Washington Times - Proposed spending on counterterrorism soars: "The Obama administration is seeking billions in budget increases to target terrorism threats from abroad, especially Pakistan and Yemen, with boosts for surveillance and attack drones, special-operations forces and a new military cybercommand.
The focus is on regions that have served as insurgent sanctuaries, where U.S. counterterrorism officials say the next attack against America is likely being planned.
Pentagon aid to Pakistan would balloon to $1.2 billion in 2011, aimed at bolstering its war on internal militants. And military funding to target al Qaeda could double in Yemen, where the U.S. spent more than $6 million last year just on aerial surveillance provided by drones, according to internal documents obtained by the Associated Press.
The rise in proposed counterterrorism spending reflects a new urgency within the administration, dovetailing with warnings this week from top intelligence officials of a possible terrorism strike from abroad within the next six months.
The boost in Pentagon funding would also target a wider array of enemies, from al Qaeda and allied militant networks and dangerous nation-states, to sophisticated computer hackers and homegrown insurgents armed with dirty bombs."
