Friday September 21, 2001

WASHINGTON - The chairmen of the Senate and House foreign relations committees said yesterday the United States should reward Pakistan's promised cooperation in America's anti-terrorism fight by lifting economic sanctions against that country. Despite political risks, Pakistan agreed last week to share military intelligence with the United States, open the country's air space to American military aircraft and provide U.S. access to military facilities. These commitments would enable the United States to use Pakistan as a springboard for going after Osama bin Laden, whose base of operations is in neighboring

Afghanistan. He is the prime suspect in the terrorist attacks in New York and at the Pentagon. Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Joseph Biden, D-Del., said in a statement released yesterday that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has promised his nation's ``full unstinting support to us, at the time when we need it most.''

``In order for him to deliver on his pledge, he will have to take grave political risks and ask his people to make painful sacrifices.

``We asked the Pakistani government to choose sides and they have chosen to stand with us. I believe that we, in turn, must stand with them,'' Biden said. House International Relations Committee chairman Henry Hyde, R-Ill., said he, too, was grateful for Pakistan's support. ``We have to give something to them, and I think the sanctions have outlived their usefulness,'' he said. ``They're in a dangerous situation,'' Hyde said after a closed door State Department briefing on the situation in South Asia by a senior State Department official. ``I think we can be flexible on sanctions. We're asking for a lot. They've been very forthcoming.'' Rep. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said the administration should be in no hurry to lift sanctions against Pakistan. ``The moment will come very soon in which we will see whether the actions are the same as their words...There will be plenty of time to reward and recognize those who help us.'' A senior official said yesterday the administration has been talking about easing sanctions against both India and Pakistan since before the Sept. 11 attacks and wants to consult with lawmakers before making a decision. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Pakistan has made no demands or imposed no conditions in return for its cooperation. The United States imposed sanctions against Pakistan in 1990 and 1998 in response to the country's nuclear weapons program. In 1999, additional sanctions were applied after Musharraf led a military coup that ousted a democratically elected government. The sanctions bar U.S. economic and military aid as well as military sales. There also is a ban on U.S. exports of goods that could be used for military purposes. The nuclear-related sanctions can be waived by President Bush but not the 1999 sanctions.