Some items of interest from Defense: FY2007 Authorization and Appropriations

From an excellent CRS report by Stephen Daggett, Specialist in National Defense Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division

Page CRS-14:

Flexibility for the Defense Department to provide support to foreign nations: The Defense Department made a number of legislative proposals to expand its flexibility to provide various kinds of support to foreign nations that, in the past, have generally been provided through foreign assistance programs. Several of these proposals expand or make permanent temporary measures that Congress has approved in bills providing funds for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The most expansive DOD proposal is to permit the Secretary of Defense, with the approval of the Secretary of State, to use up to $750 million of defense funds per year to build the capacities of foreign militaries to engage in counter-terrorist operations or to participate in or support stability operations in which the United States is engaged.

[This is like giving your hypertensive child his own supply of Frosty Coated Sugar Bombs and telling him to feed the heroin addict next door.]


Page CRS-23:

Anti-satellite weapons: The committee included a policy provision that prohibits the use of funds to develop laser space technologies for anti-satellite weapons. This provision may be a response to Air Force development of such capabilities at a laser and optics test.

[What is the point in prohibiting the use of funds to develop this technology when the military has already 1) developed it, and 2) most likely used it to knock out foreign satellites?]


Page CRS-27:

Use of armed forces for domestic activities: The committee proposed amendments to the Insurrection Act that would make it easier for the President to employ the armed forces to respond to domestic emergencies, such as the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
facility in New Mexico.

[Or control his very own police state...]