Pelosi: Democrats Stand By The IMF

By Celia Canon- Talk Radio News Service

Despite the uncertainties that Congressional Republican leaders have on the efficacy of the reform of the International Monetary Fund, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is adamant that “The IMF will have a strong support from the Democrats.”

Pelosi defended the international organization today at her weekly press conference where she also mentioned the success of her recent bipartisan trip to China.

House Minority Leader John Boehner and Senate Minority Whip Eric Cantormay, backed by other House Representatives who fear that Democrats are fusing two very different entities, the IMF and a bill, together, said that "Weighing down this critical legislation with non-defense spending will only drag this process out further and cost it essential Republican support needed for passage."

Cantor added that “We should not be having this discussion. IMF funding has no business being included in the war supplemental bill,” while adding that the funding may result in helping terror-sponsoring states such as Pakistan.

The debate over funding of the IMF has stemmed from President Barack Obama’s announcement at the April Group of 20 meeting that $100 billion will be granted to the IMF as part of the U.S war-bill which should further the fight against the global economic crisis.

Obama also said that the U.S would support the IMF as it sell 400 tons of gold, whilst Pelosi reminded that “It [the IMF] has been reformed so that it will help the poor. They wanted to sell gold, we said you can, but the proceeds have to go to help the poor.”

Responding to Cantor’s allegations, Pelosi said “I don’t know why anyone would say that the money is going to the hands of terrorists, it’s simply not based on facts and is a scare tactic.”

Pelosi also said “There are two contradictory things: one says that one shouldn’t be on war funding, which is our responsibility to support our troops in the war in Iraq, end the war in Iraq, bring our troops home and fight terrorism where is it a threat to our country, which is in Afghanistan, and we know that we have to do that." She added that “The IMF, in its reformed state, can be a force for alleviating the despair amongst people in the world. It’s a very important national security initiative.”

“The issue of the IMF, I think, has strong support on the Democrats’ side; not any support we’re hearing on the Republican side,” Pelosi said.

This war-bill, which involves military and diplomacy costs for Iraq and Afghanistan, will skyrocket to over $100 billion.

U.S. Military Presence to Increase in Pakistan

By Courtney Costello-Talk Radio News Service

In an effort to stem the Taliban’s recent armed attacks on the Pakistani state, a coalition of Democratic Senators outlined a plan to increase military presence in Pakistan.

Following the Obama Administration aim to strengthen the region, the senators’ plan would increase U.S. military forces with 17,000 American troops primarily made up of Marines and 4,000 American military trainers. Their job would consist of training the Pakistan Armed Forces to fight the influx of insurgents in the South.

Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) had only praise for the new strategy of military leadership in Pakistan and also highlighted other initiatives of the plan.

“There is a great emphasis on not just the military work and taking down the Taliban, but also making sure the economy of the country and the people who live there have a opportunity to better security but also a better life.”

The senators found that Pakistan is united to remove the Taliban from their country.

“The Pakistan government have a brand new tone, they’re serious and they recognize that the enemy that presents a true threat to the future of their country is the insurgency”, said Senator Mark Udall (D-Colo.)

Along with the increase of military force in Pakistan the senators also described bringing in 700 U.S. military helicopters to help Pakistan fight the insurgents but to also help Pakistan with maintenance of their current helicopters.

The senators who attended the Congressional Delegation (CODEL) trip included, Tom Carper (D-Del.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Mark Udall (D-Colo.).

U.S. And UK Continue Bilateral Talks

By Kayleigh Harvey - Talk Radio News Service
 
The United States and United Kingdom will join forces to come up with a strategy to help address humanitarian issues in Sri Lanka it was announced today.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made this announcement at the State Department as she met with British Secretary of State David Miliband for the third time since Clinton took her post in January.

The two Secretaries will also discuss issues relating to bilateral U.S.-UK actions in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.

Clinton said, “He and I have already forged a close working relationship on not only out bilateral issues but on so many of the global concerns that we both care greatly about.”

Miliband said, “I am delighted to be back in Washington," adding that “The agenda is indeed broad and deep and I am looking forward to our discussions of Afghanistan and Pakistan, of the Middle East, the wider Middle East, given the importance of the visits that are coming through to Washington over the next few weeks and also this humanitarian catastrophe that’s really playing out in the north-east of Sri Lanka which has called the conscience of the world.”

Clinton and Miliband took no questions from reporters as they left to
begin their discussions.

The Senate Rebuilds Pakistan

By Michael Ruhl, University of New Mexico - Talk Radio News Service

Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.)
Photo by Michael Ruhl

In the next 5 years, the Pakistani infrastructure will be fortified by almost $10 billion American dollars, if Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) have anything to say about it. The aptly titled Kerry-Lugar Bill will provided money for rebuilding the lives of civilians in war torn Pakistan.

Both Kerry and Lugar said that most of the money that has been funneled into Pakistan in the past few years has gone towards security. The aim of this bill is to shift the balance, to place more of an emphasis on infrastructure.

The Senators want to use the money for building schools, improving health care, building bridges, water projects, and other elements of infrastructure. Kerry said that the target projects are “things that would improve life and give people a sense of progress” to civilians.

The money would also be used for ensuring an independent media, expanding human rights and the rule of law, expanding transparency in government, rooting out political corruption and countering the drug trade.

Additionally military funding would be conditioned upon several things, including Pakistani security forces preventing al Qaeda and Taliban forces from operating in Pakistan. The military forces would not be able to interfere in politics or in the judicial process, according to the provisions of the bill.

The legislation bill would give $1.5 billion each year from FY 2009-2013, and would recommend similar amounts of money over the subsequent five years. There would be required benchmarks to measuring how effective the funding is, and the President will have to submit semi-annual reports to Congress about progress made.

Bond “cautiously optimistic” over Obama approach to Pakistan

by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio New Service

This morning at a discussion on issues related to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Senator Christopher “Kit” Bond (R-MO) broke away from his Republican colleagues by praising one of President Barack Obama’s policies.

The plan that was unveiled last Friday would increase U.S. support in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Bond says the only way to address the long-term threat of terrorism in the region is to take a “smart power-counter insurgency approach.”

Recent attacks in Pakistan “underscore that the threats emanating from the region are one of the greatest national security threats and challenges of our time,” Bond said.

“The reason my optimism is guarded is because the President has split the baby between two competing camps in Washington and I believe in the White House today. The first camp focuses strictly on counter terrorism, or CT, and the second which takes a counter insurgency or coin strategy approach,” Bond said.

“We will not have success eliminating extremist elements in Afghanistan if we cannot confront them in western Pakistan. To do this we must fully engage Pakistan,” he said, adding that cooperation from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is vital to success.

“NATO must supply more military and civilian assistance personal and remove cumbersome constraints on their people in the field,” Bond said.

But, Bond said, the U.S. “must work with Pakistan to find out what will be required to achieve genuine and measurable progress against terrorists and insurgents in the federally administered tribal areas and other border regions in Pakistan.

“There are three legs of the stool that need to be addressed in the region; security, development and governance,” said Bond, adding that security will only be truly established when local Afghan and Pakistan security forces are able to hold territory themselves and when they have the incentives to do so.

Additionally, “We need to have USAID and other development organizations coordinate better with our military forces to provide what local leaders want and not just deliver to them, one year later, what we tell them they need. This means working with local councils or tribal gurges to insure we are meeting their needs.”