Misplaced Pages

#988011

36-467: To implement this law, the U.S. embassies, the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor , and the appropriate regional bureau of the U.S. Department of State vet potential recipients of security assistance. If a unit is found to have been credibly implicated in a serious abuse of human rights, assistance is denied until the host nation government takes effective steps to bring the responsible persons within

72-573: A broader sweep and a more focused approach to the interlocking issues of human rights, worker rights, and democracy. Examples of DRL's human rights advocacy in foreign locations include China , the Middle East , and Russia . From 2011 to 2015, DRL provided financial support to the Tor network (The Onion Router). The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor is divided into twelve offices. This United States government–related article

108-605: A gross violation exists but the identity of the unit is lacking; and (7) make publicly available, to the maximum extent practicable, the identity of those units for which no assistance shall be furnished pursuant to subsection (a). The Department of Defense Appropriations version of the Leahy Law ( 10 U.S. Code § 2249e ) reads: (a) In General.— (1) Of the amounts made available to the Department of Defense, none may be used for any training, equipment, or other assistance for

144-739: A gross violation of human rights. (b) EXCEPTION. – The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply if the Secretary determines and reports to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, and the Committees on Appropriations that the government of such country is taking effective steps to bring the responsible members of the security forces unit to justice. (c) DUTY TO INFORM. – In

180-413: A moral guide to the application of U.S. military engagement. Some in the U.S. armed forces have argued that the law frustrates U.S. partnership at precisely the moment we need most to influence better behaviors. This dilemma has a solution embedded in the amendment itself, which provides that if human rights remediation has begun, U.S. assistance can be brought to bear." Senator Leahy said of the law: "This

216-556: A unit in a gross violation of human rights, the unit will be prohibited from receiving assistance until remediation steps are taken. The law requires the U.S. government to offer assistance to the country's government in bringing those responsible to justice and remediate the sanctioned unit. The process is, in general, not transparent; in June 2016, State Department Spokesperson John Kirby said department officials do not "speak to specific cases on Leahy vetting. We don't do that." While there

252-428: A unit of a foreign security force if the Secretary of Defense has credible information that the unit has committed a gross violation of human rights. (2) The Secretary of Defense shall, in consultation with the Secretary of State, ensure that prior to a decision to provide any training, equipment, or other assistance to a unit of a foreign security force full consideration is given to any credible information available to

288-403: Is a law that works, if it is enforced ... We can help reform foreign security forces, but they need to show they are serious about accountability. If not, we are wasting American taxpayers' money and risk prolonging the abusive conduct that we seek to prevent." In 2013, several U.S. military commanders cited the law as interfering with their ability to train foreign forces. They claimed that

324-507: Is governed by the Foreign Assistance Act. The Leahy Law applies only to assistance to specific units, and does not necessarily affect the level of assistance to a country, even when implemented. Human rights conditionality, on the other hand, typically requires a percentage of assistance to a country to be withheld until the Department of State certifies progress on certain human rights conditions. The U.S. government (via

360-472: Is no exact definition of what constitutes "credible" information, the State Department's standard is that it need not reach the same standard as would be required to admit evidence in a U.S. court of law. Vetters rely on a wide array of sources including the annual Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights, US government agency records, NGO human rights reports, and information garnered from

396-409: Is shared on a timely basis with the Department of State. (e) Report.—Not later than 15 days after the application of any exception under subsection (b) or the exercise of any waiver under subsection (c), the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report— (1) in the case of an exception under subsection (b), providing notice of the use of the exception and stating

SECTION 10

#1732787019989

432-583: The U.S. Human Rights and Democracy Fund (HRDF) , which is DRL's flagship program. The head of the Bureau is the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor , and the official currently acting in this capacity is Erin Barclay . The bureau was formerly known as the Bureau of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs , but was reorganized and renamed in 1994, to reflect both

