Senate Dems Urge Pakistan To Do More To Fight IEDs

A delegation of four Senate Democrats are in Pakistan this week putting pressure on leaders to help crack down on the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by extremists across the border in Afghanistan.

The delegation includes Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.).

“The focus is on our troops serving in Afghanistan who are the victims of roadside bombs,” Casey told reporters in a conference call from Islamabad, Pakistan.

Most IEDs, including roadside bombs, which extremists have commonly used to attack U.S. and NATO forces in the region, are primarily created from ammonium nitrate that is smuggled into Afghanistan from Pakistan. 

Last year 368 U.S. troops were killed in Afghanistan by IEDs. This year, 125 U.S. troops have already been killed by IEDs. 

“We have to take steps to focus intensively on a strategy against this explosive device,” Casey said.  

Casey explained that an entity has been set up, entitled the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), to bring focus and expertise to the issue of eliminating such weapons. 

Pakistan has both a counter-IED strategy and a plan for implementing that strategy, but the delegation of Senators want Pakistani political and military leaders to put their plans to action.

“What we have to do now is keep pushing our government and keep pushing the Pakistanis to stop IEDs,” Casey said. “We are making progress but we need to see results. We need to see strategies implemented.” 

The delegation has already met with leading government officials, such as Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, Army Chief of Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and a number of Pakistani senators to stress the urgency of this issue to keep American troops safe. 

“We’ll never have the kind of relationship with this country that we’ve had with others,” Casey added. “There will always be some problems and lack of trust. But if we work hard and stay focused and engaged, we can bring about a stronger relationship that allows us to keep America safer and Pakistanis can benefit from the progress on counter terrorism as well.”