values and have inflamed conflict across South Asia for a long time. We 
have poured billions of dollars into Pakistan hoping it will change. 
When will we accept that it will not? That violent extremism and anti-
Americanism is too deeply rooted and that paying them only rewards bad 
behavior.
  Currently, we authorize roughly $700 million every year in coalition 
support funds for Pakistan to fight terrorism and support our efforts 
in Afghanistan. We long suspected, however, they were only taking token 
steps to fool us. Starting in FY2016, to be eligible for half of the 
CSF money, Congress required the Secretary of Defense to certify that 
Pakistan is taking adequate steps to combat the Haqqani Network--one of 
the worst terrorist groups in the region. And to no surprise, the 
Pentagon has been unable to certify that Pakistan is meeting this 
requirement since it was put into law. Despite failing to meet this 
certification, $350 million of the CSF money still goes to Pakistan. If 
it is clear that Pakistan is permitting terrorist groups to operate on 
its territory, why are we giving them any money at all?
  The time has come to end our delusion that Pakistan will fulfill its 
responsibility in the fight against terrorism. We should not be paying 
Pakistan to betray us. They will do it for free.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________