Obama to propose 2.8 billion dollars military aid for Pakistan

[HAIDER]

Lahore, Mar. 31 (ANI): President Barack Obama has planned to propose 2.8 billion dollars in aid for the Pakistani military to intensify the US-led war on terror along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The military aid would be in addition to the civilian aid–1.5 billion dollars a year for five years.

According to Fox News, the military aid will be dedicated exclusively to “equipping, training, and building infrastructure directly related to counterinsurgency operations.”

The channel quoted General David Petraeus, as telling that the plan will be called the “Pakistani Counterinsurgency Capability Fund”.

Official sources revealed that the US has charted out the plan in such a way that none of the aid would be spent in a way that would give Pakistan a greater capacity to attack another country, such as India.

US Commanders would have total control over how the money is spent, they said.

The aid would be distributed over the span of five years, with the first 400 million dollars added to the fiscal year 2009 supplemental request for war fighting.

Another 700 million dollars would be in the fiscal 2010 base budget. Then 575 million dollars would be spent each year from fiscal 2011 through 2013.

On Friday, Obama had described Pakistan’s FATA region as “the most dangerous place in the world.” (ANI)
Obama to propose 2.8 billion dollars military aid for Pakistan

 

[fatman17]

there will be so many strings attached, you may never know how to cut them. DO MORE! DO MORE! DO MORE! will continue till the cows go home!

US Commanders would have total control over how the money is spent, they said.

forget it!

 

[BATMAN]

^^^And together with lot of opposition and diplomatic row from indians!

 

[Kasrkin]

US Commanders would have total control over how the money is spent, they said.

Makes no sense to me. How are they going to pull this off? Are they seriously thinking they can treat the PA like we're the Sons of Iraq ? Pakistani forces are not subordinate to US military commanders so how can they have control over our funds? Probably a lot of holes in this report...

 

[Rafael]

americans ziadaa hi freee nahi ho rahey humaarey saath???

 

[spsk]

Pakistan Amry can definitely welcome this move , This will boost their defense spending in this global economic melt down . But there will be some hidden cost for sure 2Bn not a small amount

 

[Kharian_Beast]

How to allocate the funds : Kharian Beast's approach

- 1 billion allocated to bolster the capabilities of the Frontier Corps (acquisition of fortified vehicles, new small arms and infantry gear, upgrading of checkpoints and training facilities, recruit more jawans and raise salary, etc.)

- 700 million for police forces of Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad (to phase out old equipment and vehicles and to upgrade training facilities and programs and raise salary, etc.)

- 300 million to the Navy to secure our seaways (India claims Mumbai attackers came by boat so we can't ignore naval anti terror needs.)

- 800 million to be used as cash advance to procure 30 Apache Longbow within the year (rest of the tab should be picked up by US government.)

 

[HAIDER]

Majority of equipment will be leased to Pak army and majority these funds are used by US govt as leasing fee and part of it will be used for logistics, gasoline purchase, ration and salaries etc. So, in other words no cash money. All money will be circulated in US military audit accounts.

 

[UnKnOwN]

Sources: Pentagon seeks $3B for Pakistan military

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration plans to seek as much as $3 billion over the next five years to train and equip Pakistan's military, and is considering sending 10,000 more troops to battle the Taliban in Afghanistan, defense officials said Wednesday.

The money would include $500 million in an additional war budget request for the coming year that will go to Congress this month, The Associated Press has learned.

In outlining the spending program publicly for the first time, defense officials told the Senate Armed Services Committee it is critical to train and equip the Pakistanis so they have the skills and will to fight.

The $3 billion for Pakistan would complement a plan for $7.5 billion in civilian aid. That civilian request would come in legislation sponsored by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Democrat John Kerry of Massachusetts, and the committee's top Republican, Richard Lugar of Indiana.

With the administration's backing, their bill would provide $1.5 billion next year, linked to Pakistan's counterterrorism and democracy-building efforts, officials said.

Defense and other administration officials spoke about the spending plans on condition of anonymity because the specific budget requests have not been released.

The spending plan, defense officials said, would give commanders greater leeway to spend money more quickly to meet the needs of the Pakistani military, such as night vision goggles and communications equipment.

There have been complaints that Pakistan's military is not doing enough to take on the fight against the extremists who use the ungoverned border as a staging area for attacks into Afghanistan.

"The will is growing, but the will is also helped enormously by a sense that we are going to be with them," Petraeus said. "If they don't sense that, they will cut another deal."

The spending plan would include counterinsurgency training so the Pakistanis can better attack al-Qaida safe havens in the border region.

The Armed Services Committee chairman, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., said he disagreed with the administration's argument that progress in Afghanistan depends on success on the Pakistan side of the border.

He said Afghanistan's future should not be tied totally to the Pakistan government's decisions. He also was skeptical about Pakistan's ability to secure its border.

The defense leaders, including Adm. Eric T. Olson, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, told senators the situation in Afghanistan is dire and that progress will demand a substantial, sustained commitment.

Senators sounded largely supportive about the spending, but said the administration has yet to set clear benchmarks to determine whether the war strategy is working.

"We should not be committing additional troops before we have a means of measuring whether this strategy is successful," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.