The Obama Administration is preparing to give increased military and economic aid to Pakistan, the Washington Post reported last weekend. (“U.S. to Offer More Support to Pakistan” by Karen DeYoung, January 8.)
Nearly $20 billion in civilian and military support has been provided to Pakistan between Fiscal Years 2002 and 2010, according to a newly updated tabulation from the Congressional Research Service. This sum does not include covert aid. Some $3.2 billion in aid has been requested for FY 2011. See “Direct Overt U.S. Aid and Military Reimbursements to Pakistan, FY2002-FY2011” (pdf), January 4, 2011.
Since June 2010, 17 new F-16 combat aircraft have been delivered by the U.S. to Pakistan (at Pakistani expense) along with numerous older armored personnel carriers, according to another Congressional Research Service fact sheet. See “Major U.S. Arms Sales and Grants to Pakistan Since 2001” (pdf), updated January 4, 2011.
At a time when universities are already facing intense pressure to re-envision their role in the S&T ecosystem, we encourage NSF to ensure that the ambitious research acceleration remains compatible with their expertise.
FAS CEO Daniel Correa recently spoke with Adam Marblestone and Sam Rodriques, former FAS fellows who developed the idea for FROs and advocated for their use in a 2020 policy memo.
In a year when management issues like human capital, IT modernization, and improper payments have received greater attention from the public, examining this PMA tells us a lot about where the Administration’s policy is going to be focused through its last three years.
Congress must enact a Digital Public Infrastructure Act, a recognition that the government’s most fundamental responsibility in the digital era is to provide a solid, trustworthy foundation upon which people, businesses, and communities can build.