US touts Senate passage of Pakistan aid bill as Taliban concerns rise

US touts Pakistan aid bill

NEW YORK — Alarmed by persistent anti-American sentiment and rising Taliban influence in Pakistan, the Obama administration hailed Thursday’s Senate vote to triple foreign aid to the country.

Passage of the bill that will provide Pakistan with $1.5 billion in aid a year over the next five years coincided with a meeting in New York of major supporters of Pakistan co-chaired by President Barack Obama.

“The United States is firmly committed to the future that the Pakistani people deserve, a future that will advance our common security and prosperity,” Obama said in remarks prepared for the meeting and released by the White House.

The timing of the Senate vote deliberate, said U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke. He said Obama announced the vote to the “Friends of Democratic Pakistan” meeting held on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly.

“It was the only spontaneous applause in the meeting,” Holbrooke told reporters afterward.

Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and U.N. chief Ban ki-Moon were also in attendance.

“It’s a big step forward and it was done on a bipartisan basis by the Senate, specifically timed to this meeting,” Holbrooke said of the Senate vote.

The House could pass the bill as early as Friday, clearing the way for Obama’s signature and the provision of the assistance, which focuses on democratic, economic and social development programs.

The bill also authorizes “such sums as are necessary” for military aid to Pakistan. That assistance is tied to the government showing it is cooperating in efforts to dismantle nuclear weapons-related supplier networks and that it is committed to fighting terrorist groups. In addition, the government must show that its security forces are not subverting the political or judicial processes of the country.

Holbrooke said the commitment to Pakistan shown by U.S. lawmakers, along with an upcoming but as-yet unscheduled trip to the country by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, could be critical in turning around rampant anti-American sentiment.

“We recognize that Pakistani public opinion on the United States is surprisingly low given the tremendous effort the United States is making to lead in the international coalition in support of Pakistan,” he said.

He declined to discuss in detail reports that the Taliban are gaining strength inside Pakistan from which they are launching attacks into Afghanistan, but he said it was a matter of ongoing concern.

Holbrooke added that before Clinton heads to Pakistan, possibly in late October, the U.S. would be looking in particular at helping the government address energy and infrastructure crises that have angered many Pakistanis and raised domestic tensions.

“These are serious problems and they contribute to instability,” he said.

Associated Press writer Jim Abrams in Washington contributed to this report.