Finds Pakistanis Delay Visas for U.S. Personnel, Calls for Better Measures to Evaluate U.S. Efforts to Combat the Deadly Devices
Casey Requested the Report in Response to High Number of PA Troops Killed by the Roadside Bombs, Calls Visa Delays Unacceptable
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) today released a report he requested from the GAO on the United States’ effort to combat roadside bombs, or Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
The report found that the Pakistanis are delaying visa requests for U.S. personnel and the delivery of equipment, hampering efforts to counter IEDs. Broader problems exist as well, the report finds, including the extreme difficulty of interdicting smugglers along its porous border with Afghanistan.
“The Pakistanis must be held accountable for delaying U.S. personnel who are working to protect American troops and contribute to stability in the region,” said Senator Casey. “This is unacceptable and certainly deserves closer scrutiny. Roadside bombs have killed far too many Pennsylvania troops and no efforts to counter these deadly devices should be spared.”
Pakistan developed a National Counter-IED Strategy in June 2011, but it has yet to finalize an implementation plan for carrying out the strategy, the report found.
The report also noted that because the full range of U.S. assisted efforts to counter IEDs are not measured, it is difficult to track the overall progress of Pakistan’s efforts and to determine the extent to which counter-IED efforts are helping to achieve U.S. goals.
The full GAO report can be found here.
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