The US Senate May 27 approved a $60 billion supplemental spending bill to help support a "surge" in troops in Afghanistan [2]. About half the funds will go to the Pentagon for the additional 30,000 troops. The package also includes $349 million in economic and security aid for Pakistan [3]. The vote comes just as the number of US military casualties in Afghanistan surpassed 1,000. (RTTNews [4], VOA [5], Daily Times [6], Pakistan, May 28)
The "surge" will bring US troops in Afghanistan to over 100,000 [7], with another 30,000 from international forces. It has been met with angry protests [8] at the Senate by anti-war activists. Aid groups have expressed concerns that the surge will deepen Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis [9]. Afghan casualties [10] are rapidly rising, especially among civilians.
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