New fallout over Pakistan's decision to jail doctor

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Tensions rising between the US and Pakistan after the 33 year prison sentence for the man who helped America at a track down Osama bin Laden and kill -- Doctor Shaquille afridi ran a vaccination program that collected DNA confirming the terror leader was inside be a bot -- -- compound.

A top Pakistani official defending his country's action and calling the American response overblown saying -- -- -- to quote take a deep breath.

Congress paying little mind that -- voting to cut military aid to Pakistan by a million dollars for each year of doctor afridi sentence.

All of this is happening during tense negotiations over supply routes into Afghanistan.

Let's bring in Peter -- -- -- senior fellow of national security affairs at The Heritage Foundation.

Peter good to see today.

Good to see you -- what do you make of this out push back from Pakistan and saying hey this is an internal matter.

This doctor committed and our estimation treason and he was tried by it Tribal Council as I understand as opposed to a more formal federal court.

How did that impact him ending up and 33 year sentence.

Well the fact is is that he didn't go before -- federal court where he -- would have been able to defend himself I'm not a lawyer Shannon but that's my understanding so basically.

-- you might look at as a quote unquote kangaroo court.

This is an issue of pride for Pakistan this is an issue of nationalism.

And they put to be you know making this person example.

Of making an example of doctor.

The -- this doctor instead of putting US Pakistan relations in the forefront.

We have to remember here that we have big challenges both of us had big challenges in that part of the world whether it's dealing with terrorism violent extremism the future Iraq Afghanistan and they've made this side gentlemen a pawn in the US Pakistan relationship and it's.

Not going well are knowing that they're unhappy with us is it salt in the -- for the senate to immediately -- -- up and vote.

Saying were taken away million dollars in aid for every year -- putting this -- in jail and -- 33 million dollars sounds like a lot of money but in the grand scheme of things.

Is it just more of a symbolic gesture to say we don't like what you dead and is it only gonna make things worse.

Well maybe -- only make it 33 million they've given Pakistan an opportunity to it.

Come to their senses about this issue and reverse this decision and move it out of the way of the issues that we really need to deal with such as getting -- supply routes open.

You know dealing with the Haqqani Network the -- -- and al-Qaeda in the tribal areas and putting Afghanistan on a solid footing for the future so.

Hopefully the other is a little bit a quid pro -- all little bit of pushing and and tugging and hopefully that -- give people an opportunity.

To what do the right thing and I think Pakistan has to do the right thing regarding doctor -- well and -- -- of state Hillary Clinton has said that you possible not let up on Islamabad about this they'll continue to pressure for doctor afridi is released.

In the meantime if he's going to serve as an example to others within Pakistan who may be willing to help the US may be willing to help -- root out.

Terrorists that are I'm not in the interest of Pakistan or the US are they going to think twice about helping out supplying us with any kind of information if they think they can end -- in -- for essentially what's gonna happen it has gotten this doctor likely the rest of his life.

I think that's one of the signals that the Pakistan government is sending -- people in Pakistan but people beyond Pakistan.

Are gonna have to wonder about working with the United States as an asset in helping us -- our intelligence operations.

I've long been a critic of a lot of this information that is coming out.

About these intelligence operations Shannon you know what if things is not only people gonna be reluctant because they could end up in jail or worse they can end up with a swing in the gallows someplace is the fact that this is taking -- telling about this operation is taking out one of the tools out of our intelligence operations toolkit.

Meanwhile might may want to have to -- done this sort of operation again this DNA collection sort of thing somewhere else but now people know that we can do this I mean it's a fabulous.

Idea but now this idea has been blown.

So there's real concerns about that -- -- not only affect operations today that'll affect operation televisions operations in the future.

-- both sides of the aisle senators Democrats and Republicans alike yesterday's they took this action to cut this aid.

Talked about how concerned they were about a relationship with Pakistan senator Dianne Feinstein said.

That this ruling about this particular doctor afridi it says to her that al-Qaeda is viewed by the court to beat Pakistan.

So on -- scale of -- app where you put our relationship with them.

Public it's a it's a series of continuing crisis sees.

You know -- in crisis mode Pakistan one month after another our relationship is probably added -- going towards you know going down further than that I mean it's very troubling and we're in this boat together we need to learn to cooperate against these comment threats these dark forces.

That we're dealing that if we don't we're both gonna pay a price in Pakistan -- as you may know is one of the world's most terror afflicted.

Countries 30000 people have died over the last ten years from terrorism they need to get their head on straight about this issue they need to work with us and other international partners to deal with this this problem of terrorism and violent extremism that they have in their own country.

-- Peter Brooks thank you for stop -- and today.

Thank you.

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New fallout over Pakistan's decision to jail doctor

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