Obama to announce $5B anti-terrorist fund

The United States is setting up a $5 billion “terrorism partnership fund” to help other countries push back against radical extremists, President Obama will announce Wednesday.   

In his commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy, Obama will ask Congress to support a new Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund (CTPF), a White House release said.

{mosads}“It will allow us to pursue a more sustainable and effective approach to combating terrorism that focuses on empowering and enabling our partners around the globe,” the release said.

The fund is intended to help the Defense Department more effectively bolster U.S. allies’ counterterrorism efforts and to help the State Department combat terrorist ideology.

To create the fund, the White House said the administration will seek up to $5 billion in its fiscal 2015 request for Overseas Contingency Operations.

The request will cover the Pentagon’s plan to expand or enhance intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance, special operations and other activities.

Secretary of State John Kerry mentioned the fund on “CBS This Morning” and said it would help train other countries in their ability to take on “rising radical extremism that challenges rule of law in so many places.”