United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office National Security and International Affairs Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1999-07-23 monographic deposited born digital 71 p. GA 1.13:NSIAD-99-173 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-173 P0b002ee180376c56 f:ns99173 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-173 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-173 NSIAD-99-173 International cooperation Armed forces abroad Foreign military training Foreign military assistance Civilian employees Military policies Foreign policies Reporting requirements Foreign governments Statutory law Bolivia Colombia Ecuador Indonesia Philippines Thailand Foreign Military Sales Financing Program Foreign Military Sales Program DOD Joint Combined Exchange Training Program Chapter Report NSIAD

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the management and oversight of the U.S. Special Operations Forces' overseas deployments to train with the armed forces and other security forces of friendly foreign countries, focusing on: (1) whether the Department of Defense (DOD) has implemented the Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) program in accordance with legislation; (2) whether DOD and the Department of State are providing civilian oversight to ensure that JCET activities are consistent with U.S. foreign policy objectives in countries that GAO included in its review; and (3) how DOD is implementing recent legislation that restricts it from training with foreign forces involved in human rights abuses.<p/>GAO noted that: (1) GAO's review of available JCET files, attendance at command training conferences, observations of pre-event meetings, and discussions with DOD officials confirmed that DOD has complied with the statutory requirement that JCET's primary purpose be the training of U.S. special operations forces; (2) GAO found a direct link between the training special operations forces indicated they needed and the training conducted; (3) however, DOD has not accurately reported to Congress the number of JCETs that were conducted, their costs, or their relationship to counternarcotics and counterterrorism, as also required by statute; (4) inaccuracies in reporting have arisen because of confusion in the field regarding how to define a JCET, how to pay for and report costs incurred by host countries, and how to interpret the legislative requirement to report JCETs' relationship to counternarcotics and counterterrorism; (5) DOD's recent changes in the JCET approval process and more explicit guidance, which it plans to issue shortly, should improve the accuracy of the reports to Congress; (6) regarding oversight of JCET activities in the six countries GAO visited--Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand--DOD conducted JCETs with the knowledge and support of U.S. ambassadors who believed that these activities were consistent with U.S. foreign policy objectives in each country; (7) while embassy officials were involved prior to November 1998, neither State nor DOD headquarters' officials were routinely involved in overseeing JCETs; (8) neither DOD personnel overseas nor U.S. ambassadors believed that any problems occurred because of the lack of headquarters oversight; (9) DOD's new JCET approval procedures, which require Secretary of Defense approval and State notification, will provide greater headquarters oversight and assurance that all factors are weighed in determining whether a JCET should proceed; (10) State and Defense have each issued guidance for implementing October 1998 legislation that restricts the use of DOD funds to train with members of foreign security force units who have been credibly alleged to have committed a gross violation of human rights unless all necessary corrective steps have been taken; (11) in the same six countries GAO visited, State and DOD personnel have instituted procedures to implement the new legislation; and (12) however, a number of issues in implementing the law still remain. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-173/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-173.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-173/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-173.pdf GAO/NSIAD-99-173 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-99-173 Chapter Report GAO/NSIAD-99-173; Military Training: Management and Oversight of Joint; International cooperation Armed forces abroad Foreign military training Foreign military assistance Civilian employees Military policies Foreign policies Reporting requirements Foreign governments Statutory law Bolivia Colombia Ecuador Indonesia Philippines Thailand Foreign Military Sales Financing Program Foreign Military Sales Program DOD Joint Combined Exchange Training Program Title 10 Section 164 Title 10 Section 166a Title 10 Section 167 Title 10 Section 168 Title 10 Section 2010 Title 10 Section 2011 Title 10 Section 401 10 U.S.C. 164 10 U.S.C. 166a 10 U.S.C. 167 10 U.S.C. 168 10 U.S.C. 2010 10 U.S.C. 2011 10 U.S.C. 401 Title 22 Section 2321i Title 22 Section 5951 22 U.S.C. 2321i 22 U.S.C. 5951 Volume 75 Page 424 75 Stat. 424 Volume 82 Page 1320 82 Stat. 1320 Volume 110 Page 3009 110 Stat. 3009 Volume 111 Page 2429 111 Stat. 2429 Volume 112 Page 1920 Volume 112 Page 2279 Volume 112 Page 2681 112 Stat. 1920 112 Stat. 2279 112 Stat. 2681 Public Law 87-195 Public Law 90-629 Public Law 104-208 Public Law 105-118 Public Law 105-261 Public Law 105-262 Public Law 105-277