[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18420]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        THE BENEDICT ARNOLD ALLY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Poe) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this week Pakistani Prime Minister 
Gilani said that there will be no more ``business as usual'' with the 
United States. I couldn't agree more. The United States should not be 
doing business as usual with our unfaithful ally Pakistan. Since 2002, 
we have given Pakistan over $14 billion in so-called security-related 
aid and over $6 billion in economic-related aid. The American people 
have not gotten their money's worth.
  Pakistan seems to be the Benedict Arnold nation in the list of 
countries that we call allies. They have proven to be deceptive, 
deceitful, and a danger to the United States. Here's some of the 
evidence.
  In May of this year, Navy SEALS discovered Osama bin Laden living the 
high life in an Abbottabad mansion right in the backyard of the 
Pakistani military community, but Pakistan claimed they had no 
knowledge of the world's most-wanted terrorist that was living right 
under their noses. This is questionable at best. Mr. Speaker, that dog 
just won't hunt.
  Since then, the more we learn about Pakistan, the worse it gets. 
Shortly after that raid, Pakistan also arrested CIA informants in 
Pakistan that led the United States to capture or take out Osama bin 
Laden.
  Pakistan has tried also to cheat the United States by filing bogus 
reimbursement claims for allegedly going after militants; 40 percent of 
these claims have been rejected by our government.
  There is more. Pakistan tipped off terrorists making IEDs, not once, 
but twice, in June 2011, after we gave them intel on the bomb-making 
factory location and asked Pakistan to go after them.
  CIA Director Leon Panetta asserted that Pakistan had not done enough 
to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, saying there is ``total mistrust'' 
between the United States and Pakistan. Meanwhile, Pakistan is chumming 
up to the Chinese. It sounds to me like Pakistan is playing both sides 
in the war on terror.
  This so-called ally takes billions of dollars in U.S. aid while, at 
the same time, supporting the militants who attack us. According to 
Admiral Mike Mullen, the Pakistani Government supported the groups who 
were behind the September 11 truck bombing attack in eastern 
Afghanistan that wounded more than 70 U.S. and NATO troops.
  Based on this evidence, I have introduced legislation to freeze all 
U.S.A. aid to Pakistan with the exception of funds that are designated 
to help secure their nuclear facilities. By sending aid to Pakistan, we 
are funding the enemy, endangering Americans, and undermining our 
efforts in the whole region.
  In the past week, relations between American and Pakistani officials 
have even further deteriorated. Saturday, NATO and Afghan forces near 
the border of northwest Pakistan and Afghanistan reportedly came under 
attack from Pakistani fire and responded in self-defense. Twenty-four 
Pakistani soldiers were killed. But Pakistan says it was NATO who fired 
the first shot. Of course we cannot believe what Pakistan says. They 
will lie when the truth is obvious. But the facts will eventually come 
out as to what really happened in this episode.
  Hatred for America is still at an all-time high in Pakistan. This 
week on TV, Americans have seen Pakistanis burning American flags and 
cursing our Nation. And just today in Politico, we have this lovely 
photograph of Pakistani women proclaiming ``Down with U.S.A.''
  Pakistan leaders are continuing to vilify the United States on the 
one hand and, on the other hand, take our money. Most importantly, 
crucial NATO supply routes have been cut off by Pakistan, stopping 
supplies from getting to our troops in Afghanistan. Monday, 300 trucks 
full of supplies were turned away at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. 
Pakistan has cut off the supply routes to our troops; now it's time we 
cut off the money to Pakistan.
  Pakistan has made it painfully obvious that they will continue their 
policy of dangerous, dishonest deceit by pretending to be our ally in 
the war on terror while simultaneously giving a wink and a nod to 
extremism. By continuing to provide aid to Pakistan, we are funding the 
enemy, endangering Americans, and undermining our efforts.
  Seven in 10 Americans believe we need to stop or decrease foreign aid 
to Pakistan. After all, it is their money. We should stop foreign aid 
to Pakistan until we know whose side they're on. We don't need to pay 
them to hate us; they'll do it for free, Mr. Speaker. Maybe we 
shouldn't pay them at all.
  And that's just the way it is.

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