Army expresses 'serious concern' on US aid bill

[Naveed Yaseen]

ISLAMABAD (October 08 2009): The top army brass expressed ``serious concern' on Wednesday over a proposed multibillion-dollar US aid package for the country, opening a rift with the weak US-backed civilian administration and bolstering critics who warn the bill will lead to greater American interference. The military's unusual public statement was vaguely worded.

It said senior commanders, including the army chief, ``expressed serious concern regarding clauses (of the bill) impacting on national security.' But it also referred to the parliament's deliberation on the subject, which it said would allow ``the government to develop a national response.'

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Wednesday chaired 122nd Corps Commanders Conference, held at General Headquarters. The participants were given a comprehensive briefing on the current security situation in the country and the region during the day long discourse of the meeting.

COAS in his opening remarks dilated upon various issues related to national security and impending challenges faced by the country. He reiterated that Pakistan is a sovereign state and has all the rights to analyse and respond to the threat in accordance with her own national interests.

Kerry Lugar bill also came under discussion during the conference. The forum expressed serious concern regarding clauses impacting on National Security. A formal input is being provided to the Government. However, in the considered view of the forum, it is the Parliament, that represents the will of the people of Pakistan, which would deliberate on the issue, enabling the Government to develop a National response. COAS in his concluding remarks reiterated that Pakistan stands committed to global and regional peace, and wishes to live in harmony with her neighbours.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=969291

By Shakeel Shaikh

RAWALPINDI: The top military leadership on Wednesday expressed serious concern over various clauses of the Kerry-Lugar Bill impacting national security.

“The forum expressed serious concern regarding clauses impacting national security,” said an ISPR press release made public following a daylong 122nd Corps Commanders conference held here at the General Headquarters (GHQ) with Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in the chair.

The top commanders took up the Kerry-Lugar Bill and focused their debate on various clauses. In his opening remarks, Army Chief Gen Kayani dilated upon various issues related to the national security and impending challenges faced by the country. “Pakistan is a sovereign state and has all the rights to analyse and respond to the threat in accordance with her own national interests,” he said.

Officially, it was admitted that the Kerry-Lugar Bill also came under discussion to gauge the impact of its various clauses on the national security. It is said that the commanders decided to give “a formal input (on the Bill) to the government”.

However, the press release stated, the military commanders’ considered view was that “it is parliament that represents the will of the people of Pakistan, which would deliberate on the issue, enabling the government to develop a national response”.

Some defence experts say by issuing such a strong-worded press release, the government is rated as an “under-19 team of experts on the national security matters”. They maintain this snub by the military leaders to the government may lead to “confusion” over the issue of who holds, protects and defends the national security and in what way with its authority over such matters.

Some circles, however, said the proper way for the military top brass to convey its serious concern over the clauses of the Kerry-Lugar Bill impacting the national security was to present their viewpoints in the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) and services chiefs could do so in front of the prime minister, who chairs the DCC meetings. The services chiefs are ex officio members of the DCC, which is the highest forum in the Higher Defence Organization (HDO).

Some pro-democratic views expressed by the people linked with the government was that the military commanders had no right to express their views on such sensitive matters in public, as it would lead to create confusion whether there was a parallel setup in Pakistan.

The other view is that being defenders of the country’s frontiers and champions of the national security, the military commanders have to come out against such moves, which hurt or bite the national security in any way.

“The commanders have a duty to protect national security interest and they have to do so in many ways,” said a former military officer. The participants of the conference were given a comprehensive briefing on the current security situation in the country and the region. Gen Kayani in his concluding remarks reiterated that Pakistan stands committed to global and regional peace and wishes to live in harmony with neighbours.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=24909