Obama Wants Senate Panel to Restore $900 Million for Afghan Forces

The White House’s Office of Management and Budget has put out a statement mostly in support of the version of a fiscal 2010 Defense appropriations bill making its way through the Senate Appropriations Committee. “Mostly” because the White House is taking issue with a few funding priorities in the bill. In the statement, OMB offers to “share additional views” on those priorities. Among them is the removal of nearly a billion dollars in requested funds to speed up the training and deployment of the Afghan security forces:

The Administration opposes the reduction of $900 million for ASFF sustainment. Accelerating the growth in size and capability of the Afghanistan National Security Forces is a key component of the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. The President’s full request reflects his commanders’ plan for Afghan forces to assume a greater share of responsibility for security as quickly as possible.

Acceleration the transition to Afghan forces’ responsibility for Afghan security is a consensus position in the Obama administration, favored by those who support and those who oppose an escalation of U.S. troop levels. But the letter does not mention any veto threat.