Obama proposes $1.2 bln to aid Pakistani military

[mean_bird]

Obama proposes $1.2 bln to aid Pakistani military​

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday proposed $1.2 billion in funding next year to help train and equip Pakistani security forces to fight Taliban militants.

Created by Congress last year, the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund set aside some $700 million in 2009 to train and equip the country's army and other security forces.

- Geo

Big war spending continues under Obama

The budget includes a proposal for sharply more funding to help Afghanistan's neighbor Pakistan arm, train and equip its military in the fight against extremists. Obama asks for an increase in the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund from $700 million in fiscal 2009 to $1.2 billion next year.

Big war spending continues under Obama | Reuters



Added:
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Other sources reporting this
Reuters India
The News

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Anyone knows what exactly are included in this years $700 million? and will this include those stupid UAVs too that we hardly need?

 

[BATMAN]

^^Sorry.. no idea but finally the good move.... if the story is true and intents are good too.

 

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

Obama Proposes $1.2 Billion to Aid Pakistani Military


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday proposed $1.2 billion in funding next year to help train and equip Pakistani security forces to fight Taliban militants.

Created by Congress last year, the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund set aside some $700 million in 2009 to train and equip the country's army and other security forces.

(Reporting by Adam Entous; editing by Vicki Allen)





http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/02/01/us/politics/politics-us-pakistan-usa-budget.html

 

[sonicboom]

Obama seeks boost in Pakistan aid

Adam Entous and Susan Cornwell

WASHINGTON
Mon Feb 1, 2010 1:40pm

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday proposed a half-billion-dollar increase in funding next year to help train and equip Pakistani security forces to fight Islamist militants and also asked for a big hike in economic aid for Islamabad.

Barack Obama

The proposed increases in Obama's budget reflects Washington's attempt at long-term stabilization of Pakistan.

The United States is Pakistan's biggest aid donor. Washington wants Pakistan to help hunt for al Qaeda leaders and to stop Islamist militants from crossing the border into Afghanistan to fight U.S.-led forces there.

Obama requested $1.2 billion for the Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund for fiscal 2011, a jump from $700 million budgeted the previous year for the fund to help Pakistan defeat extremists within its own borders.

The president also requested $1.322 billion for Pakistan from what is known as the Economic Support Fund (ESF), a House Democratic aide who had seen detailed budget documents told Reuters. This fund promotes economic and political stability in strategically important regions where the United States has special security interests.

That's a proposed increase of $289 million, or not quite a third, in economic aid from that fund to Pakistan from a year earlier, and is consistent with U.S. promises to step up economic aid to Islamabad.

Last year, Obama signed legislation pledging to provide $7.5 billion in non-military aid to Pakistan over five years. The money must be appropriated by Congress year to year.

Economic support funds are provided on a grant basis and are available for many economic purposes, like infrastructure and development projects. The House aide did not know what how the new funds would be spent in Pakistan.

The administration also asked Congress to approve $296 million for Pakistan from a program called Foreign Military Financing, the House aide said. These are grants given to foreign governments to finance the purchase of American-made weapons, services and training. The amount is roughly the same as last year's request.

Obama's budget proposals must be approved by Congress, which holds the purse strings; this usually takes months.

(Reporting by Adam Entous and Susan Cornwell)

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

80 Helicopters Mr Obama ... please

 

[Gin ka Pakistan]

Another carrot offered as US stick failed to control Pakistan. (Carrot and stick)

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

How about the US reimburse Pakistan the around $2 billion it owes under CSF first ..

It is on the record that Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin has stated Pakistan’s current bill under CSF stood at over $ 1.8 billion, which was expected to reach $ 2.4 billion by June end 2010 due to operations in Waziristan.
Visas now the pretext for nonpayment of CSF | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

A large chunk of this money is pending from 2007 I believe, when the US put in place more stringent accounting regulations. The money has long been accounted for however, and the US refusal to fulfill its commitment here reflects very poorly on how sincere its relationship with Pakistan is.

