Congress Wants A Better Tracking System for Weapons Supplied to Pakistan, AfghanistanJune 16, 2009

 

Congress is directing the Pentagon to improve monitoring and tracking of weapons the United States supplies to Afghanistan and Pakistan in efforts to keep the weapons out of enemy hands.

The Defense Department has had no legal obligation to track weapons provided as part of U.S. assistance, according to an article in The Hill. And with the Obama administration's new Pakistan Counterinsurgency Capability Fund (PCCF), more weapons will flow to Pakistani forces as they battle insurgents in the region's lawless tribal areas.

To require closer tracking, the House Armed Services Committee has added a provision to the fiscal 2010 defense authorization bill requiring the President to create a registration and monitoring system for defense-related materials supplied to Pakistan and Afghanistan. Congress has requested the same accounting process for equipment provided to Iraqi military and police forces.

Lawmakers are concerned that the PCCF supply of weapons and equipment is not subject to the same legal requirements for financing foreign forces found under State Department and Pentagon jurisdiction – the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program. That program finances purchase of U.S. weapons, training and services through grants or loans. The long-term goal is to stabilize the region and to increase the defensive capabilities of U.S. allies.

Congress funds the program through its international affairs budget, authorizing the State Department to choose the recipients of the military aid. The Defense Department implements the supply of weapons, training and services, according to the article.

The House Armed Services Committee passed its version of the 2010 defense authorization bill, providing about $550 billion for the Pentagon's 2010 budget and another $130 billion for overseas operations, according to The Hill.