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Enthusiasm for aid to Pakistan has waned considerably on Capitol Hill and among presidential hopefuls following the news Tuesday that Pakistan had arrested the CIA informants who helped the United States find Osama bin Laden.

But Pentagon officials 鈥� and some senior members of the Senate Armed Services Committee 鈥� are cautioning that hasty moves to withdraw aid from the insurgency-plagued country that borders Afghanistan could have a negative impact on the US military鈥檚 war efforts.

In testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee Wednesday, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, cautioned that 鈥渃hanges to these relationships in either aid or assistance ought to be considered only with an abundance of caution and a thorough appreciation for the long view, rather than the flush of public passion and the urgency to save a dollar.鈥�

Yet these two powerful catalysts are already having an impact on lawmakers sensitive to constituent concerns. After finding Al Qaeda鈥檚 leader bin Laden in a leafy suburb full of Pakistani military officers, 鈥渋t is almost impossible for an American politician to continue to help Pakistan,鈥� Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) of South Carolina, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, acknowledged Wednesday.

Speaking at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, he ominously warned that the Pakistani security forces who arrested the US intelligence assets 鈥渄id more than arrest them 鈥� I鈥檓 sure that鈥檒l come out later.鈥�

Bill cuts aid to Pakistan

A House panel this week approved a defense spending bill that would cut aid to Pakistan and includes a provision to withhold three quarters of the $1.1 billion in US aid to the country until the administration reports to Congress on how it will spend the money.

This move was driven in large part by frustration with Pakistan鈥檚 鈥減erformance or non-performance,鈥� which 鈥渞ubs a lot of people the wrong way,鈥� said Rep. Jeff Flake (R) of Arizona.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very clear large parts of the Pakistani establishment are deeply anti-American. We should be very angry that they were, in fact, hiding bin Laden,鈥� Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich told Fox News. 鈥淲hen the Pakistani reaction is to punish the people who are helping America, I think we better rethink our entire relationship.鈥�

But punishing Pakistan is not likely to help the cause of US troops in Afghanistan, say US military officials. The vast majority of the Pentagon鈥檚 armored vehicles, and most of the fuel that the US military uses, is transported to America鈥檚 many bases in landlocked Afghanistan via Karachi.

What鈥檚 more, officials point out, the United States cut off Pakistan after the country became a nuclear power, to disastrous effect. A generation of Pakistani military officers became more distrustful of the United States, they argue.

Continue frank dialogue

Instead, the officials say, the US should continue to engage in a frank dialogue with the country, which is more concerned about tensions with neighboring India than with insurgents in their borders.

鈥淚鈥檓 optimistic about Pakistan if we have the willingness to confront them,鈥� Senator Graham said. 鈥淚 do believe at the end of the day the choice that Pakistan has to make is pretty clear.鈥�

Yet as far as financial aid goes, US officials are 鈥済oing to have to start putting conditions鈥� on it, Graham said, including 鈥渂enchmarks and measurements鈥� of progress.

For now, Graham argued against cutting off aid entirely 鈥� or overestimating its importance. 鈥淭he aid is probably replaceable,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o don鈥檛 let鈥檚 overcalculate the fact that we provide aid to the government and the Pakistani security forces as the ultimate leverage,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ecause it鈥檚 not.鈥