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USIA - Text: Defense Secretary Cohen on U.S. Security Assistance, 97-03-20United States Information Agency: Selected Articles Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The United States Information Agency (USIA) Gopher at <gopher://gopher.usia.gov>TEXT: DEFENSE SECRETARY COHEN ON U.S. SECURITY ASSISTANCE(Says diplomacy, military power must act "in concert") (3690)Washington -- Defense Secretary Cohen says the United States must ensure that diplomacy and military power act "in concert" as it pursues its policy of engagement around the world."Diplomacy without power," he explained, "can produce dialogue without decision, while power without diplomacy can lead to arrogant chauvinism and senseless conflict." In a March 20 appearance before the House Committee on International Relations, the secretary noted that State Department diplomatic posts "are essential platforms" for Defense Department personnel who are pursuing defense relationships with host country officials and implementing security assistance and cooperation programs. U.S. security assistance, he said, facilitates getting the correct military equipment, training and infrastructure to U.S. allies so they can work effectively with U.S. forces. "The groundwork for successful coalition military engagement is formed over the long-term, in great part by security assistance programs," he said. Cohen made these remarks during testimony in support of the Clinton administration's request for fiscal year 1998 funding for International Military Education and Training and Foreign Military Financing programs. The secretary also commented on these issues during the question-and-answer period: Turkey: "It is in our interest that we assist Turkey (with $175 million in security assistance) as we engage them on regional tensions, human rights, and issues of concern....The European Union's reluctance to move forward on Turkey's membership application and our own government's deferral of several major arms transfers foster a perception with Turkey that the West no longer sufficiently values Turkey's contributions to Western security and is lending strength to those who would move Turkey in a different direction that is less faithful to our interests. Security in the Aegean is not a zero-sum game. Promoting stability there is a common interest. We need to work effectively with both Turkey and Greece...toward that end." Russia: "We are committed to proceeding along the path of NATO enlargement. We are going to do that irrespective of whether or not there is a Russia- NATO charter." Slovenia: "I believe Slovenia should be among the candidates to be given serious consideration" for early admission to NATO, but it is a decision for the alliance to make. Bosnia: Based on his recent trip to Europe, Cohen said he sensed "no sentiment" for extending the mandate of NATO's Stabilization Force (SFOR) beyond June of 1998. Following is the text of Cohen's statement as prepared for delivery. (begin text)Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, good morning. It is a pleasure to be here for the first time as Secretary of Defense.In a complex and still dangerous world, there is no military mission more important than protecting America's international interests. The need for concrete resources to support this mission is well understood. The essential mission of the armed forces is to prevent, deter, and, where necessary, defeat military threats to American national interests. What is often less understood by the public is that there is more to protecting America's international interests than military force. A strong international affairs capability is also necessary. The foreign affairs budget supports a variety of activities important for American interests, including programs aimed at securing American economic access and promoting trade that generate billions of dollars in American exports each year. The foreign affairs budget funds the conduct of diplomatic relations with other countries, as well as programs to strengthen political institutions in countries transitioning to democracy. It funds programs aimed at reducing the threat from the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and conventional weapons, as well as reducing the threat of international terrorism. These programs help ensure that we have more and stronger friends, and fewer and more isolated enemies. Our military capability is substantial, but it is not unlimited. We should use American forces where no alternative will protect American interests, and then in the most efficient and effective ways possible. That is why these programs funded by the International Affairs budget are so important - - they are indispensable tools in helping to reduce the need for use of American force, and to make it more effective when it must be used. This is particularly so of the budget portion we call security assistance. Security assistance is a hybrid of diplomacy and defense planning -- building and cementing military relationships with our friends and allies, making them better able to defend themselves, and improving interoperability should the need arise for us to fight together. Security assistance is vital both to preserving and promoting peace and to our own success in time of coalition warfare. Historian Donald Kagan has said that "a persistent and repeated error throughout history has been the failure to understand that the preservation of peace requires active effort, planning, the expenditure of resources, and sacrifice, just as war does." We believe that security assistance, and foreign aid in general, play a critical part in preserving and promoting peace and thus help to reduce the need for the United States to commit forces abroad. And in those cases where military power must be engaged, security assistance often helps to ensure that our friends and allies have the equipment, training, and infrastructure to work effectively with our own forces. The Gulf War proved the value of having coalition partners who have the equipment, training and know-how to work and fight together. The groundwork for such successful coalition military engagement is formed