DOD to take greater role in bankrolling foreign militaries

[CornField]

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=34765

Changes passed in the 2006 Defense Authorization Act allows the Pentagon, rather than the State Department, to take a greater role in foreign military financing, including security assistance programs, training and equipment sales. The change, Pentagon officials said, would ease the flow of money and resources to the places it’s needed most.

Foreign military financing allows the U.S. government to give or loan money to allies for military articles, services and training to help them bolster their defense against mutual threats including terrorism, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the agency that helps manage the program.

In the Pacific and Asia, the largest recipients are the countries with the strongest alliances to the U.S. military, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore.

But the program has armed other, less-friendly countries in their fight against terrorism, State Department officials have said, including the Philippines and, since November, Indonesia.

(much more)

[Historic NY]

1. Hired guns..........

little by little they whittle away the civilian control (Congress) over our military.

[StrafingMoose]

16. Quite scary if you ask me

That tendency coupled with the recent announcements of Haliburton hired to build 'crisis management' camps (aka concentration camps) gives pretty much a bad after taste.

:scared:

[Skink]

2. Outsourcing nt

[leftchick]

3. what about foreign defense contractors?

is this how they get their money?

[adriennui]

4. treasonous turds

the balls on this administration are humongous, and not in a good way.

[Paulie]

5. Isn't this an example of Empire?

The hiring of foreign troops?????

[Tempest]

7. Not exactly

The U.S. isn't hiring the foreign militaries to fight its wars.

Although it could easily, and most likely will, turn out that way.


However, the hiring of contract security in Iraq is an example of empire.

[Up2Late]

9. "The U.S. isn't hiring the foreign militaries to fight its wars?" Not true

Don't forget Poland!

We (the U.S. Government) paid the Polish Troops to fight in Iraq with us, and we used our aircraft to get them there too.

That sure sounds like we paid for a foreign military to fight our war for us. I'm sure there were others, but Poland is the first that comes to mind.

[Tempest]

14. Not quite

Poland was not under the command of the U.S. military, which is required to qualify as an empire.

Using Rome as an example of an empire, they hired mercenaries who were under the direct command of the Roman army.

[CornField]

15. Does the fact that we are in direct control of South Korean troops qualify

Just curious.

[Tempest]

19. Not really

The South Korean troops are protecting their own territory and are not being used to fight in on foreign soil.

But then, according to another poster, I'm just splitting hairs. Although I'm using the technical definition of an empire in regards to the use of organized foreigners in the military.

[Up2Late]

17. Are you sure about that? Yes, they had some officers, but the U.S.Generals

...are running the show over there and have ultimate "Command and Control."

Sounds like you are splitting hairs.

[Tempest]

18. The U.S. isn't running the entire show

Poland has 1,700 soldiers in Iraq, and leads a multinational security force south of Baghdad.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4436165.stm


Sounds like Poland is in charge of the area they are in.

[Tempest]

6. Back to the good old days

The good old days of Marcos, Bastista, Pinochet and rightwing death squads in Central America.

[MountainLaurel]

8. Cause that worked so well for us

In Latin America, in Colombia, in various African countries run by "our" dictators, in Afghanistan, etc.

[izzie]

10. Please can they just stop all this.

You can not build a society making things you blow up.

[CornField]

11. A question for those more knowledgable than I am -- Transparency?

Does moving this function away from the DoD and into the hands of Pentagon do anything as far as governmental transparency is concerned? Will it be more or less difficult for citizens and the press to learn where the funds are going?

[LynnTheDem]

13. More secrecy.

You are on the ball. Too bad most Americans are not.

[LynnTheDem]

12. And the US would scream bloody murder if any other nation did this

It's the HYPOCRISY and MEDDLING they hate us for and no bloody wonder.

[cantstandbush]

20. We pay for foreign militaries and cut Medicaid and college aid at home.

AND NO ONE IS SCREAMING ABOUT THIS...except maybe me.