June 24, 2009 -- A key congressional committee has blessed two previously unreported Defense Department pilot programs designed to boost the global pool of commandos and general-purpose forces available to support operations in Afghanistan.
On June 16, the Defense Department sought explicit authorization to spend $44 million to train and equip foreign forces -- from Eastern Europe to Georgia to Mongolia to the tiny Kingdom of Tonga -- in direct support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The requests were advanced in a pair legislative proposals designed to bridge what Pentagon lawyers believe to be a gap in the military’s legal authority to conduct such activities.
The House Armed Services Committee, in its mark of the fiscal year 2010 defense authorization bill, said the Defense Department currently enjoys the authority to carry out the two projects, which -- if sustained in the final authorization bill -- could clear the way for the Pentagon to pursue initiatives the Office of the Secretary of Defense says are endorsed by all combatant commanders.
In its report accompanying the FY-10 defense authorization bill, the committee “strongly approves of the purpose for which these proposals were drafted” and “believes existing security cooperation authorities are sufficient to meet this requirement.”
Among the provisions lawmakers say are adequate to cover the Pentagon's newly proposed activities are the so-called section 1206 global train and equip authority; section 1208 authority, which permits the Pentagon to provide financial support to foreign irregular forces, groups or individuals working with U.S. special forces; provisions for foreign military financing and foreign military sales; funding for Iraq and Afghanistan security forces; and coalition support funds.
Collectively, these authorities are sufficient to cover the two initiatives the Pentagon wants to pursue in FY-10, according to the House panel.
The first would spend as much as $12 million “to field a self-sustaining, deployable special operations group for employment in NATO or coalition special operations” in Iraq and Afghanistan, according the Pentagon's legislative proposal.
The Obama administration, according to the Pentagon's analysis of the legislation it proposed, believes
“that the demand for skills unique to special operations forces will continue to increase in an era when the joint force is likely to engage adversaries who blend conventional and irregular methods of warfare.
“At this point, however, there are simply not enough of those forces to meet current or projected future requirements, and the United States -- while clearly the world leader -- is at its capacity in this regard. To increase the capability of special operations coalition forces to successfully resolve future crises or contingency missions, as well as for the sake of our own overextended special operations forces, it is incumbent upon the United States to help our partners expand this critical capability.”
The Pentagon, accordingly, wants to use up to $12 million to support efforts by foreign governments “to assess, select, train and resource self-sustaining, fully capable special operations forces that can deploy where and when needed, essentially interchangeable with United States forces.”
In particular, the Pentagon is looking to bolster the special forces of a dozen nations, including NATO members admitted after 1998 -- the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia -- and nations seeking to join the alliance, including
Croatia, Albania and Georgia.
“These nations are among our strongest partners in the war on terror and have all developed at least a nascent special operations capability,” according to DOD, which is seeking more explicit authority for this task than exists in current law.
In FY-10, the Pentagon plans to limit this effort to nations in U.S. European Command's area of responsibility which “contains the majority of potential force providers for the current fight,” according to the legislative proposal.
“If successful, this proposal could be opened to support plans in other [regional combatant commands] where willing partners wish to develop their SOF to deploy in a significant way to U.S. operations,” states the Pentagon proposal.
Under a second program, the Pentagon is looking to spend $32 million to train and equip the general-purpose forces of nations that are willing to assist with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but lack necessary materiel and expertise.
“Coalition operations are critical in Afghanistan today, and will likely remain a relevant construct for the foreseeable future,” DOD states in its analysis of the proposed legislative text.
In FY-10, the Pentagon wants the flexibility to spend the funds on equipment like global positioning systems, handheld tactical radios, tactical-vehicle radios, rifles, canteens, pistols, night-vision goggles and uniforms.
To support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon wants to provide training in dealing with roadside bombs, urban operations, convoy operations and close air support “as well as cultural awareness and theater rules of engagement.”
“Not every nation can afford this training and equipment,” according to the Pentagon, which provided lawmakers examples of nations that have required assistance, including: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, El Salvador, Jordan, Mongolia and Tonga.
“This activity not only frees up American service members, but -- just as importantly -- broadens and deepens our worldwide ties with nations who have opted to join the struggle against terror,” the Pentagon analysis states. -- Jason Sherman
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