[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 80 (Wednesday, June 9, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S6675]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LUGAR:
  S. 2514. A resolution to authorize the transfer of funds for foreign 
countries to participate in international peacekeeping or peace 
enforcement operations, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations.
  Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, this legislation supports the President's 
Global Peace Operations Initiative. That initiative contemplates a 
multi-year program to enhance global peacekeeping capacity by training 
and equipping military and security forces to facilitate the deployment 
of trained forces to international peace support operations.
  The initiative stems from recognition of the concerns that have been 
identified in dealing with peace support operations. Specifically it 
has become clear that many countries have the political will to 
participate in peace support operations, but lack the capabilities and 
resources required to deploy and sustain themselves in the field. 
Similarly, some countries have the capacity to conduct traditional 
peacekeeping, but many missions, such as in Liberia, require combat-
like peace enforcement tasks.
  The Group of Eight, meeting this week, has endorsed the President's 
idea that the Group should pursue the goal of training at least 75,000 
international peacekeepers over the next several years and develop a 
plan to provide logistical support around the world. The Group of Eight 
has had a longstanding interest, expressed at both the Kananaskis and 
Evian summits, in providing technical and financial assistance to 
sustain and strengthen peacekeeping capacity worldwide, particularly in 
Africa.
  This bill supports that goal by authorizing a transfer of funding 
from the Department of Defense to the State Department for these 
activities. The administration has made clear to me that the Department 
of Defense believes that the costs for this program would be more than 
offset by the savings realized by not having to deploy U.S. military 
units to international peace operations.
  The President's leadership and initiative demonstrates the strong 
U.S. interest in peace and prosperity worldwide and is an expression of 
U.S. confidence in growing African attention to and capacity in 
addressing security problems on and beyond the continent.
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