Pentagon seeks authority over training foreign militaries(and 750 mil )

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon asked Congress Tuesday to give it permanent authority over training and equipping foreign militaries, in a shifting of roles from the State Department.


Both Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Ricesought Congressional approval for the change, as well as authorization for the Pentagon to spend 750 million dollars in 2009 in helping foreign militaries.

Gates told members of the House Armed Services Committee the foreign military assistance program is “a vital and enduring military requirement, irrespective of the capacity of other departments, and its authorities and funding mechanisms should reflect that reality.”

Some lawmakers said it raised questions about the military’s growing role in domains traditionally reserved for diplomats.

Representative Ike Skelton, the committee chairman, said there was strong support for the goals of the proposals.



Read more: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2008/April/theworld_April628.xml§ion=theworld&col=

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House Armed Services Committee hearing on joint capacity programs and military and governance funding of U.S. allies
April 15th, 2008 by Meredith MacKenzie · No Comments
The House Armed Services held a hearing on the partnerships between the State Department and the Department of Defense. Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff testified on joint capacity programs and funding for strengthening military and governance capabilities of U.S. allies, particularly undeveloped or young states. Mullen made an opening statement but did not offer testimony. He was available only to answer questions for members.

In his opening statement, chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) criticized the fact that interagency cooperation is often ad hoc and are not the result of advanced planning. He mentioned that Rice had appealed for more funding for these capacity building programs but the “administration has not taken the hint.” Currently the Defense Department foots the bill for adding weapons and training to states like the Philippines, Nepal, and Lebanon. The idea behind supporting these militaries is to prevent terrorist groups or rebel guerrillas from creating a crisis that would require U.S. military intervention or threaten U.S. security.

Ranking member Dunkin Hunter (R-CA) was critical of the military spending money on what he classified as a State Department program and he brought up an instance when money had been spent in Nepal to counteract the Maoist rebel force. He questioned what critical Defense initiatives had to be put off because of allocations to fighting potential threats instead of current threats.

In his opening statement Secretary of Defense Robert Gates expressed his support for the “Global Train-and-Equip” program that Defense pays for and State helps implement through an agreement called 1206. Gates gave examples of success of the program including one where al-Qaida affiliated operatives in Palestine were stopped by U.S. help to the Lebanese government. Gates called for 1206 to be made permanent and give the Defense Department more authority in overseeing it. One point that Gates repeated was that in the current conflict military members have had to do quasi-diplomacy in their jobs because of the lack of funding for the State Department to send the needed resources to conflict zones.

more:http://talkradionews.com/2008/04/house-armed-services-committee-hearing-on-joint-capacity-programs-and-military-and-governance-funding-of-us-allies/

[Phred42]

1. This is Dangerous to our Democracy.

What do they mean by "and equipping foreign militarizes," Who's paying for That?
We're BROKE! Americans are supposed to BORROW MORE MONEY from Communist China to pay for this!? WTF!

So Bush Family will have it's own army in Blackwater then Our taxes will pay for equipping and training OTHER countries armies to do what? Support Blackwater in suppression of protesters in this country?

this is WRONG

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Wow..I did not expect them to be so blatant

about the state Dept. ties to militarism.

Great...we can't afford to take care of our folks on the domestic front,
but now they want us to pay to train foreign armies?
Betcha they have the armies picked out, too.

[maddezmom]

3. NYT: Pentagon Seeks Authority to Train and Equip Foreign Militaries

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates urged Congress on Tuesday to grant the Pentagon permanent authority to train and equip foreign militaries, a task previously administered by the State Department, and to raise the annual budget for the effort to $750 million, a 250 percent increase.

Mr. Gates said that rapidly building up the armed forces of friendly nations to combat terrorism within their borders was “a vital and enduring military requirement” — and one that should be managed by the Defense Department.

Representative Ike Skelton, the Missouri Democrat who is the Armed Services Committee chairman, voiced apprehension over “what appears to be the migration of State Department activities to the Department of Defense.”

But Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who testified with Mr. Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, expressed full support for plans to make the Defense Department the lead agency for what is known as the Global Train and Equip Program, which emphasizes rapid assistance.

more:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/16/washington/16military.html?ref=world

[saigon68]

4. They already train Thugs at the School of the America's

The ones in Latin America who murder Nuns and use Testicle Crushers

[maddezmom]

5. WP: More Leeway Sought on Foreign Aid Spending

~snip~

The largest program under scrutiny, known as Global Train and Equip, allows both departments to help countries build forces to counter terrorists and other threats. Launched in 2006, it targets countries where the United States is not at war, such as Chad, Indonesia and Yemen. It has channeled hundreds of millions of dollars to projects such as night training to improve the Pakistani military's ability to target al-Qaeda, and providing ammunition to the Lebanese army to pursue Hezbollah.

Gates and Rice seek to increase funding authority for the program from $300 million a year to $750 million, make it permanent and expand it to allow assistance to police and paramilitary forces. The program is to expire at the end of September.

Another program allows the Pentagon to transfer $100 million a year to the State Department to increase the deployment of civilian officials to help stabilize countries in the wake of conflicts. Under the latest proposal, the authorized funding would increase to $200 million and the program would be extended for five years. In a related effort, the State Department has requested $248 million to create a corps of 3,750 diplomats, other federal employees and civilians who could be called on to respond quickly to overseas contingencies.

A third facet of the proposal would make permanent a program that allows U.S. Special Operations Forces to spend $25 million annually to pay or supply equipment to indigenous forces that support their clandestine operations.

more:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/15/AR2008041502916.html

[lanlady]

6. the one bright spot in our economy

Guns, bombs, mercenaries and, now, foreign armies. Perpetual war is the sole thriving US industry of the 21st century. How proud we should be.