HR2446JUN8

The committee report summarizes this bill as reaffirming “the United State’s long-term commitment to support Afghanistan in its transition from 30 years of civil war, violence, and occupation to a stable, prosperous democratic state at peace with its neighbors.”

The Afghanistan Freedom Support Act of 2002 is reauthorized with a renewed focus on counter-narcotics to respond to and increase US oversight and anti-drug strategy towards an increased production of poppies there. The bill also increases funding for military operations . provides for an effective internal security force and requires monitoring and reporting on spending an progress at most every governmental and non-governmental level.

The report notes that the decrease in poppy production in 2004-5 reversed and increased by 59% to 165,000 hectares producing 6,100 metric tons of opium. 448,000 Afghan families cultivated opium poppy in 2005-6 showing a 45% increase over the previous season. The trade involves over 500,000 people from laborers to traffickers, warlords and insurgents.

This bill aims to reverse the trend towards higher production of opium poppy.

Non-military assistance

Included with spending and strategies to reduce poppy growing is support of economic and democratic development as well as increased monitoring and coordination of the assistance. The bill reaffirms US policy to work with the Government of Afghanistan and neighboring countries to assure that sovereignty and territorial integrity and political independence of those countries are not threatened and to support the goal of an independent and neutral Afghanistan. Those goals would be accomplished with continued deployment of US troops to Afghanistan.

A pilot program is ordered to test the effectiveness of substituting poppy crops for others and to provide information on what measures are needed to implement such a replacement and provide assistance. Further. The bill authorizes assistance in apprehending individuals who organize, facilitate and profit from the drug trade and to destroy drug laboratories.

One strategy involves providing seeds and technical assistance for alternative crops that have market demand and paying farmers a premium to make up the difference between what they earn growing poppy and the lesser income from other crops. Financial assistance through credit, savings and other services are increased for farm management and business advisory services, to train medical personnel and to create health clinics and hospitals and to construct rural and urban roads and highways.

Further assistance is made for Afghan women and girls, independent human rights and other humanitarian organizations within the country.

Assistance is provided for energy development and short-term energy supply through local energy sources, new power generation and energy transportation as well as short-term energy resources such as diesel fuel to create electricity. Assistance in general must be monitored by the President. Information to the President would come from the Ambassador level.

The Ambassador, once approved by the Senate will design a non-military assistance strategy and facilitate inter-agency coordination where necessary.

Democracy and Education

Democracy building funding is increased to help build Afghan governmental institutions at the national, provincial and local levels.

The Secretary of State will establish a pilot program to provide scholarships to undergraduate and graduate Afghan students for public policy scholarships in the US. The program will also be available to Afghan expatriates. 20 students per year will participate.

Military assistance

A $300 million drawdown is authorized for the Department of Defense to provide equipment and services from existing materiel inventory and the President is authorized to provide a subsidy up to 5% for the acquisition of US defense item to other countries participating in military operations in Afghanistan. The cap on the subsidies is $10 million.

The Department of Defense is directed to support with troops the counter-narcotics interdiction operations in Afghanistan consistent with ongoing operations. The effort will coordinate with the Afghan government and with support from the United Kingdom and other countries. The military will survey, share information and logistical support and training and equipping the Afghan National Police. An effort will be made to enhance civilian counter-narcotics teams. Military training for foreign troops deployed to Afghanistan is authorized in the areas of special operations, counter-insurgency, border security and counter-terrorism.

Humanitarian assistance for war victims

Continued assistance for families of Afghan civilians or innocent Afghans who have suffered a serious loss during military operations is authorized. The President will report on the feasibility of expanding the program to assess providing assistance to families who have lost a primary source of income and on providing money in excess of $2500 to families of Afghan civilians and to explore other payments.

It is established as US policy to encourage ‘the Governments of Pakistan and other friendly Arab countries to increase reconstruction of assistance and diplomatic support for Afghanistan.’ The President is further directed to encourage the Governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan to engage in military cooperation to promote greater trust and transparency between them including border security as well as counter-narcotics efforts. A report is due in September 2008.

Other Provisions

The President must report by October 2008 and certify thereafter that no Afghan government official is engaged in or benefits from the illicit narcotics trade or is engaged in terrorist or criminal activities. The report must not be classified but may have a classified annex. Aid would stop to provincial or local governments if the certification can not be made.

