Pakistan News And Discussion-13

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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>US spends billions on Pakistan for schools, economic growth, counter-terror reimbursements </b>WASHINGTON, Nov 6 (AP) - U.S. assistance and other payments to Pakistan have totalled $9.6 billion in the six budget years since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, according to the State Department. The largest payout each year is for Pakistan's help in the global war on terrorism. The reimbursements amount to some $80 million a month, said Defence Department spokesman Bryan Whitman _ or nearly $1 billion a year. On top of those payments, the U.S. also gives Pakistan direct aid for humanitarian programs, economic development, military needs and so on _ well over $700 million in each of the last two years. Pakistan receives military equipment under the assistance programs, as well as by buying some, such as the 36 F-16 aircraft it is purchasing for up to $3 billion . Following is a sampling of how the<b> State Department proposes to spend $785 million on Pakistan in fiscal year 2008: _$342 million for efforts to counter extremists, narcotics trafficking, weapons proliferation and other security issues.-- _$249 million for economic growth. That includes developing infrastructure for transport, power, irrigation and vocational training. _$50 million in humanitarian assistance, including to rebuild hospitals and schools damaged or destroyed in the 2005 earthquake--_$103 million for health, education and water and sanitation</b>. That includes scholarship programs to help the disadvantaged get advanced educational degrees in agriculture and business as well as programs against HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, for mother and child care and to promote family planning<b>.--_Nearly $42 million (euro29 million) for governance and democracy programs.</b> The money is to support democratic practices in political parties and in civil society, promote free and fair elections, develop the media and support the legislative process. The Bush administration budget request noted that elections were planned in 2008, a prospect now in doubt because of the imposition of emergency law over the weekend. (Posted @ 10:25 PST<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->