US President ultimate authority on foreign policy

The US State Department has said that the President is the ultimate authority on foreign policy matters, after Pakistan conveyed its displeasure to link Washingtons aid to Islamabad on its performance in the war against terror.

Washington, Aug 17 : The US State Department has said that the President is the ultimate authority on foreign policy matters, after Pakistan conveyed its displeasure to link Washington's aid to Islamabad on its performance in the war against terror.

The Bush Administration would work with the Congress to overcome any hurdles on American assistance to Pakistan, said the US State Department.

Spokesman Sean McCormack was speaking after Pakistan conveyed its concern to Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher in Islamabad over recent legislation that attaches conditions to future US assistance to Pakistan.

"We believe that Pakistan has been a good ally in the war on terror," he said.

"And in terms of the Congress and restrictions it may have placed on aid to Pakistan, we're going to work with them on what it is ... in terms of its point of view," McCormack said.

But of course the President is the ultimate authority on how to conduct American foreign policy, he added.

Islamabad has said that the legislation linking security assistance for Pakistan to its performance in the war on terror is detrimental to the ties between two countries.

ANI