Security Cooperation, Security Assistance and Building Partner Capacity: Past, Present and Recommendations for Improvement to Enhance Future Interagency Collaboration

摘要

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Executive Branch determined that gaps existed with the traditional Security Assistance authorities, which hindered the United States' ability to address certain counterterrorism and stability operations funding, capacity, and capability shortfalls of key partner nations. To address these shortfalls, a new set of DoD USC Title 10 BPC authorities, which eventually became known as Security Cooperation (SC) programs, were developed by DoD and DoS, enacted in legislation by Congress, and signed into law by the President starting in 2006. Unlike their Security Assistance counterparts, Security Cooperation programs were appropriated (i.e., funded) through the DoD budget, managed by DoD, and were designed to be more agile to directly support the Geographic Combatant Commander's responsibilities to conduct BPC in support of national security objectives. Some programs included legislative provisions, known as 'dual-key,' that required the Secretary of State's concurrence on military training and equipping programs approved by DoD. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Section 1206 Global Train & Equip program, established in 2006, has become the flagship DoD authority for dual-key. From the outset of their enactment, Security Cooperation programs, epitomized by Section 1206, generated substantial controversy within Congress, the Executive Branch, and various foreign relations and armed services academia. Despite notable counterterrorism successes in Yemen, Pakistan, Trans-Sahara Africa, and the Philippines-Malaysia- Indonesia tri-border region, Section 1206 and dual-key have become a source of friction between DoD and DoS within the overall debate over the militarization of foreign policy. Even with the rigorous debate that Section 1206 and dual-key mechanisms have generated between DoD and DoS, this essay will demonstrate that they have produced substantial benefits for U.S. National Security Policy.