US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry on Friday hailed President Barack Obamas new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan as realistic and bold and vowed to enact a legislative measure on authorising massive economic aid for Pakistan.
"President Obamas new strategy for Pakistan and Afghanistan is realistic and bold in a critical region where our policy needs rescuing" he said in a statement. "I am particularly encouraged that the President has centered his Pakistan strategy around the legislation which Senator Lugar and I will introduce in the coming days," he added.
"It will be the keystone of a new smart power approach to this vital nation. On the non-military side, it will authorise a tripling of US aid to $1.5 billion annually for five years including funds that will build schools, roads, and clinics."
On the military side, Kerry said the measure would institute "strict new accountability for security aid." "This combined strategy will enable the US and Pakistan to work together to root out al Qaeda, quell the threat of violent radicalism, and give us a shot at building a secure future for the entire region."