468-619: The Department of Defense budget. The law covering State Department funded aid is found in Section 620M of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (as amended most recently in January 2014). It states: (a) IN GENERAL. – No assistance shall be furnished under this Act or the Arms Export Control Act to any unit of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary of State has credible information that such unit has committed

504-438: The Department of Defense version includes a waiver that allows the Secretary of Defense – after consulting with the Secretary of State – to waive the requirements of the provision if "extraordinary circumstances" warrant it. Another difference concerns what steps a government must take to resume assistance once a security force unit has been flagged for gross human rights violations. The Foreign Assistance Act version requires that

540-502: The Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency, and other United States Government sources; (4) ensure that such information is evaluated and preserved; (5) ensure that when an individual is designated to receive United States training, equipment, or other types of assistance the individual's unit is vetted as well as the individual; (6) seek to identify the unit involved when credible information of

576-510: The Department of State has a current list of all security force units receiving United States training, equipment, or other types of assistance; (2) facilitate receipt by the Department of State and United States embassies of information from individuals and organizations outside the United States Government about gross violations of human rights by security force units; (3) routinely request and obtain such information from

612-522: The Department of State relating to human rights violations by such unit. (b) Exception.—The prohibition in subsection (a)(1) shall not apply if the Secretary of Defense, after consultation with the Secretary of State, determines that the government of such country has taken all necessary corrective steps, or if the equipment or other assistance is necessary to assist in disaster relief operations or other humanitarian or national security emergencies. (c) Waiver.—The Secretary of Defense, after consultation with

648-473: The International Vetting and Security Tracking (INVEST) system, which tracks all units and individuals who are potential recipients of assistance, including any information that suggests they are ineligible for assistance and any past determinations regarding their eligibility. Vetting is done at several points in the approval process and by several elements of the State Department, starting at

684-581: The Leahy Law. On the other hand, Israel has never been denied assistance under this law. Senator Leahy first introduced this law in 1997 as part of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. It initially referred only to counter-narcotics assistance for one year. The next year, with his leadership, Congress expanded it to cover all State Department funded assistance. This provision was included in all annual Foreign Operations budget laws until 2008. At that time Congress made

720-602: The Leahy Law. The vast majority of requests for assistance are cleared immediately; in 2011, only 1,766 units and individuals out of approximately 200,000 were barred from receiving aid because of gross violations of human rights. In 1998, financing from the Export-Import Bank was denied for thirty-nine of 140 armored police vehicles being bought by Turkey because those vehicles were destined for 11 provinces where police had been implicated in abuses of human rights. The manufacturer, General Dynamics , ultimately provided

756-473: The Pakistani army. A 2013 report by Freedom House described the Leahy Law as "an invaluable tool in preventing U.S. assistance to military or police units that commit human rights abuses" and added that "it is invoked sparingly and only in egregious cases of specific violence". In 2014, Major General Paul Eaton (retired) spoke in support of the law, saying, "the value of the Leahy Law is that it serves as

SECTION 20

#1732787019989

792-407: The Secretary of State, may waive the prohibition in subsection (a)(1) if the Secretary determines that the waiver is required by extraordinary circumstances. (d) Procedures.—The Secretary of Defense shall establish, and periodically update, procedures to ensure that any information in the possession of the Department of Defense about gross violations of human rights by units of foreign security forces

828-488: The State Department) implements the law through a process known as "Leahy vetting". A prospective aid recipient's unit is searched for evidence of past commission of gross human rights violations. The State Department has interpreted "gross human rights violations" to mean a small number of the most heinous acts: murder of non-combatants, torture, "disappearing" people, and rape as a tactic. The government utilizes

864-403: The U.S. embassy in the particular country and occurring at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) and the appropriate regional bureau. When a vetter finds credible derogatory information, the information is entered into INVEST, triggering a review with all relevant bureaus. All assistance remains on hold until a final decision is reached. If credible information is found implicating

