Pakistan to return U.S. helicopter tail, Kerry says

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Pakistan to return U.S. helicopter tail, Kerry says

By Karin Brulliard, Updated: Monday, May 16, 11:39 AM

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan has agreed to return the tail of the U.S.

military helicopter that malfunctioned during the Osama bin Laden raid, U.S.

Sen. F. Kerry said Monday, part of a " specific series of steps " aimed at

reducing suspicion between Islamabad and Washington.

Kerry (D-Mass.) came here to discuss the killing of bin Laden with top Pakistani

leaders, in meetings that could influence whether the United States continues to

provide billions of dollars in aid to an ally that many in Washington believe

harbors Islamist militants.

Sen. Kerry (D-Mass.) says America's relationship with Pakistan is at a

" critical moment " after the killing of Osama bin Laden. Kerry chairs the Senate

Foreign Relations Committee and has been visiting Pakistan and Afghanistan. (May

15)

In the wake of the raid, the two nations' relationship hovers at one of its

worst-ever points. Some members of Congress, outraged that bin Laden found

refuge for years in a Pakistan city known for its military academy and bases,

are calling for the severance of aid to Pakistan. Pakistani officials,

meanwhile, are furious that the U.S. did not tell them in advance of the bin

Laden operation, and are facing an angry domestic backlash at the unilateral

American action on Pakistani soil.

Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the most senior

U.S. official to visit Pakistan since bin Laden's death, told reporters in the

Pakistani capital on Monday that, " This road ahead will not be defined by words.

It will be defined by actions. "

" My goal in coming here was not to apologize for what I consider to be a triumph

against terorrism of unprecedented consequences, " Kerry said of raid on bin

Laden's compound. But, he added, " isolated episodes, no matter how profound,

don't jeopardize the larger relationship. "

Kerry said that in meetings with top civilian and military leaders, the U.S. and

Pakistan had " agreed on a specific series of steps that will be implemented in

order to get the relationship on track. "

The first step in that " roadmap, " as he described it, is that the the tail of

the downed helicopter used in the raid will be returned to U.S. custody. The

copter experienced mechanical difficulties when landing at bin Laden's compound.

Navy SEALs destroyed part of it before leaving, in an effort to keep the latest

U.S. military technology a secret.

But the tail remained intact, and photos of it quickly made their way into

public view.

Kerry's name is widely associated in Pakistan with a recent U.S. assistance

package meant to demonstrate a long-term strategic partnership. But with many in

Washington focusing on Pakistan's alleged collusion with insurgents, that

funding is now on the line – a development Pakistanis interpret as proof of U.S.

capriciousness.

Beyond the helicopter tail, Kerry did not outline the other steps to which

officials had agreed. But he said he had talked to Pakistani officials about bin

Laden's apparent ability to live undetected in Abbottabad for years, as well as

what Pakistan plans to do about containing other militant groups.

" I'll say again and again: The make or break is real, " Kerry said. " There are

members of Congress who aren't confident that [the relationship] can be patched

back together again. That is why actions, not words, are going to be critical to

earning their votes. "