Congressional Conferees Cut Counterterrorism Programs

By Michael Kraft

UPDATE By Michael B. Kraft

Despite the professed concerns about the international counterterrorism threat and the need to fight the terrorists overseas before they can hit us at home, House-Senate Conference figures made available today showed that the Appropriators cut funds for key programs to help strengthen the counterterrorism capacity of friendly foreign governments. See my October 31 posting on this issue.

The Congressional Conferees on the Fiscal Year 2006 Foreign Aid Appropriations bill cut the State Department�s Antiterrorist Training Assistance (ATA program) by 9 per cent and also slashed several related smaller programs. They allocate only $122.5 million for the ATA program although the Senate version had approved the Administration�s full request of $133.5 million.

The Conference Committee Statement of Managers that spells out details of the final version of the bill showed that the Appropriators cut also cut $2 million from the Administration�s $7.5 Million request for the Terrorist Interdiction Program (TIP), which provides a sophisticated data base system for detecting terrorist suspects when they cross international boundaries. The Counterterrorism Engagement with Allies program of seminars and workshops to improve cooperation and coordination was cut in half, from $2 million to $1 million. Only the $7.5 million request to help curb terrorism financing abroad was left intact.

In short, Congressional Appropriators came up short. The House, which made cuts earlier this year, prevailed over the Senate version that approved the Administration�s full request. The only change the conferees made was to add $1 million to the House�s original $122.5 million for ATA. Some cuts were expected, especially due to the additional budget pressures following the Katrina disaster and overall cuts were expected and made in the traditionally embattled overall foreign aid appropriations bill. But it was hoped that the conferees would restore at least some of the House cuts, especially in view of the expanding nature of the fundamentalist terrorist attacks in such widespread countries as Egypt, Indonesia, Morocco and Turkey.

Among other things, President Bush has repeatedly hit the theme that it is better to fight terrorists overseas before they can strike U.S, home soil again. He may be referring to Iraq, but it is clear that the Al Qaeda movement (bolstered by the emotions aroused by the Iraq conflict) has inspired sympathizers to conduct attacks in a wide range of countries.

Too often, puffery too often is put ahead of substance. The House Appropriations Committee�s press release on the Foreign Ops Conference contained a subhead line called �Supporting the Global War on Terror.� The first bullet claimed �the bill provides significant increases in security assistance to our allies.�

It then cited the long-standing and high profile big ticket items such as foreign military financing for Israel and Egypt, and aid to Afghanistan and Pakistan (remember Bin Laden and the Taliban.) But the release did not mention the cuts in counterterrorism training programs for small countries where Islamic fundamentalist terrorists have demonstrated an ability to mobilize and stage attacks.

The counterterrorism programs are not just for the benefit of foreigners. They help protect Americans and property. The host countries have the primary responsibility for protecting foreign citizens living or traveling in their boundaries. Their cooperation is essential to protecting U.S. embassies and other facilities overseas. The ATA program provides friendly governments with a broad range of valuable courses, ranging from airport security to bomb detection, hostage negotiation and to handling threats from weapons of mass destruction threats.

Yet when it comes to matching the strong White House and Congressional antiterrorism rhetoric with the relatively few dollars to fully fund the unglamorous but important programs to do something practical, both Congress and OMB which invariably cuts the State Department requests before they are forwarded to Capital Hill, repeatedly fall short.
Whenever there is a major terrorist attack affecting Americans, there is a hue and cry in Congress and a scramble to �do something,� such as hold hearing, introduce resolutions and legislation and maybe�although usually temporarily�to throw some money at the perceived program.

The ATA and its related programs are a chance to do something �in advance. And ATA-trained personnel have helped thwart or mitigate attacks in Jordan and Latin America elsewhere. The demand for and interest in the programs on the part of security specialists overseas has been growing steadily over the years, especially since 9/11.

It is a tragedy waiting to happen that the OMB and Congressional budgeters can always find another few million dollars here and there for various pet projects, but cannot fully fund programs that can save lives and property overseas and perhaps help catch some terrorists before they reach the United States.

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