A report from the President is ordered every six months that will give a detailed report, based on indicators and measures that gives a clear picture to Congress on political, economic and military stability in Afghanistan. The report will included stability and security, training and performance of security forces and political stability and opium and counter-narcotics efforts. The insurgency strengths will be assessed, warlord control, militias and tribal forces will also be described as well as rules of engagement and the number of engagements.

The report must include detailed information on the training and performance of security forces including assessments for capability and readiness, rates of recruitment, retention and absenteeism. The types, size and number and the structure of Afghan security forces and police forces is also required.

To assess Afghanistan’s economic progress an estimated annual budget is also due from the President.

Reconstruction efforts and US spending to support them must be reported and close monitoring of the use of the funds is required. The report is akin to a census report that includes illiteracy rates, medical services and many other indicator of the culture to include freedom of the press. Provincial Reconstruction Teams will operate under mechanisms to track and monitor reconstruction funding and details of the structure of the PRT chain of command and regulations. Pakistan will be encouraged to permit cross border aid shipments to Afghanistan from India. The reports must be updated every 90 days.

All of the report data will be parsed to create a comprehensive, long range security strategy for the country.

Radio Free Afghanistan is reauthorized for 12 hour broadcasts daily.

AMENDMENTS

Amendment activity generally fine tuned elements of the bill such as requiring reports from the president to show any human rights abuses by the Afghan government and effective courts systems, deploying in-country auditors to oversee programs provided under this bill. Reports on interception of Iranian-made weapons entering Afghanistan to be sold to the Taliban. Health care and other providers would be trained and women's rights an issues are address.

Other amendments would seek to empower local level individuals in reconstruction and

preference is to be given to US non-governmental organizations with cost-effective track records to help revitalize the country.

Sponsor: Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA-12^th)

Vote: Passed House 406 to 10 June 6, 2007 RC 438 A motion to recommit with instructions was agreed to 345 to 71 (RC 437)

Cost to the taxpayers: CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 2446 would cost $719 million in 2008, and almost $5.8 billion over the 2008-2012 period, assuming appropriation of the estimated amounts.

Earmark Certification: H.R. 2446 does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in clause 9(d), 9(e), or 9(f) of rule XXI.

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MOTION TO RECOMMIT WOULD INCLUDE IN THE BILL THIS TEXT:

SEC. 3X. UNITED STATES POLICY TOWARD IRAN.

(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:

(1) It is of grave concern that General Peter Pace, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated in late April 2007 that United States and Coalition forces ``have intercepted weapons in Afghanistan headed for the Taliban that were made in Iran''.

(2) Iran's provision of weaponry and technological expertise to terrorist and criminal elements operating in Afghanistan have reportedly included--

(A) 107 mm mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, C-4 explosives, and small arms;

(B) surface-to-air missiles reportedly supplied by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard;

(D) Iranian 240 mm rockets, with a range of up to 30 miles, which have been used recently by Shiite extremists against United States and British targets in Basra and Baghdad.

(3) An increase in both the quantity and quality of Iranian arms shipments and technological expertise to the Taliban, other terrorist organizations, and criminal elements has the potential to significantly change the battlefield in Afghanistan, and lead to a large increase in United States, International Security Assistance Force, Coalition, and Afghan casualties.

(b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act or any amendment made by this Act shall be construed to limit the ability of the United States to respond to Iranian-supported or facilitated attacks against United States Armed Forces or interests in Afghanistan.

The motion to recommit with instructions was agreed to 345 to 71 (RC 437)

MORE INFORMATION

AMENDMENTS

UN INVOLVEMENT

“Section 215 declares the sense of Congress that the United Nations Security Council should expand the United Nations mandate in Afghanistan to: (1) authorize international civilian law enforcement missions in Afghanistan as a part of peace operations of the United Nations in Afghanistan; (2) authorize the International Security Assistance Force to participate in counter-drug interdiction operations, consistent with ongoing operational activities and as opportunities arise, against the top narcotic traffickers, their operations, and their infrastructure in Afghanistan, with the concurrence of the Government of Afghanistan; (3) install effective centralized authority within the United Nations Special Representative for Afghanistan such that the international community's political objectives can be prioritized and communicated directly with the Government of Afghanistan; and (4) extend the authorization of the International Security Assistance Force beyond October 13, 2007. Section 215 does not in any way intend nor empower the United Nations to assume any responsibility for or control over United States' military, economic, political, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, or humanitarian operations in Afghanistan.”

