Among Pakistanis, Perception Of U.S. Aid Varies (NPR)
CGD's new report on aid to Pakistan was mentioned by Steve Inskeep on NPR.
From the program
The United States has spent more than $20 billion on Pakistan over the past decade, prompting some Americans to ask what they are getting for the money. America is deeply unpopular in Pakistan, and after the killing of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, Pakistani politicians unleashed a wave of criticism of the United States.
To understand why U.S. aid has not made more friends, NPR went to the gates of Forman Christian College in Lahore, founded for Christian and Muslim students by the Presbyterian Church and in recent years financed in part by the U.S. government.
Because it's a tense moment in Pakistan, it took time to clear security and be allowed on campus. At the college gate, Iman Taha, who wore a half-sleeve shirt and her hair in a ponytail, told a story about one of her classes.
"We are discussing the issue of sovereignty of Pakistan: Is Pakistan a sovereign state or not?" she said "And most of us, you know, we believe that we are not sovereign, just because of the interference of the United States in our personal affairs, in our political affairs, in our economy, military, everything."
When asked what she thought of U.S. aid to Pakistan, Taha said: "Aid is not meant to control the people, right? Just give us aid, and don't take anything in return."
The conversation continued in a waiting room, where Taha beckoned passing students into the discussion. We sat in a circle as a ceiling fan stirred the heavy air.
Taseer initially was reluctant to talk, calling his views on the subject "very extreme." But Taha intervened and persuaded him to speak.
Taseer talked about the book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by author John Perkins, who claimed the U.S. was plotting dominance over other nations.
Hundreds of students on this campus receive scholarships partly financed by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
But Taseer says most U.S. aid goes to the Pakistan military.
"I've never seen a single dollar being spent on health or education apart from whatever military aid we're getting," he said.
Not every student in the circle was unhappy. One of them said she's "totally the opposite.
"I'm in favor of America, and I love America — that's it."
But a study released this week by the Center for Global Development found widespread Pakistani discontent with U.S. aid. It's a tough moment for the U.S. to work on its image, said Mosharraf Zaidi, a Pakistani writer and development consultant.