That said, if the US wants to end future reimbursements to Pakistan under CSF, that is its prerogative, but such a move does not release the US from its past obligations of reimbursing Pakistan, since the GoP calculated its budgetary allocations keeping in mind the agreement with the US to reimburse certain expenses.

I am beginning to sense a trend here - a few decades ago it was a failure to fulfill its obligations to deliver on the F-16 purchase, or at the least refund Pakistan's money in a timely fashion so we could go shop elsewhere.

Now it is this ...

 

[FreekiN]

I think we can fight terrorism better than they can...

Now hopefully some of this money can go to some advanced solid tech.

 

[ameer219]

I have some sort of doubt about this bill,its like a failed promise. I doubt that they will give the aid to pakistan military.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

He has only proposed.

It then has to get approved by a US Congress hostile to Pakistan (based on the language of the KLL).

It then has to be disbursed.

Some were happy about the KLL, I am not aware of any funding that has been released under the KLL at this point, though the US has proposed investment of a hundred million or so in some power projects.

And as pointed above, money owed Pakistan under CSF has still not been reimbursed.

Perhaps last years $700 million was disbursed quietly, but I would like to see stats on that to be sure.

 

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

And as pointed above, money owed Pakistan under CSF has still not been reimbursed.

If this is true , then PA's decision of not launching any major COIN OPS in this year is well justified ..!
Why has the US delayed the payments despite knowing the sensitivities aroused due to the gulf of trust deficit . Plus why such a vitol issue of slow funding has not been raised in the parliament or before the Senate Standing committee for Defense ? These issues should have been addressed there
also .
The Opposition turned a Blinds Eye on that one , The Gov could have been blasted once such an issue comes under debate in the Parliament as well as those media anchors who are always sniffing around for something to whack the gov Policies ..!

 

[EjazR]

^^^
You do know that PA fighting again the TTP is to protect Pakistani sovereignty and lives and the PA should be willing to fight without being "reimbursed" by the US or being nudged by it.

Its not like the PA is crossing its national borders and fighting as a mercenary army

 

[All-Green]

^^^
You do know that PA fighting again the TTP is to protect Pakistani sovereignty and lives and the PA should be willing to fight without being "reimbursed" by the US or being nudged by it.

Its not like the PA is crossing its national borders and fighting as a mercenary army

It is true that PA is fighting for Pakistan, however due to economic conditions and lack of resources many great armies have had to check their advance in the past and limit their scope of operations in line with their economically created limitations...same applies to Pakistan Army especially since this is a long war.
The more funding they have the more aggressively they can exert pressure and more sorties and fire missions they can carry out.
Sustaining such a high usage of Helicopters and Aircraft also comes with a heavy price tag which we cannot afford for a long time without help from our Ally.

It is not a case of PA stopping without US aid, however it will tread much more carefully in such a case given the current crunch time in the economy.
This crunch time has come about due to multiple reasons, however one of the main reasons is terrorism and its impact on investors both local and foreign.

 

[EjazR]

^^^
To stop the ops if needed, to stabilize the areas under PA control or for resource limitations is the prerogative of the the PA and they are of course fully justified in that assessment.

But to say that we will stop ops until our CSF payments are made is probably not the appropriate thing to say.

 

[All-Green]

^^^
To stop the ops if needed, to stabilize the areas under PA control or for resource limitations is the prerogative of the the PA and they are of course fully justified in that assessment.

But to say that we will stop ops until our CSF payments are made is probably not the appropriate thing to say.

It is not appropriate till the CSF payment delay is causing a severe issue to maintain and resupply, then it is a direct cause.
However as has been observed, pressure has been maintained by Army with full committment.

Realistically only a foolish commander opens up multiple fronts when he can easily avoid them, PA may have botched up couple of operations but i am very impressed with how they have conceived and executed their operations since 2 years.
Would be a shame if they have to limit their presence due to lack of funds since the government cannot afford a lot right now.
This is why any delay in releasing the funds is not a good thing.