Office of the Press Secretary
August 18, 2010
Executive Order--Establishment of Pakistan and Afghanistan Support Office
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 202 of the Revised Statutes (22 U.S.C. 2656) and section 3161 of title 5, United States Code, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Establishment. There is established within the Department of State, in accordance with section 3161 of title 5, United States Code, a temporary organization to be known as the Pakistan and Afghanistan Support Office (PASO).
Sec. 2. Purpose of the Temporary Organization. The purpose of the PASO shall be to perform the specific project of supporting executive departments and agencies in strengthening the governments in Afghanistan and Pakistan, enhancing the capacity of those governments to resist extremists, and maintaining an effective U.S. diplomatic presence in both countries.