We is the postponement of the Millions of Pakistani military assistance - New York Times

Coupled with a statement of the Agency of spying military officer of the army top American last week linking Pakistan to the murder of Pakistani journalist, the stop or the withdrawal of military equipment and other aid to Pakistan illustrates the depth of the debate within the administration of Obama on how to modify the behavior of one of its key partners fight against terrorism.

In total, about 800 million dollars in military aid and equipment, or more than a third of more than $ 2 billion in annual aid of us security in Pakistan, could be affected, said three senior officials of the United States.

This assistance includes about $ 300 million to reimburse Pakistan for some of the cost in excess of 100,000 soldiers along the Afghan border to combat terrorism, and hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to education and the military materiel, half a dozen of deployment of the Congress, Pentagon and other administration officials who received the anonymity to discuss the politically sensitive issue.

Some of the shortened aid is material that the United States wants to send but now Pakistan refuses to accept, as guns, ammunition, armor gear and bomb-disposal body that have been removed or blocked after Pakistan ordered more than 100 trainers Army Special Forces leave the country in recent weeks.

Some devices, such as radios, night vision goggles and parts of the helicopter, which can be implemented, certified or used for training, because Pakistan has refused visas to American personnel necessary to operate equipment, two senior Pentagon officials said.

And sometimes help as reimbursements for troop costs, which is currently considered in light of questions about the commitment of Pakistan to conduct operations to fight against terrorism. For example, the United States recently in Pakistan with information about suspected bomb-making plants, only to have the insurgents disappear before the coming of the Pakistani security forces a few days later.

"When it comes to our military assistance," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told a Senate Committee last month "we are not prepared to continue to him that at the pace that we were providing less than and up to what we see some action." "".

US officials say that they probably resume deliveries of equipment and assistance if relations improve and Pakistan continues aggressive terrorists. The thresholds do not affect any immediate shipments of military sales to Pakistan, such as aircraft, F-16 fighter, or nonmilitary aid officials said.

Pakistan specific military budget is not known, and while the decision of the US aid would probably have a low impact on the overall military budget, it would more directly affect the counterinsurgency campaign. The Pakistani army spent nearly a quarter of annual expenditures of the nation, according to k. Alan Kronstadt of Congressional Research Service.

While some officials have concluded that Pakistan will never type of partner, the administration has hoped for when President Obama entered the Office, others point out that the United States is a complete rupture of relations or a complete break of similar to what aid arrived in the 1990s, when Pakistan was caught developing nuclear weapons.

But much of recent reductions in aid are clearly intended to force the Pakistani army to make a difficult choice between the choirs in the country which finances most of its operations and its equipment, or continue to provide a secret support for the Taliban and other militants fighting US troops in Afghanistan.

"We have to continue to emphasize with Pakistanis, in the end, it is in their interest to be able to go after these goals as well," Secretary of Defense Leon e. Panetta told journalists Friday en route in Afghanistan.

Some US officials say that Pakistan has only itself to blame, citing the decision of the Pakistani army to distance itself from us in response to humiliation aid suffered RAID commando American in Abbottabad, Pakistan, that killed Osama bin Laden, and increase the anger officials Pakistan intermediate and Pakistan as senior military publicincluding the General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the powerful army Chief of staff, are too conciliatory to the Americans.

Eric Schmitt reported from Washington and Jane Perlez Islamabad, Pakistan. David e. Sanger contributed reporting from Washington and Ismail Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Official: White House to lift the ban on the condolences of the military suicide - CNN

Army Spc. Chancellor Keesling, is shown here with his father Gregg Keesling, committed suicide in Iraq in 2009.Official: move applies to the families of deployed service members who commit suicideDecision will help end "stigma" of the toll of the mental health of the wars, official said statementSenators, a deceased soldier family had asked the President to reverse the policyArmy report showed a steady increase in 2004-2009 army and Navy suicide rates

(CNN) - Obama administration reversed a policy of the White House do not send letters of condolences to the relatives of service members who commit suicide, a senior administration official confirmed in a statement to CNN.

The move comes nearly six weeks after a group of Senators - 10 Democrats and a Republican, asked the President Barack Obama change what they called an "insensitive" policy that date back several jurisdictions and has been the subject of attack by some military families.

In the statement Tuesday, the White House official said a review had been completed, and the President will send letters of condolences to the families of service members who commit suicide while that deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and other combat operations.

"The President strongly believes that we need to de-stigmatize mental health of war costs to prevent these tragic deaths, and change this policy is part of this process," said an official statement.

