U.S. military aid to foreign countries has increased by 50 percent since the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001, a new study released Wednesday showed.

The study, released by the Center for Public Integrity, said the top beneficiary is Pakistan, a key U.S. ally in the Afghan war and the campaign against al-Qaida.

Pakistan rocketed from receiving 9 million U.S. dollars in military aid in the three years prior to Sept. 11 to receiving 4.2 billion dollars in the three years after the terrorist attacks, going from 56th on the list of U.S. military aid receivers to No. 3.

Israel and Egypt retained their positions on the list at first and second.

Jordan retained its fourth place on the list and Afghanistan moved from 64th place to fifth.

Meanwhile, the study also found that Pentagon, with its ballooning budget, has increased its influence over the training and equipping of foreign militaries since 9/11, a mission normally managed by the State Department.

Source: Xinhua