By NNN-PTI,
Washington : U.S. presidential frontrunner Senator Barack Obama pledged support for Pakistan’s democratic government through a combination of U.S. socio-economic and security assistance as he addressed foreign policy issues just four days from the election.
“Now you have got a fledging democratic government. We have to support their efforts to democratize,” the Democratic White House hopeful, who has been consistently leading his Republican rival Senator John McCain in polls, told CNN in an interview Friday.
“That means, by the way, not just providing military aid. It means, also, helping them to provide, you know, concrete solutions to the—the poverty and lack of education that exists in Pakistan. So, I want to increase non-military aid to Pakistan,” Obama added ahead of November 4 election.
Obama told the channel that he was concerned about stability of the country in view of al-Qaeda going after the new leadership and criticized the U.S. support for former president Gen. Pervez Musharraf in previous years.
“Well, I’m concerned about it. This was one of the problems with our previous strategy. There was a lot of resentment that built up as a consequence of our support of President Musharraf there, who had squelched democracy.”
Obama, who faced a lot of criticism for his statements suggesting U.S. troops crossing Pakistani borders from Afghanistan in pursuit of top al-Qaeda leadership (if the Pakistanis were unwilling or unable to chase top militants), appeared to have toned down his campaign rhetoric.
“But we also have to help make the case that the biggest threat to Pakistan right now is not India. It’s actually militants within their own borders.
“And, if we can get them to refocus on that, then that’s going to be critical to our success, not just in stabilizing Pakistan, but also in finishing the job in Afghanistan.”
Barack Obama and John McCain both support a bipartisan legislation pending before U.S. Congress on enhancing socio-economic assistance for Pakistan to $ 1.5 billion annually over a decade.