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| Pakistan’s civilian govt very fragile, says Obama |
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Friday, May 01, 2009
Claims biggest threat internal, not India; nukes safe; Gates, Clinton urge Congress to approve urgent aid for Islamabad
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama said Pakistan’s Army had begun to realise that home-grown militants and not India posed the biggest threat to stability, after troops retook a key town from the Taliban militants.
Obama also told a news conference in Washington on Wednesday, he was confident about the security of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal and that the Pakistan Army recognised the dangers of weapons falling into the wrong hands.
“On the military side, you’re starting to see some recognition just in the last few days that the obsession with India as the mortal threat to Pakistan has been misguided, and that their biggest threat right now comes internally,” he said.
“And you’re starting to see the Pakistani military take much more seriously the armed threat from militant extremists.”“I am gravely concerned about the situation in Pakistan, not because I think that they’re immediately going to be overrun and the Taliban would take over in Pakistan,” Obama said.
“I’m more concerned that the civilian government there right now is very fragile and don’t seem to have the capacity to deliver basic services: schools, health care, rule of law, a judicial system that works for the majority of the people.
“We want to respect their sovereignty, but we also recognise that we have huge strategic interests, huge national security interests in making sure that Pakistan is stable and that you don’t end up having a nuclear-armed militant state,” Obama said.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and US Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday pressed Congress approve urgent aid for Pakistan. Gates told lawmakers that money used to support Pakistan could run out by mid-May and some funds for other operations could start running out in July.
“I urge you to take up this bill and pass it as quickly as possible, but not later than Memorial Day (May 25),” Gates told the Senate Appropriations Committee, which is considering the Obama administration’s request.
President Barack Obama earlier this month requested $83.4 billion to fund war operations and other projects through the end of fiscal 2009 on Sept 30, about $76 billion of which is for the military.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye did not say how quickly the panel would act on the funding request, but said: “It is my belief that the Senate is likely to be supportive of this request.”
Testifying jointly before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Obama administration’s request, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sought about $ 500 million for economic stabilisation efforts in Pakistan while Secretary Defence Robert Gates pressed the need for $ 400 million under Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund.
Hillary Clinton advocated the urgency to finance Pakistan’s anti-terrorism efforts, citing the need for strengthening the government’s hand in the face of some stiff challenges from militants.
“Success in Afghanistan depends on success in Pakistan. And we have seen how difficult it is for the government there to make progress as the Taliban and their allies continue to make inroads. “Counterinsurgency training is critical but of equal importance are diplomacy and development, to work with the Pakistani government, the Pakistani civil society, to try to provide more economic stability and diminish the conditions that feed extremism.”
“With this supplemental request we are seeking funding of $ 497 million in assistance for our work in Pakistan and which will support the government’s efforts to stabilise the economy, strengthen law enforcement, alleviate poverty and help displaced citizens find safe shelter.”
Clinton stated the aid will also enable the United States administration to begin to keep the pledge that it made it to Pakistan at the Tokyo Friends of Pakistan meeting earlier this month.
Gates told the hearing that $ 400 million under PCCF will help Islamabad fight insurgents in its areas bordering Afghanistan. “This program will be carried out with concurrence of the secretary of state and will complement existing and planned State Department efforts by allowing the Centcom commander to work with Pakistan’s military to build counterinsurgency capability.”
Justifying the reason for funding both the PCCF and foreign military financing programme for Pakistan, Gates said “we are asking for this unique authority for the unique and urgent circumstances, we face in Pakistan for dealing with the challenge that simultaneously require wartime and peacetime capabilities.”
He said Gen David Petraeus, the Centcom Commander, top US commander in Afghanistan and the US ambassador have asked for this authority. “It is a vital element of the president’s new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy.”
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ISSN 1563-9479 