900-476: The event that funds are withheld from any unit pursuant to this section, the Secretary of State shall promptly inform the foreign government of the basis for such action and shall, to the maximum extent practicable, assist the foreign government in taking effective measures to bring the responsible members of the security forces to justice. (d) CREDIBLE INFORMATION. The Secretary shall establish, and periodically update, procedures to (1) ensure that for each country

936-403: The financing for the thirty-nine vehicles. Indonesia's elite Komando Pasukan Khusus (Kopassus) was subject to a 12-year ban on U.S. security assistance after it was implicated in a series of kidnappings and murders of activists in the late 1990s. In 2010 outrage over extrajudicial killings committed by the armed forces of Pakistan led to the suspension of aid to "about a half-dozen" units of

972-479: The government of the country in question "is taking effective steps to bring the responsible members of the security forces unit to justice" while the Defense Department version prohibits assistance "unless all necessary corrective steps have been taken". Leahy Law provisions are sometimes confused with human rights conditionality that applies to overall Foreign aid packages to a specific country, which

1008-527: The grounds for the exception; and (2) in the case of a waiver under subsection (c), describing— (A) the information relating to the gross violation of human rights; (B) the extraordinary circumstances that necessitate the waiver; (C) the purpose and duration of the training, equipment, or other assistance; and (D) the United States forces and the foreign security force unit involved. (f) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.—In this section,

1044-575: The law permanent by amending it into the Foreign Assistance Act . In 2011, Congress revised the law substantially, seeking to enhance its implementation. The United States government has long been a major, if not the largest, provider of assistance—including funding, training, non-lethal equipment, and weaponry—to foreign military and other security forces. In 2012 it spent $ 25 billion on training and equipping foreign militaries and law enforcement agencies of more than 100 countries around

1080-553: The law was being applied too broadly. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Affairs ( DRL ) is a bureau within the United States Department of State . The bureau is under the purview of the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights . DRL's responsibilities include promoting democracy in U.S. and around

1116-487: The media. Certain countries known as "Fast Track" countries are only required to be vetted at the embassy level. The State Department's Leahy Working Group determines by consensus which countries are eligible for Fast Track vetting. A Fast Track country has a "favorable human rights record, including no serious or systemic problems in the country's security forces and no widespread problems with impunity". The U.S. government rarely publicizes decisions to deny assistance under

Leahy Law - Misplaced Pages Continue

1152-464: The necessary flexibility to allow the U.S. to advance its foreign policy objectives in these countries." U.S. assistance to foreign armed forces comes from two different budgets; therefore, two separate versions of the Leahy amendment have been enacted into law. One covers assistance to foreign forces funded through the State Department foreign assistance budget, and another covers assistance funded out of

1188-404: The term "appropriate committees of Congress" means— (1) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and (2) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives. There are several key differences between the two versions of the law. First,

1224-455: The unit to justice. While the U.S. government does not publicly report on foreign armed forces units it has cut off from receiving assistance, press reports have indicated that security force and national defense force units in Australia , Bangladesh , Bolivia , Colombia , Guatemala , Mexico , Nigeria , Turkey , Indonesia , Lebanon , and Saint Lucia have been denied assistance due to

1260-431: The world, formulating U.S. human rights policies, and coordinating policy in human rights-related labor issues. The Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism is a separate agency included in the Bureau. The Bureau is responsible for producing annual reports on the countries of the world with regard to religious freedom through its Office of International Religious Freedom and human rights . It also administers

1296-665: The world. Security assistance is driven by overriding U.S. national security objectives, including a desire to challenge/overturn communist regimes during the Cold War, counter drug trafficking in the 1990s, or counter anti-Western terrorism in the 2000s. Throughout the United States' long history of providing assistance to foreign armed forces, some portion of this assistance has been provided to forces that repress and abuse their own populations. According to Senator Leahy, his law "makes it clear that when credible evidence of human rights violations exists, U.S. aid must stop. But, it provides

#988011