over the long-term, in great part by security assistance programs. In her testimony before you last month, Secretary Albright gave a comprehensive overview of the foreign aid budget request for Fiscal Year 1998. I fully support the entire budget request. In this testimony, I will focus my remarks on the security assistance programs, which are administered by the Department of Defense and bear most directly on military matters. Other parts of the request cover programs of direct interest to the Department of Defense. Support for counterproliferation efforts addresses one of our highest military concerns. A good example is the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO), a key aspect of our efforts to contain and eventually roll back the North Korean nuclear program. Parts of the Economic Support Fund (ESF) program are also important to secure access and cooperation for our military forces and assist in getting multilateral support for military activities that we might otherwise have to undertake alone. The President's Fiscal Year 1998 Foreign Operations budget request is $13, 324 million, up from $12,250 million in Fiscal Year 1997. We are fully aware of the constraints that budget discipline will place on the Congress this year. Nevertheless, we believe that the modest increases we are requesting -- including the $55.775 million in budget authority over the FY 1997 appropriation for security assistance -- is fully justified. While goals such as preserving Middle East peace are long-standing, we have important new goals. The challenge of building a new security structure in Europe is foremost among our new goals. As a result, the demands of preparing the new democracies of Central Europe and the former Soviet Union for full participation in the Partnership for Peace (PFP) and in some cases, NATO membership, account for a significant amount of the requested increase in security assistance. Of course, the overwhelming share of the costs of preparing to join or operate with NATO is being born by the potential members and partners themselves. We also are requesting small amounts of money for programs to train and equip foreign troops for peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance operations, which reduces the need to commit American troops for these kinds of operations. We look to the Congress for bipartisan support in strengthening this important arm of U.S. national security. International Military Education and Training (IMET)IMET is probably our single most cost-effective security assistance program. IMET fosters military-to-military relations, promotes military professionalism, and, via the expanded IMET program, addresses issues of military justice, respect for internationally recognized human rights, effective defense resources management, and improved civil-military relations. Graduates of both the traditional and the expanded IMET programs frequently rise to positions of great prominence. The commanders in chief of the unified commands have consistently identified IMET as a key tool for enhancing political/military relations with the countries in their regions.Since 1991, we have broadened the reach of the IMET program to 28 new countries, primarily in Central Europe and the Newly Independent States of the former Soviet Union (NIS). Increasingly, our IMET program in this region focuses on preparing these countries for full participation in Partnership for Peace, and, in some cases, NATO membership. Accordingly, for several years we have sought support for a level of IMET funding commensurate with the program's global utility and the requirements for training in these new democracies. This year we are asking for $50 million, an increase of $6.525 million, of which $3.550 million is for countries in Europe and the NIS. Of this, $1.5 million is for three countries, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Is this additional funding justified in a time of budgetary stringency? The answer is yes. We are proposing to train and educate 570 more students worldwide, of which the majority will be from Central European and NIS countries. Moreover, IMET course costs are rising by an average of 8 percent per year due to an increase in per-student costs, along with normal inflation. Further, costs increase as country programs mature. Starting an IMET program with a new country is relatively inexpensive. English-language training is often a prerequisite for IMET students before they can take the professional military education courses. The early, inexpensive phase for these new countries is largely complete, and follow-on training needs to be funded. So this proposed expansion in the IMET program is a natural consequence of seeds planted several years before, and a component of our larger efforts to improve the professionalism of the militaries of Partnership for Peace countries. Foreign Military Financing (FMF)We are requesting $3,340 million, $49.25 million more than last year's allocations for the FY 1998 FMF program, after accounting for the funding of "FMF" demining in the new Non-Proliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining, and related programs account.Central Europe and the NISWe have critical national security interests in promoting stability and security in Central Europe and the NIS. Accordingly, we are devoting a significant part of the budget request to support the transition to democracy and free markets in these countries. We are requesting $70 million in FMF grant funding for Partnership for Peace, an increase of $10 million. Support for Partnership for Peace helps to ensure that partners invited to join NATO will he ready to accept the military, political, and economic responsibilities of membership. It also helps to keep the door open to countries not initially invited. The NATO enlargement process makes it essential that we fund the program at a level sufficient to make the armed forces of the earliest prospective NATO members truly interoperable with NATO, while helping the other partner countries progress. At the same time, funds are needed to enhance cooperation with eight countries of the NIS that we expect will become eligible for FMF grant funding