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Thursday, August 19

Excuses for throwing what is fast approaching $2 billion in flood aid to Pakistan are not to be believed

Sen. John Kerry: "We don't want additional jihadists [and] extremists coming out of a crisis."

Juan Miranda: "We have to put every road and every bridge back into the shape where they should be. ... If we don't do it quick, if we don't do it well, what will the Pakistani people think?"

Miranda is the Asian Development Bank's director general for central and west Asia. The ADB is redirecting $2bn of existing and planned loans for reconstruction.

Above quotes taken from the Guardian's report today on the latest increase in U.S. aid to Pakistan, $60 million, which brings the U.S. total to $150 million so far. The Guardian mentions in the same reports
The [U.S.] announcement came after the European Union increased its pledge of emergency help to $135m ... Saudi Arabia yesterday announced a $105m aid contribution, according to Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority, though just $5m of this will be in cash, with the rest in the form of relief goods. The Saudi public has separately raised $19m.
Remember, any cash given to Pakistan's regime becomes its sovereign property, meaning how it's spent can't be overseen by donors.

Just so we're clear, 1 U.S. dollar = 86 Pakistani rupees.

You've heard of The Mouse That Roared? Pakistan is the rat that roared. Pretty much the same storyline for both, though.

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