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| India-Pakistan |
| Petraeus for military, civilian aid for Pakistan |
| 2009-04-26 |
| [Geo News] General David Petraeus, chief of the U.S. Central Command, warned the House Appropriations Committee that Afghanistan and Pakistan are home to the "most pressing transnational extremist threat in the world." Lawmakers were generally open to the testimony, although some expressed the desire for public benchmarks in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Gen. Petraeus stressed the need of not only military assistance but also civilian aid for eradication of terrorism from Pakistan and Afghanistan. Gen. Petraeus' testimony was designed to justify his request for funds in the budget. He told lawmakers that their support "continues to be critical for our long term success." However, he stressed that the military would hold up its end of the deal, noting that in Afghanistan as in Iraq "additional forces will only be a value if they are employed properly." Gen. Petraeus urged the House to "fully fund" the efforts to restore order and build a lasting peace in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. "Afghanistan and Pakistan comprise a single theater," he said. "Achieving objectives in Afghanistan requires a comprehensive approach." Specifically, he called for the collaboration of U.S. and NATO forces with Afghan elements. "The increase in our forces in Afghanistan has created new infrastructure requirements," Petraeus said, noting, "The situation in Pakistan is of course closely linked to that of Afghanistan." "First we will expand our partnership...we will also expand our exchange program," he pledged. Looking ahead, Petraeus warned that there would be "nothing easy" about the way ahead in Afghanistan and Pakistan, adding, "Much hard work lies ahead of us." Rep. Chet Edwards, D-TX, questioned Petraeus about the possibility of public benchmarks to mark progress in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Petraeus responded by stating that there is an "ongoing" process to develop such benchmarks, stressing "visibility and involvement." Rep. Sam Farr, D-Calif, asked Petraeus his opinion on the best way to "effectively move communities from conflict to stability." Gen. Petraeus responded that he is "very strongly committed to this." Specifically, the Army is working on training soldiers in language skills, along with the context and culture of Afghanistan and Pakistan. "We need to expand the basic knowledge of Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said "We were able to do this in Iraq," and soldiers "developed the kind of nuanced and granular understanding," of the area, he said. |
| Posted by:Fred |