for the first time in FY 1997. The $10 million increase is particularly needed to complete the Regional Airspace Initiative for the Baltic states.Loans to Central EuropeWe also are requesting $20 million to subsidize an estimated $402 million in loans to Central European (CE) countries. Unlike the grant assistance requested for PFP, these loans help address major infrastructure deficiencies, such as lack of airlift capability and NATO-compatible air defense, radar, and communications equipment. In some cases, loans may be used to support costs of transfers of excess equipment, e.g., for transportation or sustainment.One important aspect of assistance to CE is peacekeeping. Virtually all of the CE countries already maintain or are forming dedicated peacekeeping units. Unfortunately, lack of compatible transportation and communications equipment is a major limitation on these countries' ability to work alongside or NATO troops in international peacekeeping missions. Grants and loans to these countries will make their peacekeeping contributions more effective, while helping to make them better prepared for possible NATO membership. Greece and TurkeyWe are requesting $46 million to subsidize the same FMF loan values authorized for Greece and Turkey in FY 1997, $122.5 million and $175.0 million, respectively. The loans are needed to continue sustainment of existing U.S.-origin assets. Greece also plans to use these funds to refurbish and upgrade existing U.S. equipment and articles that will be acquired through the reduction of conventional forces in Europe and the Excess Defense Articles program.It is in our interest to assist Turkey as we engage the government of Turkey on issues of concern, such as human rights and regional tensions. Turkey remains a close ally. It is enduring substantial economic losses and political burdens to maintain the embargo upon Iraq and the enforcement of the no-fly zone over the northern portion of that country. Turkey is playing a leading role in the train and equip effort in Bosnia. Above all, it is a democratic, pro-Western bulwark and model at the juncture of several unstable regions where those qualities are all too scarce. Yet, events at home and abroad, particularly the European Union's reluctance to move forward on Turkey's membership application and our own government's deferral of several major arms transfers, foster a perception within Turkey that the West no longer sufficiently values Turkey's contributions and sacrifices for Western security and unity. This lends strength to those that would move Turkey along a different path. Our security assistance program tangibly demonstrates our commitment to this important bilateral security relationship. Middle East PeaceWe are requesting $1,800 million in FMF grants for Israel and $1,300 million for Egypt to fulfill our commitment under the Camp David accords. Maintaining Israel's qualitative advantage and modernizing the Egyptian armed forces continue to be major goals of these programs. Israel, a democratic bastion in a highly volatile region, is a long-standing ally of the United States; we are firmly committed to Israel's security and prosperity. Egypt, a reliable coalition partner, provided over 40,000 troops in the Gulf War, troops whose interoperability with U.S. forces was greatly increased by U.S.-provided training and equipment.Foremost among Arab countries that have taken risks for peace in the region is Jordan. We are requesting $45 million this year for Jordan to continue with the F-16 aircraft lease program for which Congress has already appropriated $100 million in FY 1996 and $30 million in FY 1997. The program is on schedule, with the first six aircraft scheduled to be delivered in December 1997 and the remaining 10 by February 1998. DeminingThe FY 1998 request of $15 million for the demining program will help to make a reality President Clinton's pledge in May 1996 to strengthen global efforts to deal with the tragic consequences of landmine contamination of farmland and infrastructure in over 70 countries, principally in Africa and Asia. This effort is intended to help 13 of the most severely afflicted countries by providing defense articles and services needed to develop indigenous mine clearing and awareness programs.Enhanced International Peacekeeping Capabilities (EIPC)I have already mentioned that providing training and equipment to friends and allies for peacekeeping duties is an increasingly important use of security assistance funds. In an effort to improve the peacekeeping readiness of countries that have demonstrated significant potential for greater contributions to international peacekeeping operations, and at the same time reduce U.S. costs for such missions, we are proposing a new program called EIPC -- Enhanced International Peacekeeping Capabilities. We are requesting $7 million to be allocated regionally. The funds will be targeted to help selected countries improve their ability to develop and implement effective peacekeeping training and education programs consistent with internationally approved standards. The effort will focus on the development of peacekeeping training centers rather than on training and equipping standing peacekeeping units. Through the procurement of special education training aids, information technologies, and instruction on the development of national-level peacekeeping training and education programs, we will improve the confidence and capability of countries to contribute to international peacekeeping missions. This program is being developed in consultation with selected allies to ensure cooperative efforts at implementing internationally approved peacekeeping training standards. Standardizing peacekeeping training via EIPC will enhance the cohesion and credibility that often challenge a rapidly assembled multinational peacekeeping force.African Crisis Response Force (ACRF)Humanitarian and peacekeeping crises in Africa are likely to be a recurrent problem in the future. To deal with these crises, we are requesting $5 million in FMF for the African Crisis Response Force (ACRF) initiative. By providing training and equipment, the United States will support the ACRF initiative