28 July 2003
U.S. To Significantly Increase Aid For Afghan Reconstruction
Boucher says new funding will focus upon projects that improve daily life
State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said the United States is considering a "significant increase" in its assistance to Afghanistan in order to accelerate reconstruction efforts.
Speaking at the July 28 State Department press briefing in Washington, Boucher said a special emphasis would be placed upon reconstruction projects that would directly improve the lives of ordinary Afghan men and women.
"We're looking at programs that can help accelerate the delivery of benefits from that support and expand the support that we give to Afghanistan to try to build on our successes there," he said.
Press reports indicated that with the increase, the United States would be providing $1 billion to Afghanistan for fiscal year 2004, however Boucher said he could not confirm the total sum.
"It would be a significant increase, but our support has already been quite substantial," he said, mentioning that the United States had pledged about $300 million at the 2002 Afghan Donor's Conference in Tokyo but later increased its obligation to about $700 million for the 2003 fiscal year.
"There is a lot being done throughout Afghanistan," he said. Despite continuing fighting and some security problems, "there are projects under way in schools, in hospitals, in facilities throughout Afghanistan, roads under way."
Following is an excerpt from the July 28 State Department briefing:
(begin excerpt)
QUESTION: Okay. And, two, the new money for Afghanistan?
MR. BOUCHER: Well, that's more or less right. (Laughter.) Let me fill you in on the Afghanistan question.
The United States is considering an effort to increase Afghan assistance levels and to accelerate reconstruction efforts there. The United States has made a long-term commitment to Afghanistan's stability and reconstruction. We'll continue to pursue these goals regardless of our responsibilities elsewhere until success is achieved.
We have already provided significant assistance to Afghanistan, including in the areas of health, education, security and infrastructure. We fully intend to bring the benefits of reconstruction to the Afghan people. By accelerating our efforts, we can make those benefits available in the next ten months.
To accelerate reconstruction, we'll place special emphasis on reconstruction projects that demonstrate to the Afghan people the concrete, visible programs that are improving their lives. We'll work with others to help Afghanistan realize its vision of becoming a stable, self-sufficient nation.
Bottom line on this is we've provided a lot of support to Afghanistan. We're looking at programs that can help accelerate the delivery of benefits from that support and expand the support that we give to Afghanistan to try to build on our successes there.
QUESTION: Would the figure of $1 billion in the next year be something approximately correct?
MR. BOUCHER: Approximately correct. We're talking about numbers in that range, but we can't say for sure until we've identified sourcing for the funds because we're trying to find it in existing budgets.
QUESTION: In '04?
MR. BOUCHER: It's in the next ten months, so it would be -- yeah, it would be '04 money.
QUESTION: And how does that compare to the --
MR. BOUCHER: Let me double-check on that. There may be multiyear money involved as well.
QUESTION: How does that compare with the current level of non-military assistance to Afghanistan?
MR. BOUCHER: It would be a significant increase, but our support has already been quite substantial. I think the numbers, if you remember, in -- at the Tokyo conference we pledged something like $300 million, and in the year after Tokyo we delivered -- obligated -- something on the order of $700 million. So we've already given substantially more than we pledged originally, and this would be a further increase to continue to, as I said, build on our success.
We are also looking at further efforts with the international donors. This is something we regularly discuss with other donors and we're talking to the World Bank now about putting together an international donors conference, and what they're looking at is Dubai in September.
QUESTION: Did the problem get (inaudible) promise to give money and the follow-up on actually getting them to hand it over?
MR. BOUCHER: Yeah, and we've done a lot in terms of actually delivering and handing over our assistance. These projects that we undertake with new money, with this other money, will be designed to actually do real things on the ground. We continue to work with other donors to see that their money is spent effectively and to generate further funds.
QUESTION: Have you pressured the other countries, though, to give their money as one of the co-founders of the original donors conference?
MR. BOUCHER: There are a variety of ways. One is working with the international institutions. Two is there are donors group --
QUESTION: Public shaming.
MR. BOUCHER: Yeah, public shaming sometimes works, although we use that infrequently, as you may have noticed. (Laughter.)
No, we work with the international organizations. There are donors assistance groups that meet regularly, particularly in Kabul itself, to coordinate the assistance and delivery of assistance. The Secretary of State has regularly raised it in his meetings with Europeans and others, and we do always work with other governments to make sure that what is pledged is delivered and is effectively seen by the people who live in Afghanistan.
Sir.
QUESTION: The billion dollars you're talking about is actually new money, and now much is this accelerated from previous budget (inaudible)?
MR. BOUCHER: It's -- I can't tell you exactly yet. We're not seeking further appropriations. We're seeking to find the money within existing resources. But until we know exactly where the money is coming from, I can't describe all the sources of funding.
QUESTION: Let me just double-check. You said you gave a figure of 700 million. Would that be approximately the amount you expect to disburse during 2003?
MR. BOUCHER: I'll have to double-check on it. I think that's the amount that we've committed and spent to date. Let me get the exact figures, because there's always differences between the two. But what we've done so far is on the order of 700 million, but I'll get the exact numbers for you.
QUESTION: So far? You mean since the Japan Tokyo conference?
MR. BOUCHER: Since the donors conference in Japan, right.
QUESTION: So that's over, in fact, 18 months also?
MR. BOUCHER: I'll double-check on the exact time period.
QUESTION: On Afghanistan. Richard, on the other side, how does aid package result because fighting is still going on between Taliban and the Pakistan forces, and President Karzai is killing Pakistan infiltrations and also cross-border terrorism and he is seeking more peacekeeping forces from United States and international community.
MR. BOUCHER: There is a lot being done throughout Afghanistan. There is still some fighting going on, some security problems. But, generally, there are projects underway in schools, in hospitals, in facilities throughout Afghanistan, roads underway. The major road project is well along. And so I think that people are working throughout Afghanistan, with perhaps a few small exceptions because of the security situation, and that will continue.
We've also looked carefully at the security situation and discussed with those NATO countries that are already out there, as well as NATO itself, which is taking over some of the security responsibilities for ISAF, how to continue to improve the security situation there so that projects can go forward throughout the country.
(end excerpt)
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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