Updated on
Summary US officials in Pakistan are under pressure to increase the visibility of the country's aid effort.
Desperate to win hearts and minds in Pakistan, the US has begun pushing aid organizations working in the countrys most dangerous region along the Afghan border to advertise that they receive American assistance.The new requirement has disturbed aid groups, which fear their workers providing food, water, shelter and other basic needs to Pakistanis will come under militant attack if they proclaim their U.S. connection. This fear exists throughout Pakistan but is especially acute in the tribal region, which is the main sanctuary for Taliban and al-Qaida fighters in the country.But to counter rampant anti-American sentiment that can feed support for militants targeting the West.The focus on branding has become even more intense in the wake of the U.S. Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden in a Pakistani garrison town on May 2. The covert operation infuriated Pakistanis and strained the relationship so much that the U.S. decided to suspend $800 million in military aid to Pakistan.The decision does not affect civilian aid and makes the effort to win hearts and minds through that assistance even more important. The US has earmarked $7.5 billion in civilian aid for Pakistan over five years, but it will do little to sway public opinion if Pakistanis dont know where the money is coming from. And there are growing questions in Congress about what U.S. aid in Pakistan is achieving.Our mandate is to make sure people here know that they are receiving American assistance, said one US official in Pakistan. Its always a struggle, especially in a country like this with security considerations.