to enhance the capabilities of up to 10,000 African troops designated by African countries for rapid deployment in international peacekeeping and humanitarian operations. Recently, this initiative has evolved from the concept of a standing force to an emphasis on capacity building. Several countries, including France, have supported the initiative and have begun to make tangible commitments to provide training, equipment, and money.East Africa Regional AssistanceSudan, Africa's largest country, remains a destabilizing factor in the Horn of Africa. Both the Organization of African Unity and the U.N. Security Council have condemned the government of Sudan for its involvement in the attempted assassination of Egyptian President Mubarak in June 1995. Sudan continues to sponsor or assist efforts to destabilize its neighbors, notably in Uganda, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. Under the heading of East Africa Regional Assistance, we are requesting $5 million in FMF to help these three countries resist Sudanese-fostered destabilization.CambodiaOur FMF request again this year for Cambodia is $1 million. In concert with programs funded in other parts of the President's foreign aid budget, we will use this money to help preserve hard-won democratic gains in this devastated country, promote continued democratization, and prevent the return to power of the Khmer Rouge. This year's FMF request will help develop the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces engineers' capability to build and improve civil infrastructure, support the Cambodian government's establishment of development centers to provide employment for Khmer Rouge defectors, and aid Cambodian efforts to remove an estimated 5 to 8 million anti-personnel landmines.Caribbean Regional FundCaribbean nations traditionally have been reliable friends of the United States. Our long-term objectives in the Caribbean region include maintaining regional stability, as the Caribbean constitutes America's "third border." This entails assistance to cooperative security organizations -- principally through regional coast guards -- against international crime, terrorism, narcotrafficking, arms trafficking, money laundering, and illegal migration; plus the capability to conduct search and rescue and natural disaster relief operations. We are requesting $3 million for the regional fund, a $1 million increase, for long-deferred operations and maintenance support to the Eastern Caribbean's Regional Security System (RSS) and the broader Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) states.Other ProgramsTwo other programs in this budget request of particular importance to the Department of Defense contribute directly to U.S. national security and the safety of our armed forces: the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization and the Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund.Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO)From DOD's perspective, this project is critical to safeguarding the security interests of the United States and its allies in the region. KEDO is charged with implementing technical aspects of the Agreed Framework, including delivery of heavy fuel oil and construction of two light water reactors in North Korea, in return for the North freezing activities at its nuclear facilities. A failure of KEDO's efforts could lead to a reactivation of North Korea's nuclear program, which would pose a substantial risk to U.S. forces in the region as well as heighten tensions and insecurity among all Northeast Asian countries. The Fiscal Year 1998 budget requests $30 million in non-security assistance funds to support KEDO. U.S. financial backing is extremely important in demonstrating to our KEDO partners, particularly the ROK and Japan, that the United States is willing to assume its share of the burden in this security enterprise. U.S. funding also sets an example for other potential contributors.Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund (NDF)The Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund (NDF) was established in 1994 pursuant to section 504 of the Freedom Support Act of 1992 to implement specific nonproliferation projects. Since its inception, the NDF has funded numerous projects for dismantling and destroying conventional weapons and weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems, and for strengthening international safeguards, export control, and nuclear smuggling efforts. This budget requests $15 million for bilateral and multilateral assistance programs in Fiscal Year 1998. Ongoing NDF projects include elimination of SCUD missiles and their launch systems from Romania and Hungary; dismantlement of South Africa's Category I missile production infrastructure; assistance in the procurement of highly enriched uranium stocks from the former Soviet Union; procurement of verifications and safeguards equipment for the International Atomic Energy Agency; procurement of seismic arrays in support of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty; conversion of Russian plutonium reactors from weapons production to production of power only; provision of export licensing and enforcement assistance to Central Europe, the Baltics and the former Soviet Union; and successful deployment of an automated system in Poland for tracking the export of sensitive materials.ConclusionIn sum, this budget request is very much in our national interest. The term foreign aid is a misnomer, implying that the taxpayers' dollars are given away as charity. In reality, these programs contribute to the security of the American people. Foreign aid, especially security assistance, is a force multiplier. To paraphrase Clausewitz, it is defense by other means. Given our worldwide interests, commitments and responsibilities, while realizing our budget constraints, this request is a reasonable compromise. The Department of Defense supports it completely.(end text)From the United States Information Agency (USIA) Gopher at gopher://gopher.usia.govUnited States Information Agency: Selected Articles Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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