Obama's 2010 budget refocuses on counter-insurgency in Af Pak

I / Washington May 8, 2009, 16:02 IST

The annual US budget unveiled by the Obama Administration for the year refocuses significantly on fighting insurgency in Pakistan and Afghanistan and increases non-military aid to both nations to revitalise economic development and confront the resurgence of Taliban. 
The budget for 2010 increases non-military assistance to Pakistan and Afghanistan and provides additional funding for reconstruction, governance, counter-narcotics and development activities that will help counter extremists.  

In line with President Barack Obama's Af-Pak strategy, it expands number of civilian personnel in the two counties to help stabilise them and build government capacity, papers released by the White House said. At a Pentagon briefing, Director, Force Structure and Resources, Joint Staff Vice Adm Steve Stanley said the new Pakistani Counter-insurgency Capability Fund, introduced this year, has been expanded to the next year too.   

"We've actually requested this authority in the FY '09, and we're continuing this request in FY '10," he said. To be controlled by Gen David Petraeus, Commander of US CENTCOM, the fund would be used to provide targeted aid to Pakistan's military, including weapons, equipment and counter-insurgency training to build counter-insurgency capabilities of the Pakistani security forces. 

Under Secretary of Defense Comptroller Robert Hale said the Pakistani Counter-insurgency Capability Fund is modeled on similar initiatives for Iraq and Afghanistan, where the combatant commander would have a fair degree of flexibility to both equip and train Pakistani allies to address insurgency. The increased budgetary provisions for Pakistan and Afghanistan are in tune with the new Af-Pak policy of Obama.    

After meeting his Pakistani and Afghan counterparts Asif Ali Zardari and Hamid Karzai respectively, Obama said had said: "To advance security, opportunity and justice for the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan, we are dramatically increasing our civilian support for both countries." He said: "We were pleased that these efforts were recently amplified through the USD 5.5 billion that was pledged for Pakistan at an international donors conference in Tokyo — resources that will help meet the basic needs of the Pakistani people."   

Obama said the US is helping Pakistan combat the insurgency within its borders with $ 400 million in immediate assistance that it is seeking from Congress. This will help the government as it steps up its efforts against the extremists, he argued.       

The budget also strengthens US assistance to Iraqis who have been displaced from their homes because of the war.