Pak to get up to USD 700 mn as counter-insurgency fund from US

Lalit K Jha

Washington, Oct 9 (PTI) Pakistan would receive up to USD
700 million as counter-insurgency fund under the defence
authorisation bill passed by American Congress to equip and
strengthen its armed forces in the fight against terrorism.

The defence bill for the year 2010, passed by the
Congress Thursday, provides an oversight of the Pakistani
Counter-insurgency Fund.

The Fund would be resourced with up to USD 700 million
transferred from the State Department and is aimed at building
the capability of the country's military, police and Frontier
Corps to conduct counter-insurgency operations.

Such a provision has been included in the Defence
Authorisation Bill given the past experiences of the US
wherein the aid money went to other purposes and was mostly
diverted to strengthen the Pakistani Army against India.

The bill also authorises full funding for the President's
request for USD 7.5 billion to train and equip the Afghan
National Army and the Afghan National Police.

Besides, it authorises the President's request for USD
1.6 billion in Coalition Support Funds to reimburse Pakistan
and other key partner nations for support they provided to US
military operations in Operation Enduring Freedom in
Afghanistan or Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The bill further requires the Department of Defence to
establish a programme of registration and end-use monitoring
for defence articles and defence services provided to
Afghanistan and Pakistan. (More) PTI