| Summary: | Section 1206 of the 2005 National Defense Authorization Act established a new program giving DOD the authority to spend up to $200M to train and equip foreign militaries to undertake counterterrorism or stability operations. This is the first major DOD authority for training and equipping other military forces. DOD previously trained and equipped foreign military forces through State Department programs considered cumbersome and ineffective. In FY2006, DOD and the State Department were given about $100 million for nine projects involving 15 countries, projects directed, administered and supervised by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. In some cases, Section 1206 has proven effective in countering terrorist activity in countries receiving assistance. Opponents of the policy argue that it inappropriately gives DOD power to affect foreign policy. In the last three years, DOD has bypassed State Department approval on some projects that may have been in the interest of national security but not foreign policy. Opponents of the policy want assurance that DOD is held accountable for how they implement Section 1206 and that Section 1206 projects are in accordance with U.S. foreign policy. However, when terrorists hide among the local population, the military must interact with civilians blurring the line between defense and foreign policy.
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