Gates seeks $700m for Pak counterinsurgency fund

[Neo]

Gates seeks $700m for Pak counterinsurgency fund​

* Defence secretary says next 18 months key to victory in Afghanistan​

WASHINGTON: US Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Tuesday sought congressional support for $700 million for the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund (PCCF) for 2010, as part of a massive $130 billion request for overseas contingency operations for Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

“This programme will be carried out with the concurrence of the Secretary of State and will complement existing and planned State Department efforts by allowing the CENTCOM commander to work with Pakistan’s military to build counterinsurgency capability,” he said, testifying before the defence subcommittee of the Senate appropriations panel.

Gates told lawmakers Pentagon was seeking funding for the PCCF and Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programme and “asking for this authority for the urgent circumstances we face in Pakistan for dealing with a challenge that simultaneously requires military and civilian capabilities.”

Afghan victory: Also, both Gates and Mullen told the Senate Appropriations panel that they were more optimistic now than in recent months about efforts to combat the Taliban along the Pak-Afghan border and the next 12 to 18 months would tell whether war in Afghanistan was being won.

Gates emphasised that he did not mean the Afghan campaign would achieve success in that time, but rather that officials hoped to “see a shift in the momentum” by then. agencies

 

[Neo]

White House confident over Pakistan aid​

WASHINGTON: The White House has expressed confidence in getting congressional approval for a $100 billion war on terror expenditures bill, which also contains funds to help Pakistan meet its “critical needs” in economic, humanitarian and security areas. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters on Monday the White House is working to obtain congressional endorsement for the funding bill within four weeks, before President Barack Obama attends a G-8 summit on July 8. app

 

[waraich66]

700m USD for counterinsurgency is not enough , we need 10b USD minimum for only next 5 years for rehabiliation and development of strong security againt insurgency.
We need to develop strong miltery bases in SWAT ,Waziristan,Bajour for which PA need minimum 5 B USD balance required to develop basic infrastructure ,health care,education projects.

 

[Patriot]

I agree.A lesson is learned i guess.After this insurgency is finished PA Should setup local cantts in those areas and hire people into Army from there.