Eideard

A Sikh girl has temporary housing in Sikh Temple at Hasanabdal
Daylife/AP Photo used by permission

The Obama administration has been urging the Pakistani government to go after the Taliban in the Swat Valley, after a cease-fire seemed to embolden the Islamic militants, who came within 60 miles of the capital last month.

Now that the military response has displaced tens of thousands of residents, the Obama team is offering humanitarian aid to deal with the fallout.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the aid — $110 million — at the White House this morning. The White House said $100 million would come from the State Department and $10 million from the Defense Department. The largest single item is $26 million for the immediate purchase of wheat and other food…

The Obama administration’s new strategy in the region includes giving $1.5 billion a year in additional aid to Pakistan’s government to help it take on the militants and sending at least 17,000 more US combat troops to southern Afghanistan and 4,000 troops to train the Afghan military and hundreds of civilian advisers to help the Afghan government.

RTFA – Hillary’s remarks are carried in full. I am pleased to see this end of the strategy begin to function as well as the military component.