NIT – Pakistan is known to harbor terrorists, Taliban fighters and other extremists who hate America – even Osama Bin Ladan at one point – but the US State Department announced in recent days that it may sell or give away excess defense equipment to that country – and others that are enemies of America.
The Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program transfers excess defense equipment to foreign governments or international organizations. It is typically used for modernization of partner forces, according to the US military.
Excess defense articles are provided to partner nations at a reduced price (based on the condition of the equipment) or as a grant. Items on the list available through the program include 20 mm ammunition and guns, several types of helicopters, several types of military aircraft and anti-sub aircraft, communications equipment, torpedo test sets, targets, conventional ammunition, tank ammunition, ambulances, cargo trucks, machine guns, grenade launchers, recovery vehicles, tank parts, a vulcan air defense system, combat boots, bomb racks, and hundreds of other items.
“A number of countries including Pakistan routinely request EDA through our worldwide EDA program,” the US State Department said on March 31, 2014. Other countries on the list of nations who want to participate in the EDA program are Yemen, Russia, Afghanistan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Jordan, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, among dozens of others.
“The United States is currently reviewing Pakistan’s request for EDA sourced from the worldwide available EDA pool. For details regarding the specifics of Pakistan’s request, we would direct you to the Government of Pakistan,” the State Department advised. “To be clear, the United States has not refused Pakistan’s request regarding EDA”.
EDA may come from many places around the world where the designated Department of Defense implementing agency has excess equipment. Much of this equipment is currently at depots in the continental United States. All EDA is provided as is, where is – meaning recipient countries are responsible for the transportation and any needed refurbishment costs for all EDA transfers.
U.S. military equipment leaving overland from Afghanistan through Pakistan or via the Northern Distribution Network is part of the overall process of removing equipment as US forces draw down in Afghanistan. “We have not and do not intend to transfer this equipment to the governments neighboring Afghanistan,” the State Department said.
“Our decisions on worldwide EDA transfers involve a thorough and deliberate review that considers the needs of potential recipients, our mutual national security needs, the ability of the recipient to sustain the equipment, and other factors. The State Department retains final statutory approval. The State Department reviews each EDA request carefully.”
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