Biden Makes Bush Look Bad on Pakistan (Though That Isn't Hard)
By David Corn | November 15, 2007 9:47 AM
I'm not about to endorse Joe Biden for president. But I will say this: the guy does think about foreign policy. He tried to come up with an overarching plan for Iraq that would turn the nation into a federation of three entities (Kurdish, Shia, and Sunni) with a weak central government that would manage the country's oil reserves. There are problems with this idea, but at least it's a notion of what to do in Iraq--which is more than George W. Bush and Dick Cheney have to offer. In late September, the Senate passed a nonbinding measure supporting Biden's proposal on a whopping and bipartisan 75-23 vote. And in the October 30 Democratic debate, Biden had the best moment of the night when he responded to a Tim Russert gotcha-question about Iran with nuance and sophistication, which are usually absent in such settings. (I described the exchange here.)
Now, as the Bush administration looks dumbstruck in the face of the Pakistan crisis, Biden, who chairs the Senate foreign relations committee, has proposed a detailed plan for dealing with the matter. I'm sure experts can quibble with it. But again, I award him points for engagement. From a Biden press release
1. The U.S. must triple non-security aid, to $1.5 billion annually for at least a decade. This aid would be unconditioned. It would be the U.S.'s pledge to the Pakistani people. Instead of funding military hardware, it would build schools, clinics, and roads.
2. The U.S. must condition security aid on performance. We should base our security aid on clear results. The U.S. is now spending well over $1 billion annually, and it's not clear we're getting our money's worth.
3. The U.S. must help Pakistan enjoy a “democracy dividend.” The first year of democratic rule should bring an additional $1 billion -- above the $1.5 billion non-security aid baseline. Sen. Biden supports tying future non-security aid--again, above the guaranteed baseline--to Pakistan's progress in developing democratic institutions and meeting good-governance norms.
4. The U.S. must engage the Pakistani people, not just their rulers. This will involve everything from improved public diplomacy and educational exchanges to high impact projects that actually change people's lives.
Social assistance in addition to security assistance, a democracy dividend, pressure on Pakistan to use U.S. security funds to go after al Qaeda, and nongovernmental engagement. Would this work? There's no guarantee, certainly. But it's a proactive plan, and that sure beats the Bush/Cheney policy of drift, neglect, and hoping for the best.
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http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/davidcorn/2007/11/biden-makes-bush-look-bad-on-p.html
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