U.S. Senate backs bill setting conditions on foreign aid

PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. Senate has defeated a bill that would have conditioned foreign aid on a country's cooperation in investigating attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities, The Associated Press reported.

The bill also would have denied aid to Pakistan unless that country releases Dr. Shakil Afridi. Pakistan arrested the doctor, who allegedly helped the United States track down Osama bin Laden by running a fake vaccination program for the CIA to collect DNA. The objective was to verify bin Laden's presence at the compound where the al-Qaida leader was later killed.

Afridi was convicted of high treason and sentenced to 33 years in prison. The United States has sought his release.

Eighty-one senators opposed Republican Sen. Rand Paul's bill and 10 supported it.

U.S. facilities in several countries have been attacked to protest an anti-Islamic film.