US unveils civilian strategy for Afghanistan, Pakistan

WASHINGTON, Jan 21, 2010 (AFP) - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday unveiled a long-term, non-military strategy to stabilize Afghanistan and Pakistan that calls for sending more civilian experts to the region.

A week before a London conference aimed at promoting Afghanistan's development, the new civilian strategy outlines plans to rebuild the Afghan farm sector, improve governance, and bring extremists back into mainstream society.

It also calls for boosting neighboring Pakistan's capabilities to fight a growing Islamist insurgency and to enhance the US partnership with Islamabad, partly through supporting political and economic reforms.

A key part of the plan also calls for "countering extremist voices" in both countries, where anti-American feelings run high.

It complements a military strategy in which President Barack Obama announced December 1 he will deploy another 30,000 US troops to Afghanistan this year -- on top of more than 70,000 already there -- to undercut a resurgent Taliban.

Under his plan, troops are to begin withdrawing in July next year.

"While our military mission in Afghanistan is not open-ended, we are committed to building lasting partnerships with Afghanistan and Pakistan," Clinton said in a statement timed with the release of the civilian strategy.

"I believe this strategy offers the best prospect for stabilizing Afghanistan and Pakistan," the chief US diplomat said.

"I look forward to working with Congress to secure the non-military resources needed to achieve our mission and to signal our commitment to Afghanistan and Pakistan," she said, adding the money would be well spent.

However, it was not immediately clear how much support there is in Congress for the strategy.

Lawmakers last year adopted legislation sending 1.5 billion dollars in annual economic and other aid to Pakistan over the next five years.

The new strategy calls for increasing civilian experts in Afghanistan beyond the nearly 1,000 US experts due to be deployed by now or in the next few weeks.

"We anticipate further increasing our civilian staffing in 2010 by another 20 to 30 percent, concentrating experts in the field and at key ministries that deliver vital services to the Afghan people," the 30-page paper said.

The plan calls for sending dozens of US Agency for International Development and other personnel to Pakistan by the end of the year to enhance oversight of contracts and improvement management of programs developed with Islamabad.

The Afghanistan and Pakistan Regional Stabilization Strategy was produced by the office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, who briefed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on it.

Holbrooke warned them that the situation in Pakistan was "far more complicated" than in Afghanistan, where Washington has more influence with its large military and civilian presence.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband also briefed senators about plans for a London conference on Afghanistan.

Fighting corruption is one of the key topics due to be discussed at the conference in the British capital on January 28, along with the security situation, good governance and reconciliation with Taliban fighters.

The conference calls on the 60 or more countries attending to mobilize their civilian and military resources behind the government of Hamid Karzai, who was re-elected president following a fraud-tainted election last year.

Standing next to Clinton, Miliband indicated the conference is designed to reinforce the new US civilian effort.

"On the NATO side too and in the EU, it's very important that we upgrade our civilian side of the mission as the military upgrade their side of the mission," Miliband said.

"And I very much hope the momentum coming out of the London conference will contribute to that," he said.


by Lachlan Carmichael
(c) 2010 AFP