The White House has asked Congress to approve $1.8 billion to bolster Pakistans economic development and counter insurgency capability as well as support the US diplomatic operations in the key South Asian country. The amount is part of an $83.4 billion supplemental spending request for financial year 2009 that President Barack Obama Thursday sent to Congress to fund his administrations strategies in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan through the summer.
According to White House Office of Management and Budget, $1.4 billion is for economic assistance for Pakistan, and to support additional civilian personnel, more secure infrastructure, and diplomatic operations under international assistance and stabilisation activities.
The document says $0.4 billion will be dedicated to building the counterinsurgency capabilities of the Pakistani security under support for coalition partners. Besides, some humanitarian assistance will also be allocated for Pakistan, according to the document.
"We face a security situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan that demands urgent attention. The Taliban is resurgent and al Qaeda threatens America from its safe haven along the Afghan-Pakistan border," President Obama wrote to Speaker of the House of Representative, Nancy Pelosi, in a letter while urging quick Congressional approval for the request.
"With that reality as my focus, today I send to the Congress a supplemental appropriations request totalling $83.4 billion that will fund our ongoing military, diplomatic, and intelligence operations."
Nearly 95 per cent of these funds will be used to support American ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan where it seeks to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda along Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The rest of the money will fund a variety of defence and international efforts that will help to use all the elements of American power to confront security threats.
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