Sen. Paul puts forward two bills hitting Pakistan for Afridi imprisonment

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) introduced two bills Monday that would stop all U.S. aid to Pakistan until that country frees Dr. Shakil Afridi, who helped locate Osama bin Laden.

"Pakistan must understand that they are choosing the wrong side," Paul said last week when he announced the two bills would be released shortly. "They accuse Dr. Afridi of working against Pakistan, but he was simply helping the U.S. capture the head of al Qaeda.

"Surely Pakistan is not linking their interests with those of an international terrorist organization. Foreign aid has been an abysmal failure precisely for this reason — we give the aid to governments who then turn and work against our national interest. That must end."

Paul's first bill would block all U.S. aid to Pakistan until Afridi is released from prison, all criminal charges against him are dropped, and, "if necessary to ensure his freedom, Dr. Afridi has been allowed to leave Pakistan."

Paul's second bill would grant Afridi U.S. citizenship. It states simply that notwithstanding any law related to naturalization, "Dr. Afridi is deemed to be a naturalized citizen of the United States as of the date of the enactment of this Act."

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