DATE=7/7/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-43818
TITLE=U-S MILITARY ABROAD
BYLINE=ED WARNER
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  ALTHOUGH THE COLD WAR IS LONG OVER AND THE UNITED STATES 
FACES NO SERIOUS THREAT, ITS MILITARY IS MORE GLOBALLY INVOLVED 
THAN EVER BEFORE.  IN PARTICULAR, SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES ARE 
ENGAGED IN TRAINING EXERCISES IN WELL OVER A HUNDRED COUNTRIES, 
INCLUDING ONES THAT EMERGED FROM THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET 
UNION. THIS MILITARY PROJECTION IS DEFENDED ON THE GROUNDS IT 
SPREADS DEMOCRATIC HABITS AND SUPPLIES THE UNITED STATES WITH 
CRUCIAL INFORMATION ON AREAS OF POSSIBLE CONFLICT.  BUT CRITICS 
SAY IT OFTEN ENTANGLES THE U-S MILITARY WITH DUBIOUS FORCES 
OVERSEAS THAT CAN UNDERMINE U-S POLICY.  VOA'S ED WARNER REPORTS.
 

TEXT:  "SHAPE THE INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT, RESPOND TO THE FULL 
SPECTRUM OF CRISES AND PREPARE NOW FOR AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE."

THAT IS THE AMBITIOUS MISSION FOR TRAINING U-S SPECIAL OPERATIONS
FORCES OVERSEAS.  ON THAT BASIS, THE PENTAGON'S JOINT COMBINED 
EXCHANGE TRAINING PROGRAM, OR J-CET (PRON: JAY-CET), SENDS A FEW 
THOUSAND PERSONNEL TO OVER 100 COUNTRIES EACH YEAR TO CONDUCT 
TRAINING EXERCISES. 

LIEUTENANT COLONEL BILL DARLEY, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE U-S DEFENSE 
DEPARTMENT, STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROGRAM FOR THE UNITED
STATES:

                        // DARLEY ACT //

         THE PRIMARY REASON FOR J-CET IS TO ENSURE OUR GUYS ARE 
         LEARNING THE LANGUAGE, OUR GUYS ARE PROFICIENT IN THEIR 
         SKILLS IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY, OUR GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH 
         THE GEOGRAPHY, THE WEATHER, THE ENVIRONMENT, THE 
         CULTURAL NUANCES OF THE SOCIETY AND TO A CERTAIN EXTENT 
         LEARN THE PERSONALITIES: A FIRST-HAND VIEW OF WHAT THEIR
         MILITARY STRUCTURE IS LIKE, WHO RUNS IT. 

                          // END ACT //

INEVITABLY, SAYS COLONEL DARLEY, J-CET BECOMES INVOLVED WITH THE 
MILITARY IN THE HOST COUNTRY. 

THAT IS WHERE TROUBLE ARISES, SAYS IVAN ELAND, DIRECTOR OF 
DEFENSE POLICY STUDIES AT THE CATO INSTITUTE AND AUTHOR OF A NEW 
CRITIQUE OF J-CET. HE NOTES J-CET MAY HAVE TRAINED FORCES IN 
RWANDA AND INDONESIA THAT LATER WERE GUILTY OF ATROCITIES AGAINST
CIVILIANS.  IF SO, THAT SURELY RUNS COUNTER TO U-S POLICY:

                         // ELAND ACT //

         THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE PENTAGON RUNS ITS OWN 
         INDEPENDENT FOREIGN POLICY WHEN THEY DO THIS.  IN 
         CERTAIN CASES, THEY MAY BE CONDUCTING POLICY THAT IS 
         OPPOSITE WHAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS IN CHARGE 
         OF U-S FOREIGN POLICY, WOULD LIKE TO DO. SO YOU MAY 
         INADVERTENTLY HAVE TWO FOREIGN POLICIES GOING ON, AND 
         THAT IS NOT GOOD. 

