India risks losing US military aid

WASHINGTON, May 16: A United States Congressman who was seeking to cut all foreign aid to countries which have voted consistently against t...

WASHINGTON, May 16: A United States Congressman who was seeking to cut all foreign aid to countries which have voted consistently against the US at the United Nations has backed off a little after finding that India figured prominently in the rogue’s list’ containing among others, Iraq, Syria, North Korea and Cuba.

Congressman William Goodling of Pennsylvania has now changed the language of his amendment to propose that errant countries be denied aid under a military exchange program called IMET. India gets only $ 250,000 under the IMET head in an overall annual foreign aid package in the region $ of 150 million.

The new language also makes the proposal prospective i.e countries which vote with US less than 25 per cent of the time at the UN from the coming year will be punished with cuts.

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Following this dilution which appears to have come about after intense lobbying and a meeting between Indian ambassador Naresh Chandra and Congressman Goodling India has decided not to actively oppose the passage of the amendment. Besides, it was felt, the amendment was not India-specific in the sense it did not name India.

The amendment was to have been moved on Thursday during discussion on the foreign aid authorisation bill, but it has been deferred till possibly early June following some legislative technicality.

Still, this would imply New Delhi would henceforth have to watch its voting pattern at the United Nations if it does not want to jeopardise US aid.

Indian defence officers visit the US for training under IMET.

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India has voted consistently against Washington in the First Committee of the UN which discusses nuclear and disarmament issues.

Meantime, the prospect of a parallel move to cut foreign aid to India on account of its human rights record an annual ritual entertained by Congressman Dan Burton now looks less alarming following disclosures that the lawmaker took political contributions from lobbyists representing the crumbling Zairean dictator Mobuto Sese Seko.

According to the Congressional newspaper The Hill, Burton consistenly plugged for Mobuto in Washington, invariably after contributions — exceeding legal limits and honoraria from the dictator’s lobbyist Edward vob Kloberg III.

Kloberg is known in Washington as a “lobbyist for the damned” because his clients have included Romania’s Nicolai Ceaucescu, Liberia’s Samuel Doe, and Saddam Hussein.

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Burton’s other patrons in Washington are separatist Khalistanis and Kashmiris who also bankroll him to represent their cause on the Hill. The Congressman is also under FBI investigation on charges that he shook down a Democratic lobbyist for Pakistan for contributions, a charge he denies.

According to The Hill, Burton has been a great votary of Mobutu in the US legislative, defending his regime and praising him often. He even interceded with the state department to secure a visa for him to visit the US.