US lawmakers back Afghan funding, despite WikiLeaks revelations

The US House of Representatives on Tuesday approved urgent funding for President Barack Obama’s surge in Afghanistan, but with over 100 members of Obama’s own party voting against after the WikiLeaks publication of thousands of secret military files on the Afghan war.

Afghan defense spokesperson Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi (L) and , and Gen. Josef Blotz, Nato's International Security Assistance Force spokesperson, talking to journalists about Wikileaks, Kabul, 28 July Photo: Reuters

The 308-114 vote prepares the way for Obama to sign the legislation which provides 37 billion dollars (28 billion euros) to finance military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as disaster relief for earthquake-hit Haiti.

The vote should allay some of the Obama camp’s fears that the leaking of 92,000 secret Pentagon files would torpedo plans to step up the Afghan war ahead of a plan to pull out in 2011.

Another resolution calling for US forces to be pulled out of Pakistan, because of its secret service’s alleged backing of Taliban insurgents in neighbouring Afghanistan, was defeated by 372-38.

Obama commented that the WikiLeaks revelations “don’t reveal any issues that haven’t already informed our public debate on Afghanistan”.

But British Prime Minister David Cameron criticised Pakistan during a visit to India.

“We have to make sure that the Pakistan authorities are not looking two ways” in the Afghan conflict, he declared in an interview with the BBC.

Delhi has seized on the leaks to repeat charges that the Pakistani state backs terrorism.

“Sponsorship of terrorism, as an instrument of policy, is wholly condemnable and must cease forthwith,” and Indian foreign ministry official said late Tuesday.

The Afghan government also claimed the leaks prove that Pakistan helps insurgents, such as the Taliban and the Haqqani network, a charge which Islamabad denies.

US military chief, Admiral Mike Mullen denied the leaks raise questions over Washington-Islamabad relations.

They have dramatically improved over the past year, he told reporters, but added “any links which exist with terrorist organisations” are “just completely unacceptable”.