Posted on 06/18/2006 4:44:07 AM PDT by voletti
WASHINGTON: The one-upmanship between India and Pakistan may have become a no-contest now with New Delhi’s economic and strategic leap forward, but there is one area where Islamabad is a clear winner.
Its munificent leaders are by far the most generous visitors to Washington, lavishing expensive gifts on American government officials from President Bush down to unnamed CIA officers.
A list of gifts accepted by U.S officials from foreign government sources in 2004 published in the Federal Register last week shows that Pakistan outdid most countries in the world, gifting U.S officials carpets, rugs, shawls, jewelry and antique pieces.
Pakistan's 'gifting' diplomacy starts right at the top with its military ruler Pervez Musharraf presenting Bush with an dark wood table inlaid with bone valued at $ 1400 during his December 2004 visit to Washington DC. He also gave Bush an antique muzzle loader from the 1800s, a cream wool Pakistani coat and hat.
Mrs Sehba Musharraf gave First Lady Laura Bush a gold light and dark pink garnet and pink tourmaline chandelier earrings; and a 17" light and dark pink garnet and pink tourmaline beaded necklace.
In contrast, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Bush in September 2004, he gave him a round marble tabletop inlaid with red, coral, malachite, lapus lazuli, mother-of-pearl, turquoise and agate, worth $ 550.
Other big 'gifters' were the King of Jordan and the Emir of Kuwait. The most intriguing gift though came from China’s vice-president Zeng Qinghong who presented U.S vice-president Dick Cheney with a out of print copy of the Art of War.
Under U.S administration rules, federal employees can accept gifts from foreign government sources, but they have to be declared. Under the column "circumstances justifying acceptance' in the U.S Federal Register, the explanation invariably reads "non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to donor and U.S government."
While it is normal for visiting leaders to present gifts to top U.S leaders, especially to the President and the First Lady, Pakistan really laid it thick, with gifts to Secretary of State Colin Powell, then Deputy National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, lower level officials, Senators, and even a couple of CIA employees.
Although identifying donor countries is evidently forbidden under the intelligence code, two CIA employees listed getting a Pakistani Tabriz rug and a Pakistani Bokhara rug. Both were to be retained for "official display."
In contrast, India appeared more restrained. India's Ambassador to Washington Ronen Sen presented Senator Richard Lugar with Dom Perignon champagne valued at $ 150 when he met him in Dec 2004. It was deposited with the Secretary of the Senate and its fate since is unknown.
Shobha Oza, Secretary of the Madhya Pradesh Mahila Congress, presented Senator Hillary Clinton with a leather wallet and clutch purse by Versace in July 2004.
Foreign bribes?
Pakistan is a client state. Technically client states have to pay "tributes".
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