[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 46 (Monday, March 13, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E581-E582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      POLICE TRAINING FOR GEORGIA

                                 ______


                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 13, 1995
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, it has come to my attention that the 
United States is considering providing police training to Georgia. 
While we would all like to help Chairman Shevardnadze in his fight to 
stabilize his torn country, I have fundamental reservations about the 
wisdom of providing police training to Georgia at this time.
  Those reservations are spelled out in a letter I sent recently to the 
Department of State. I ask that my letter, and the Department's 
response, be included in the Congressional Record.

                                                      Committee on


                                      International Relations,

                                Washington, DC, February 28, 1995.
     Hon. Warren Christopher,
     Secretary of State, Department of State, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Secretary. I write to oppose U.S. assistance or 
     training at this time for police forces in the Government of 
     Georgia.
       I support carefully crafted police training programs 
     overseas. In particular, I support the Administration's 
     efforts to fight organized crime in Eastern Europe and the 
     N.I.S. 
     [[Page E582]] through targeted assistance to police forces in 
     those regions. These efforts, however, carry a degree of 
     risk. In the case of Georgia, that risk is too high to merit 
     the use of scarce U.S. Government resources.
       We all want to be supportive of Chairman Shevardnadze in 
     his efforts to bring peace and prosperity to his troubled 
     country. The United States has provided more the $250 million 
     in food aid to Georgia since Fiscal Year 1992, which I 
     believe demonstrates U.S. support. But the risks of 
     establishing a police training program in Georgia outweigh 
     any possible benefits.
       Providing police training to foreign countries requires us 
     to ask tough questions about who will benefit. Do we have 
     reasonable assurances that those being trained are not 
     corrupt, are committed to the rule of law, and will not 
     engage in abusive practices?
       In the case of Georgia, I do not believe we can answer 
     ``yes'' to those questions. Widespread media reports, and the 
     State Department's own reporting, indicate massive and 
     pervasive corruption in the Government of Georgia, especially 
     in the police forces. Much of the substantial U.S. aid 
     already sent is reported to have been diverted--by some 
     estimates, as much as half. Organized crime reportedly 
     controls important sectors of the government.
       Under these circumstances, it seems to me that the 
     possibilities for abuse in a police training program are 
     unacceptably high. The United States could too easily become 
     associated with unlawful elements of the Georgian Government, 
     and support for police training generally could be weakened 
     as a result. I believe that Chairman Shevardnaze must take 
     more forceful steps to attack criminal elements within his 
     government before the United States put its credibility, and 
     scarce resources, on the line with a police training program 
     of Georgia.
       I understand that an interagency team will visit Georgia in 
     the near future to assess the need for a police training 
     program. I believe that when you assess the risks as opposed 
     to any possible benefits, you will agree with me that such a 
     program at this time simply cannot be supported.
       Thank you for your attention to this matter.
       With best regards,
           Sincerely,
                                                  Lee H. Hamilton,
                                        Ranking Democratic Member.
                                  ____



                                     U.S. Department of State,

                                    Washington, DC, March 7, 1995.
     Hon. Lee H. Hamilton,
     House of Representatives.
       Dear Mr. Hamilton: Thank you for your letter of February 28 
     to Secretary Christopher regarding possible U.S. criminal 
     justice assistance for the Republic of Georgia.
       The Administration shares your concern that U.S. assistance 
     and training for law enforcement personnel in the NIS not be 
     abused by criminal or repressive elements. Recognizing the 
     potential for misuse, our practice has been to ground our NIS 
     programs firmly in the rule of law and respect for human 
     rights.
       Our interagency assessment team scheduled to visit Tbilisi 
     later this month will examine precisely the issues raised in 
     your letter. They will gather information regarding (a) 
     Georgia's capacity to employ properly U.S. criminal justice 
     assistance and (b) which programs might best promote 
     democratization, human rights and the rule of law in Georgia.
       In the vacuum created by the collapse of the Soviet Union, 
     crime and corruption have gained a worrisome beachhead in the 
     NIS. It is a problem by no means limited to Russia. Chairman 
     Shevardnadze, senior officials of his government and 
     Ambassador Brown in Tbilisi repeatedly have identified crime 
     as the most important impediment to economic and political 
     reform in Georgia.
       The danger that NIS crime poses for the nascent democracies 
     as well as the broader international community requires a 
     thorough consideration of the most appropriate U.S. 
     assistance. The Georgians have asked for our help. That 
     interagency assessment team visiting Tbilisi this month 
     constitutes a modest response, consistent with our limited 
     resources. We would be happy to brief you on our findings 
     when our team returns from Tbilisi.
       I hope we have been responsive to your concerns. Please 
     feel free to call me on this or any other issue.
           Sincerely,

                                             Wendy R. Sherman,

                                              Assistant Secretary,
                                              Legislative Affairs.
     

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