Top U.S. lawmakers balk on Pakistan anti-terror aid

Pakistan anti-terror aid up in the air Top lawmakers balk as White House seeks to shift $230 million to F-16s New York Times WASHINGTON — The Bush administration plans to shift nearly $230 million in aid to Pakistan from counterterrorism programs to upgrading that country's aging F-16 attack planes, which Pakistan prizes more for their contribution to its military rivalry with India than for fighting insurgents along its Afghan border. Some key members of Congress have greeted the proposal with dismay and anger, and may block the move. Lawmakers and their aides say that F-16s do not help the counterterrorism campaign and defy the administration's urgings that Pakistan increase pressure on al-Qaida and Taliban fighters in its restive tribal areas. The timing of the action also caught lawmakers off guard, prompting some to... [read full story]