State 2008

STATE AND INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
The President’s 2008 Budget will enhance diplomacy to continue the important work of creating
a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world by:
• Strengthening democracy and self-sufficiency in Iraq and Afghanistan;
• Spreading hope and freedom around the world;
• Preventing and responding to global challenges and humanitarian needs; and
• Supporting transformational diplomacy and development.
Strengthening Democracy and self-sufficiency in Iraq and Afghanistan:

• Supporting freedom in Iraq: Assist the Iraqi government in promoting national reconciliation, building
democratic institutions, and spurring economic growth.
o $400 million to create jobs, build the capacity of Iraqi ministries, help local officials improve
infrastructure, and help Iraqis create a fair legal system;
o $966 million in war supplemental assistance programs to complement our military and strategy
objectives in Iraq; and
o $449 million in war supplemental to double the number of Provincial Reconstruction Teams
(PRTs) and civilian staffing to accelerate building local community capacity.
• Building a stable Afghanistan: Support the President’s commitment to Afghanistan’s transition to a free
and modern nation.
o $1.2 billion to generate economic growth, improve Afghanistan’s infrastructure, create jobs,
and extend the reach of the democratic government to remote areas of the country; and
o $370 million for war supplemental programs that continue funding for high priority infrastructure
needs such as roads and power.
Spreading hope and freedom around the world: The President is committed to supporting democratic
movements with the goal of ending tyranny in the world.
• Promoting democratic transitions: To advance this goal, the Budget provides $460 million for programs
that foster independent media sources, pluralist political parties, voter education, election monitoring,
and human rights in non-democratic countries and $988 million to promote governance and rule of law
in countries committed to reform. The Budget also provides $80 million for the National Endowment for
Democracy.
• Winning the war of ideas: Promoting democracy and countering violent extremism through improving
the world’s understanding of the United States and improving our understanding of the world is a
critical component of the Global War on Terror. The President’s Budget funds broad outreach to
developing and oppressed countries around the world through international broadcasting, exchanges,
and public diplomacy.
o $668 million for the Broadcasting Board of Governors to support radio, television, and internet
broadcasting worldwide, including throughout the Middle East and in Iran, Cuba and North
Korea.
o $486 million for education and cultural exchanges and $359 million for public diplomacy to
foster mutual understanding between the United States and other countries and combat violent
extremism, particularly in the Muslim world.
Preventing and responding to global health challenges and humanitarian needs:
• The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR): $5.4 billion to continue the President’s
signature HIV/AIDS program. Of this amount $4.2 billion will directly support the President’s goals of
treating 2 million people, preventing 7 million new infections, and caring for 10 million people in 15
focus countries around the world. An additional $1.2 billion will fund worldwide HIV/AIDS bilateral
programs, research, and contributions to multilateral organizations.
• President’s Malaria Initiative for Africa (PMI): $300 million to reduce malaria-related deaths by 50
percent in 15 target countries in Africa. Aid from the American people has already reached five million
Africans.
• Humanitarian needs: $2.3 billion to respond to and help victims of humanitarian crises abroad.
o Funding to protect and provide basic life support assistance for refugees, conflict victims and
displaced persons.
o Assistance to resettle 70,00 refugees in the United States; and
o Food, water, shelter and sanitation to support the victims of violence in the Darfur region.
Supporting transformational diplomacy and development: The United States is working with partners
around the world to build and sustain peaceful, democratic states.
• Extending our reach: The Budget includes funds to reposition State Department personnel overseas to
support new priorities, improve language training of U.S. personnel, increase security staff to protect
U.S. personnel overseas, and maintain a deployable staff to react quickly to situations overseas.
• Measuring and enhancing impact: The 2008 Budget is the first developed under a new foreign
assistance framework which improves accountability, transparency, and strategic coherence of U.S.
foreign aid. The new Director of Foreign Assistance will ensure that U.S. foreign aid is having its
desired impact and that U.S. resources are effective in helping countries strengthen democratic
institutions and, ultimately, become self-sufficient.
• Protecting and supporting our people: The Budget continues the Capital Security Cost Sharing
Program that will enable the U.S. to construct 150 safe and secure embassy compounds by 2018. The
2008 Budget funds construction of 11 new diplomatic facilities.
• Promoting democracy through good governance: The Budget provides $3 billion for the Millennium
Challenge Corporation to reduce poverty around the world in countries whose leaders are committed to
ruling justly, investing in their people, and supporting economic freedom. The Millennium Challenge
Corporation has already awarded compacts to 11 countries.
• Supporting private sector engagement in development: The 2008 Budget provides for the Export-
Import Bank to be self-financed while continuing to provide financing to U.S. companies exporting to
developing and emerging markets that lack sufficient private sector financing and that face government
sponsored foreign competition.
• Combining trade with effective aid: As we pursue an aggressive trade agenda to open markets and
promote trade reforms worldwide, capacity building (Aid for Trade) efforts continue to benefit
U.S. exporters and developing country partners since these programs help build the legal,
administrative, and physical infrastructures in developing countries, that help create more
predictable and enforceable trading regimes.

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STATE AND INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

Strengthening Democracy and self-sufficiency in Iraq and Afghanistan:

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