DATE=7/7/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43818
TITLE=U-S MILITARY ABROAD
BYLINE=ED WARNER
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: ALTHOUGH THE COLD WAR IS LONG OVER AND THE UNITED STATES
FACES NO SERIOUS THREAT, ITS MILITARY IS MORE GLOBALLY INVOLVED
THAN EVER BEFORE. IN PARTICULAR, SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES ARE
ENGAGED IN TRAINING EXERCISES IN WELL OVER A HUNDRED COUNTRIES,
INCLUDING ONES THAT EMERGED FROM THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET
UNION. THIS MILITARY PROJECTION IS DEFENDED ON THE GROUNDS IT
SPREADS DEMOCRATIC HABITS AND SUPPLIES THE UNITED STATES WITH
CRUCIAL INFORMATION ON AREAS OF POSSIBLE CONFLICT. BUT CRITICS
SAY IT OFTEN ENTANGLES THE U-S MILITARY WITH DUBIOUS FORCES
OVERSEAS THAT CAN UNDERMINE U-S POLICY. VOA'S ED WARNER REPORTS.
TEXT: "SHAPE THE INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT, RESPOND TO THE FULL
SPECTRUM OF CRISES AND PREPARE NOW FOR AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE."
THAT IS THE AMBITIOUS MISSION FOR TRAINING U-S SPECIAL OPERATIONS
FORCES OVERSEAS. ON THAT BASIS, THE PENTAGON'S JOINT COMBINED
EXCHANGE TRAINING PROGRAM, OR J-CET (PRON: JAY-CET), SENDS A FEW
THOUSAND PERSONNEL TO OVER 100 COUNTRIES EACH YEAR TO CONDUCT
TRAINING EXERCISES.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL BILL DARLEY, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE U-S DEFENSE
DEPARTMENT, STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROGRAM FOR THE UNITED
STATES:
// DARLEY ACT //
THE PRIMARY REASON FOR J-CET IS TO ENSURE OUR GUYS ARE
LEARNING THE LANGUAGE, OUR GUYS ARE PROFICIENT IN THEIR
SKILLS IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY, OUR GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH
THE GEOGRAPHY, THE WEATHER, THE ENVIRONMENT, THE
CULTURAL NUANCES OF THE SOCIETY AND TO A CERTAIN EXTENT
LEARN THE PERSONALITIES: A FIRST-HAND VIEW OF WHAT THEIR
MILITARY STRUCTURE IS LIKE, WHO RUNS IT.
// END ACT //
INEVITABLY, SAYS COLONEL DARLEY, J-CET BECOMES INVOLVED WITH THE
MILITARY IN THE HOST COUNTRY.
THAT IS WHERE TROUBLE ARISES, SAYS IVAN ELAND, DIRECTOR OF
DEFENSE POLICY STUDIES AT THE CATO INSTITUTE AND AUTHOR OF A NEW
CRITIQUE OF J-CET. HE NOTES J-CET MAY HAVE TRAINED FORCES IN
RWANDA AND INDONESIA THAT LATER WERE GUILTY OF ATROCITIES AGAINST
CIVILIANS. IF SO, THAT SURELY RUNS COUNTER TO U-S POLICY:
// ELAND ACT //
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE PENTAGON RUNS ITS OWN
INDEPENDENT FOREIGN POLICY WHEN THEY DO THIS. IN
CERTAIN CASES, THEY MAY BE CONDUCTING POLICY THAT IS
OPPOSITE WHAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS IN CHARGE
OF U-S FOREIGN POLICY, WOULD LIKE TO DO. SO YOU MAY
INADVERTENTLY HAVE TWO FOREIGN POLICIES GOING ON, AND
THAT IS NOT GOOD.
// END ACT //
COLONEL DARLEY SAYS THERE IS NO EVIDENCE PERSONNEL TRAINED BY
J-CET HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES. IN FACT, HE
CONTENDS J-CET PROMOTES HUMAN RIGHTS WHEN IT GOES INTO A COUNTRY.
ARMED FORCES ABROAD ARE GOING TO SEEK TRAINING SOMEWHERE, HE
SAYS. IF THE UNITED STATES IS NOT AVAILABLE, THEY MAY TURN TO
NATIONS WITH LESS REGARD FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.
IVAN ELAND IS SKEPTICAL:
// ELAND ACT //
IN THESE COUNTRIES WHERE THEY HAVE NO TRADITION OF HUMAN
RIGHTS OR DEMOCRACY, WHAT THEY WILL DO IS TAKE THE
TECHNIQUES THAT THEY GET AND THEY WILL LEAVE THE
PHILOSOPHY ON THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR, SO TO SPEAK. THEY
WILL USE THE TECHNIQUES THAT WE GIVE THEM IN
COUNTER-INSURGENCY, COUNTER-GUERRILLA WARFARE TO REPRESS
THEIR OWN POPULATION.
// END ACT //
IN THE NAME OF SPREADING DEMOCRACY, SAYS MR. ELAND, J-CET MAY BE
TEACHING THE TECHNIQUES OF OPPRESSION TO SUCH NATIONS AS
COMBODIA, ETHIOPIA, ERITREA, COLOMBIA OR INDONESIA. AN
INDONESIAN GENERAL TOLD "THE WASHINGTON POST" THAT THE UNITED
STATES TEACHES INDONESIA HOW TO STOP CIVILIAN DISTURBANCES.
MR. ELAND IS ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT U-S TRAINING IN
COUNTRIES OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION, SUCH AS UKRAINE, KAZAKHSTAN
AND UZBEKISTAN. HE BELIEVES IT IS AN UNNECESSARY AFFRONT TO
RUSSIA, ALREADY ALARMED BY NATO EXPANSION AND THE WAR IN KOSOVO.
BUT OFF-SETTING THIS, SAYS COLONEL DARLEY, IS THE VITAL
INFORMATION J-CET ACQUIRES IN ALL THESE REGIONS. AS A GLOBAL
SUPERPOWER, THE UNITED STATES CAN GET INVOLVED IN CONFLICTS IN
REMOTE PLACES, AS IN KOSOVO. IT ALSO RESPONDS TO NATURAL
DISASTERS AROUND THE WORLD.
IN HIS OPINION, J-CET HELPS THE UNITED STATES PERFORM ITS GLOBAL
ROLE:
// DARLEY ACT //
THE NATIONAL STRATEGY OF ENGAGEMENT SHOULD INCLUDE A
VERY ROBUST MEASURE OF MILITARY-TO-MILITARY ENGAGEMENT
THE ALTERNATIVE IS NOT BEING INVOLVED AT ALL -- A
LAISSEZ-FAIRE, HANDS-OFF APPROACH. IF THE UNITED STATES
DOES NOT BECOME ENGAGED OR IF OTHER COUNTRIES SIMILAR TO
THE UNITED STATES IN TERMS OF INTEREST DO NOT BECOME
ENGAGED, THEN THE PROBLEMS BECOME MUCH MORE GRAVE AND
HAVE A MUCH GREATER TENDENCY FOR MASSIVE HUMAN RIGHTS
ABUSES.
// END ACT //
CRITICS AND SUPPORTERS OF J-CET AGREE THERE IS NO SIGN OF
EITHER J-CET OR THE UNITED STATES WITHDRAWING FROM ITS EXTENSIVE
MILITARY COMMITMENTS OVERSEAS. (SIGNED)
NEB/EW/KL
07-Jul-99 3:42 PM EDT (1942 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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