Pentagon Wants $3 Billion for Pakistan to Fight Insurgents

WASHINGTON-The Obama administration plans to seek as much as $3 billion over the next five years to train and equip Pakistan's military and is considering sending 10,000 more troops to battle the Taliban in Afghanistan, defense officials said Wednesday.The money would include $500 million in an additional war budget request for the coming year that will go to Congress this month, The Associated Press has learned.In outlining the spending program publicly for the first time, defense officials told the Senate Armed Services Committee it is critical to train and equip the Pakistanis so they have the skills and will to fight.The $3 billion for Pakistan would complement a plan for $7.5 billion in civilian aid. That civilian request would come in legislation sponsored by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Democrat John Kerry, and the committee's top Republican, Richard Lugar of Indiana.With the administration's backing, their bill would provide $1.5 billion next year, linked to Pakistan's counterterror and democracy-building efforts, officials said.Defense and other administration officials spoke about the spending plans on condition of anonymity because the specific budget requests have not been released.Also Wednesday, senators questioned Gen. David Petraeus, who heads U.S. Central Command, and Undersecretary Michele Flournoy over the possible deployment of 10,000 more troops to Afghanistan.Petraeus said he had forwarded the proposed increase to the Pentagon. That plan could mean stationing almost 80,000 American forces in the country by next year.Currently 38,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan. Lawmakers asked why the extra brigade and headquarters unit requested by Gen. David McKiernan, who oversees U.S. forces in Afghanistan, had not yet been approved by President Barack Obama."I think it would be far, far better to announce that we will have the additional 10,000 troops dispatched," said Sen. John McCain, Obama's Republican opponent in last year's election, who lost partly because of his strong support for the Iraq war effort. "To dribble out these decisions, I think, can create the impression of incrementalism."Flournoy said Obama is aware of the request, but was told he does not have to consider it until late this year because the additional troops will not be needed until next year. Late in the year, she said, McKiernan will have had time to reassess his troop needs.

PICTURE:April 1: U.S, Special Operations Commander, Navy Adm. Eric T. Olson, accompanied by Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the U.S. Central Command, and Defense Undersecretary for Policy Michelle Flournoy testifies on Capitol Hill.

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