Now,slowdown hits US military aid for Pak

US Defense Dept effort to help Pak secure its border with Afghanistan and root out Taliban fighters is underfunded by as much as 73.

The US Department of Defense effort to help Pakistan secure its border with Afghanistan and root out Taliban fighters is underfunded by as much as 73 per cent 8211; a budget shortfall so severe that it could slow down operations next month,according to a report released Monday.

The conclusion,included in an assessment by the Government Accountability Office,highlights the stark challenges facing the Obama administration as it tries to salvage the war effort.

The Defense Department8217;s 8220;Security Development Program8221; is aimed at training and equipping more than 10,000 Pakistani 8220;Frontier Corps8221; fighters for counterinsurgency tasks and is considered a top priority among US officials.

The program received 62.5 million so far this budget year,which began Oct 1. Defense officials say 167.5 million more is needed before the next budget year begins in eight months,according to the GAO.

The accountants do not say why the program8217;s budget is in trouble. The report states only that as of the end of 2008,8221;no existing security assistance funds have been redirected8221; to the program,and without 8220;dedicated long-term funding8221; the training and equipping of Pakistani forces could slow down by March.

The Defense Department had no immediate comment.

After the US invasion in Afghanistan in 2001,Taliban and al-Qaida fighters retreated across the mountainous 373-mile border into Pakistan8217;s unpoliced tribal areas. Intelligence officials have said they believe if another terror attack were to be launched against Americans like the one on Sept. 11,2001,it almost certainly would originate from that region.

More recently,military officials have cited an uptick in violence in Afghanistan,which they attribute in part to the lack of security along the border with Pakistan.

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According to the GAO,the United States has given Pakistan more than 12 billion in military and economic aid to deal with the problem. But,GAO concludes,the threat remains,and various US agencies still lack a coordinated strategy.

8220;Despite six years of US and Pakistani government efforts,al-Qaida has regenerated its ability to attack the United States8221; and still finds a haven in Pakistan near its border,GAO reports.