REVIEW AND REPORT REGARDING DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROGRAMS RELATING TO REGIONAL SECURITY AND HOST NATION DEVELOPMENT IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.

SEC. 1315. REVIEW AND REPORT REGARDING DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PROGRAMS RELATING TO REGIONAL SECURITY AND HOST NATION DEVELOPMENT IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE. (a) Findings.— Congress makes the following findings: (1) The political environment in the Western Hemisphere has been characterized in recent years by significant democratic advances and an absence of international strife, but democracy in some nations of the region is fragile. (2) It is desirable for the Department of Defense to perform a positive role in influencing the defense establishments and military forces of nations in the Western Hemisphere to make positive contributions to the democratic process and to domestic development programs of their respective nations. (3) Congress receives a number of annual reports relating to specific authorities granted to the Secretary of Defense under title 10, United States Code, such as the authorities relating to the conduct of bilateral or regional cooperation programs under section 1051 of that title, participation of developing countries in combined exercises under section 2010 of that title, and the training of special operations forces with friendly forces under section 2011 of that title. (4) The annual reports are replete with statistics and dollar figures and generally lacking in substance. (5) Congress does not receive annual reports with respect to other authorities of the Secretary of Defense, such as that relating to Latin American cooperation under section 1050 of title 10, United States Code. (6) Testimony before Congress (including in particular the testimony of the commander of the United States Southern Command and the commander of the United States Atlantic Command) has emphasized the conduct of a large number of complementary programs under the leadership and supervision of those two commanders to foster appropriate military roles in democratic host nations and to assist countries in developing forces properly trained to address their security needs, including needs regarding illegal immigration, insurgencies, smuggling of illegal arms, munitions, and explosives across borders, and drug trafficking. (7) Most of the programs referred to in paragraph (6) provide excellent and often unique training and experience to the United States forces involved. (8) Military-to-military contact programs in the Western Hemisphere provide another tool to encourage a democratic orientation of the defense establishments and military forces of countries in the region. (9) There is a need for the Secretary of Defense to conduct a comprehensive review of the several authorities in title 10, United States Code, for the Secretary of Defense to engage in cooperative regional security programs with other countries in the Western Hemisphere in order to determine whether the authorities continue to be appropriate and necessary, 108 STAT. 2897particularly in the light of the changed circumstances in the region. (10) There is a need for the Secretary of Defense to conduct a comprehensive review of various programs carried out pursuant to such authorities to ensure that such programs are designed to meet the needs of the host nations involved and the regional strategic and foreign policy objectives of the United States, including promotion of sustainable development, effective control of the military by elected civilian authorities, reliable regional security accords, and the appropriate role for militaries in democratic societies. (11) There is a need for the Secretary of Defense to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the various regional security organizations, defense forums, and defense education institutions in the Western Hemisphere in order to identify any improvements needed to harmonize the defense policies of the United States and those of friendly nations of the region. (b) Review and Report.— Not later than May 1, 1995, the Secretary of Defense, shall— (1) in consultation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the commanders of the combatant commands responsible for regions in the Western Hemisphere, carry out a comprehensive review and assessment of the matters referred to in paragraphs (2), (9), (10), and (11) of subsection (a); and (2) submit to Congress a report on the review and assessment carried out pursuant to paragraph (1). (c) Content of Report.— The report shall contain a detailed and comprehensive description, discussion, and analysis of the following: (1) The Department of Defense plan to support United States strategic objectives in the Western Hemisphere. (2) The external and internal threats to the national security of the nations of the region. (3) The various regional security cooperative programs carried out by the Department of Defense in the region in 1994, including training and education programs in the host nations and in the United States and defense contacts set forth on a country-by-country basis, the statutory authority, if any, for such programs, and the strategic objectives served. (4) The various regional security organizations, defense forums, and defense education institutions that the United States maintains or in which the United States participates. (5) The contribution that such programs, defense contacts, organizations, forums, and institutions make to the advancement of regional security, host nation security and national development, United States strategic objectives, and United States foreign policy objectives as described in paragraph (10) of subsection (a). (6) United States humanitarian civic assistance and civic action programs conducted with host countries in the region and the effect that those programs have had in furthering the objectives described in paragraph (10) of subsection (a). (7) The changes made or to be made in the programs, organizations, forums, and institutions referred to in paragraphs (3), (4), (5), and (6) as a result of the comprehensive review. 108 STAT. 2898 (d) Recommended Legislation.— The report shall include any recommendations for legislation that the Secretary considers necessary to improve the ability of the Department to achieve its strategic objectives in the Western Hemisphere. (e) Classification of Report.— The report shall be submitted in an unclassified form and may, if necessary, have a classified supplement.