AMENDMENTS

Amendment offered by Rep Tom Lantos.

An amendment numbered 1 printed in House Report 110-174 to make a number of technical, clarifying, and clerical changes to several provisions of H.R. 2446 as reported by the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Passed by voice vote June 6, 2007

Amendment offered by Rep Gary Ackerman. R-NY

An amendment numbered 2 printed in House Report 110-174 to add language to section 302 of the bill to ensure that the Presidential report required by that section includes an assessment of the quality of governance in each province of Afghanistan focusing in particular on the implementation of the rule of law, the impact of any human rights abuses by Afghan government forces on overall counterinsurgency efforts, and the ability of the courts and judicial system to provide an effective justice system.

Passed by voice vote June 6, 2007

Amendment offered by Mr. Mark Souder. R-IN-3rd

An amendment numbered 11 printed in House Report 110-174 to specifies that logistical support activities for counter narcotics missions in Afghanistan include force protection and in extremis support.

Withdrawn

Amendment offered by Rep Jim Costa. D-CA

An amendment numbered 3 printed in House Report 110-174 to enhance the Offices of the Inspector General at the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development by requiring that permanent in-country staff be deployed to audit, investigate and oversee the programs authorized in Title I of the Afghanistan Freedom and Support Act of 2002, and bolsters the authorization of funds for this purpose.

Passed by voice vote June 6, 2007

Amendment offered by Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ-2nd).

An amendment numbered 4 printed in House Report 110-174 to add a congressional finding stating that the U.S. Armed Forces in Afghanistan recently intercepted a shipment of Iranian-made weapons intended for the Taliban in Afghanistan, and establishes a reporting requirement on Iranian-made weapons being sold to or used by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Passed by voice vote June 6, 2007

Amendment offered by Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX).

An amendment numbered 5 printed in House Report 110-174 to state that technical assistance should be provided to train national, provincial, and local governmental personnel for capacity-building purposes as it relates to education, health care, human rights (particularly women's rights), and political participation. This amendment also seeks to ensure girls complete secondary education so they are prepared and have the ability to pursue post-secondary education.

Passed by voice vote June 6, 2007

Amendment offered by Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX).

An amendment numbered 6 printed in House Report 110-174 to bolster women's political participation by protecting women legislators when they return to the provinces they represent. It states that it is the sense of Congress that assistance provided to foreign countries and international organizations under this provision should be used, in part, to protect these female legislators.

Passed by voice vote June 6, 2007

Amendment offered by Rep Mark Kirk R-IL

An amendment numbered 7 printed in House Report 110-174 to allow the Secretary of State, at her discretion, to make payments from the Rewards for Justice Program to officers or employees of the Afghan or Pakistani government who provide information leading to the capture of exceptional and high-profile terrorists committing acts in Afghanistan.

Passed by voice vote June 6, 2007 then passed 419 – 1 June 6, 2007 RC 435

Amendment offered by Mr. Kucinich.

An amendment numbered 8 printed in House Report 110-174 to divert $500,000 in authorization authority for the United States contribution to the Post-Operations Humanitarian Relief Fund of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Failed 159 – 260 June 6, 2007 RC 436

Amendment offered by Rep Lee Terry R-NE-2nd

An amendment numbered 9 printed in House Report 110-174 to state that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) should give priority in awarding grants to non-governmental organizations to aid in the revitalization of Afghanistan to organizations based in the United States that have an established and cost-effective record of developing and administering such programs within Afghanistan, including teaching the people of Afghanistan how to create and sustain quality economic and educational systems.

Passed by voice vote June 6, 2007

Amendment offered by RepVan Hollen.

An amendment numbered 10 printed in House Report 110-174 to promote the empowerment of citizens at the local level in the reconstruction and economic development decision-making process and creates an environment conducive to Afghan small business development.

Passed by voice vote June 6, 2007

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