U.S. halts $700 million in aid to Pakistan

The U.S. this week froze $700 million in aid to Pakistan, linking its action to Islamabad’s failed efforts to control the spread of improvised explosive devices used by the Taliban in Afghanistan. The freeze, agreed upon by leaders of the Armed Services committees from both parties in the House and Senate, is intended to encourage Pakistan to better regulate the distribution of the fertilizer ammonium nitrate. “The vast majority of the material used to make improvised explosive devices used against U.S. forces in Afghanistan originates from two fertilizer factories inside Pakistan,” Sen. John McCain said. So far, Pakistan has produced only draft legislation on the issue.