"Unfortunately, perpetuating a policy that denies the letters of condolences to the families soldiers who die by suicide only serves to strengthen this stigma eclipsing the contributions of the life of a person with the unfortunate nature of his death." It is simply unacceptable that the United States to send the message to these families that somehow their beings expensive of those sacrifices are less important. »

CNN for the first time in 2009 on the Chancellor Keesling of Spc. family army, which committed suicide while he was serving in Iraq.

The family has created a wall of tribute to Keesling in their house in Indiana. With his uniform and the flag of his funeral service, a space was left to the letter of condolence of the Commander in Chief.

Upset when they learned that a suicide did not deserve a letter from the President, father of Keesling, Gregg, wrote to the President and the Chief of staff asked the policy be changed. He argued that the suicide of his son was the result of what he has been exposed to during the war and that he deserved to be regarded as caused by the battle.

Report of the U.S. Army 2010 suicide prevention

According to an army report last year, the annual suicide rate in the body of the marine and army - two branches more participated in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan operations - increased steadily between 2004 and 2009, more than 20 per 100,000. During this time the rate of these two branches exceeded the average civil national, adjusted by age, while the rate of suicide for the Air Force and Navy has remained below the average national.

In 2001, the rate of suicide among the Marines, as the Air Force and Navy, was about half the rate of civil, and the army, while it is higher than the other three branches, was still lower than the rate of the civil, according to the report of the army.Adam Levine's CNN have contributed to this report.

Chamber open votes to repeal the ban on gays in the military (PA) (Yahoo!)

WASHINGTON--the House voted Wednesday to repeal the policy "not requested, not explain", 17 years has forced gay men wishing to serve in the armed forces to hide their sexual identity. 250-175 Vote propels the issue to the Senate for what could be the last chance for the moment to put an end to the 1993 Act which prohibits recruiters ask on sexual orientation, while prohibiting the soldiers to recognize that they are homosexual.

This is "the only law of the country which requires dishonest people or be fired if they choose to be honest," said Rep Jared Polis, D-Colo..

Senate Democratic leaders say they are committed to putting the Bill on the floor before Congress Adjourns for the year. But they are contested by the opposition of some Republicans and a formidable program which includes finishing work on legislation to fund the Government and the ratification of a treaty with the Russia nuclear weapon.

Failure to reverse policy this year may relegate the question of the incinerator return next year when the Republicans, who are much less favourable allowing openly gay individuals to serve in the armed forces, back at home and develop resistance to the Senate.

"It is time for us to act," said Nancy Pelosi Chamber President and "close the door to a fundamental injustice in our country."

Many Republicans led by Senator John McCain of Arizona, argue that it would be an error for the military to undergo a major cultural change while the nation is fighting two wars.

Implementation of a new policy is expected to begin "when our singular focus is more on preparation of combat units or combat operations", said the REP Howard "Buck" McKeon in California, top Republican on the Commission to the armed forces.

The issue was also split the military. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and other senior military leaders support lifting restrictions on gay service, pointing to a recent study by the Pentagon showing most of the people in uniform opposed to serve with gays. But head body marine Commander General James Amos, repeating his opposition this week, saying that the lifting of the ban in time of war could cost lives. "I want to lose any marine to distraction", he said.

The White House, making a statement in support of the repeal, stressed that change would be effective only after the President, the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the chiefs of staff certify the application conforms to the cohesion of preparation, recruitment and retention and military unit.

The House of Commons in May was voted 234-194 to be repealed the law on a draft law of greater defence. Measure blocked twice in the Senate where Republicans have objected to invoice defence laded with contentious issues, including "not, ask explain."

Joe Solmonese, President of the rights of homosexuals, that the human rights campaign said vote Wednesday group means the Chamber confirmed for the second time that military leaders, most of the troops and the American public was told, "the only thing that counts on the battlefield is the ability to do the job."

"It's place in the Senate so that this law has failed and discriminatory to the dustbin of history," added Solmonese.

Home, featuring stand-alone Bill seeks to avoid the complications of combining a General Defense Bill. Senators Susan Collins, R-Maine and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn, are also promoting a stand-alone Bill to the Senate and supporters say that they have the 60 votes for passage if they can get it on the floor of the Senate.

A major obstacle was a Republican commitment to block any legislation until the Senate completes work on taxes and Government funding. The Senate on Wednesday passed the compromise on the extension of tax cuts made by the White House and Republicans.

More than 13,500 military were rejected by the 1993 Act.

Obama, while supporting the repeal, administration is appealing from a decision of a federal judge in California that the ban on gays serving openly in the military is unconstitutional. The administration says that Congress should return to politics. But the rights of homosexuals groups say that they will change their attention to the courts if Congress fails to act.

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The Bill is H.R. 2965.

Online: http://thomas.loc.gov