                          // END ACT //

COLONEL DARLEY SAYS THERE IS  NO  EVIDENCE PERSONNEL TRAINED BY 
J-CET HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES.  IN FACT, HE 
CONTENDS J-CET PROMOTES HUMAN RIGHTS WHEN IT GOES INTO A COUNTRY.
ARMED FORCES ABROAD ARE GOING TO SEEK TRAINING SOMEWHERE, HE 
SAYS.  IF THE UNITED STATES IS  NOT  AVAILABLE, THEY MAY TURN TO 
NATIONS WITH LESS REGARD FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.   

IVAN ELAND IS SKEPTICAL: 

                         // ELAND ACT //

         IN THESE COUNTRIES WHERE THEY HAVE NO TRADITION OF HUMAN
         RIGHTS OR DEMOCRACY, WHAT THEY WILL DO IS TAKE THE 
         TECHNIQUES THAT THEY GET AND THEY WILL LEAVE THE 
         PHILOSOPHY ON THE CUTTING ROOM FLOOR, SO TO SPEAK. THEY 
         WILL USE THE TECHNIQUES THAT WE GIVE THEM IN 
         COUNTER-INSURGENCY, COUNTER-GUERRILLA WARFARE TO REPRESS
         THEIR OWN POPULATION.

                          // END ACT //

IN THE NAME OF SPREADING DEMOCRACY, SAYS MR. ELAND, J-CET MAY BE 
TEACHING THE TECHNIQUES OF OPPRESSION TO SUCH NATIONS AS 
COMBODIA, ETHIOPIA, ERITREA, COLOMBIA OR INDONESIA.  AN 
INDONESIAN GENERAL TOLD "THE WASHINGTON POST" THAT THE UNITED 
STATES TEACHES INDONESIA HOW TO STOP CIVILIAN DISTURBANCES. 

MR. ELAND IS ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT U-S TRAINING IN  
COUNTRIES OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION, SUCH AS UKRAINE, KAZAKHSTAN
AND UZBEKISTAN.  HE BELIEVES IT IS AN UNNECESSARY AFFRONT TO 
RUSSIA, ALREADY ALARMED BY NATO EXPANSION AND THE WAR IN KOSOVO. 

BUT OFF-SETTING THIS, SAYS COLONEL DARLEY, IS THE VITAL 
INFORMATION J-CET ACQUIRES IN ALL THESE REGIONS.  AS A GLOBAL 
SUPERPOWER, THE UNITED STATES CAN GET INVOLVED IN CONFLICTS IN 
REMOTE PLACES, AS IN KOSOVO. IT ALSO RESPONDS TO NATURAL 
DISASTERS AROUND THE WORLD.

IN HIS OPINION, J-CET HELPS THE UNITED STATES PERFORM ITS GLOBAL 
ROLE: 

                        // DARLEY ACT //

         THE NATIONAL STRATEGY OF ENGAGEMENT SHOULD INCLUDE A 
         VERY ROBUST MEASURE OF MILITARY-TO-MILITARY ENGAGEMENT 
         THE ALTERNATIVE IS NOT BEING INVOLVED AT ALL -- A 
         LAISSEZ-FAIRE, HANDS-OFF APPROACH.  IF THE UNITED STATES
         DOES NOT BECOME ENGAGED OR IF OTHER COUNTRIES SIMILAR TO
         THE UNITED STATES IN TERMS OF INTEREST DO NOT BECOME 
         ENGAGED, THEN THE PROBLEMS BECOME MUCH MORE GRAVE AND 
         HAVE A MUCH GREATER TENDENCY FOR MASSIVE HUMAN RIGHTS 
         ABUSES. 

                          // END ACT //

CRITICS AND SUPPORTERS OF J-CET AGREE THERE IS  NO  SIGN OF 
EITHER J-CET OR THE UNITED STATES WITHDRAWING FROM ITS EXTENSIVE 
MILITARY COMMITMENTS OVERSEAS.  (SIGNED)

NEB/EW/KL

07-Jul-99 3:42 PM EDT (1942 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.