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Passed Dec 14 with a 283-136 vote with bipartisan
support in a bitterly divided Congress, the measure
is expected to be approved by the Senate before
it is sent to President Barack Obama for his signature.
However, in practical terms, the Pakistan aid
freeze provision is unlikely to have any major
impact as officials have made clear that Washington
in no hurry to turn the tap off amid a tense standoff
with a key ally over the killing of 24 Pakistani
soldiers in a NATO strike last month.
As State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland
explained, once the aid freeze provision becomes
a law, the Obama administration would find ways
of complying with it.
"If this legislation becomes law, we'll
work with the government of Pakistan on how we
can fulfil the requirements. But this requires
us to maintain a strategic perspective and to
be clear with our Congress about the strategy,"
she said.
The House vote on the defence bill came just
hours after the administration abandoned a veto
threat over provisions dealing with the handling
of terrorism suspects after House and Senate negotiators
agreed to a few changes desired by the White House.
In a statement, press secretary Jay Carney said
the new bill "does not challenge the president's
ability to collect intelligence, incapacitate
dangerous terrorists and protect the American
people".
Specifically, the bill would require that the
military take custody of a suspect deemed to be
a member of Al Qaeda or its affiliates and who
is involved in plotting or committing attacks
on the US. There is an exemption for US citizens.
The bill also says the president can waive the
provision based on national security.
(IANS)
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