Outraged!

US senators outraged by Pakistan's jailing of a doctor for helping the CIA track down Osama bin Laden have voted to cut aid to Islamabad by $33mn - one million for each year in the doctor's sentence.

"It's arbitrary, but the hope is that Pakistan will realise we are serious," said Senator Richard Durbin after the unanimous 30-0 vote by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday.

"It's outrageous that they [the Pakistanis] would say a man who helped us find Osama bin Laden is a traitor," said Durbin, the senate's number two Democrat.

The Senate Armed Services Committee later passed a measure that could lead to even deeper cuts in aid.

The sentencing on Wednesday of Dr Shakil Afridi for 33 years on treason charges added to US frustrations with Pakistan over what Washington sees as its reluctance to help combat Islamist militants fighting the Afghan government and the closure of supply routes to NATO troops in Afghanistan.

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, called the jailing of the doctor "unjust and unwarranted" and pledged to continue to press the case with Islamabad. "The United States does not believe there is any basis for holding Dr. Afridi."  

  alJazeera

Tell it to the folks in Gitmo

Afridi was accused of running a fake vaccination campaign, in which he collected DNA samples, that is believed to have helped the American intelligence agency track down bin Laden in a Pakistani town last year.

Gee. Maybe that's why he was charged and tried. Or maybe it WAS for helping the CIA....but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.