McNair Paper Number 44, Chapter 2, October 1995

The 94th Congress separated military training from the highly controversial Military Assistance Program (MAP) 19 years ago.(Note 2) With the International Security Assistance Act of 1976, Congress established a new grant assistance program under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, entitled International Military Education and Training (IMET), to help countries unable to purchase U.S. military training under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Act meet their needs.(Note 3) Hearings held by the House International Relations Committee clarified fundamental congressional intent. Congress wished to help allies and friendly countries pursue their interests with an initiative that was practical, economical, and focused on the future. It saw military training as the most effective vehicle within the former grant military assistance program and wanted to sustain it without losing legislative control.(Note 3) Senior Defense officials at the time endorsed the new program as a better way to identify budgetary costs and program objectives, while still providing a means of maintaining military ties and strengthening the military potential of our friends and allies.(Note 4)

The legislative history of IMET has remained remarkably calm for two decades, with only two major adjustments having been made. The original Congressional intent was twofold:

(1) to encourage effective mutually beneficial relations and increased understanding between the United States and foreign countries in furtherance of goals of international peace and security; and

(2) to improve the ability of participating foreign countries to utilize their resources, including defense articles and defense services obtained from the United States, with maximum effectiveness, thereby contributing to greater self-reliance by such countries.

The first amendment to IMET, in 1978, expanded the program's initial purpose to "increase the awareness of nationals of foreign countries participating in such [military education and training] activities of basic issues involving internationally recognized human rights."(Note 6)

In 1991, after confirming aspects of its earlier mandate, Congress modified the scope of the program. This legislative amendment, entitled Expanded IMET (E-IMET), focused on:

• Responsible defense resource management
• Greater respect for and grasp of democracy and civilian rule of law, including the principle of civilian control of the military
• Military justice systems in a democracy
• Better understanding of internationally recognized human rights.

Legislation between 1991 and 1993 also enlarged the candidate population to include civilian personnel from non-defense ministries, officials in the legislative branch who deal with military matters, and personnel from nongovernmental agencies having defense-related interests. To ensure the initiative was taken seriously, Congress established a minimum funding level for this element of the overall IMET program--$1 million in FY 1991. It is the intent of the Senate Appropriations Committee (SAC) to have this amount increased annually by $1 million (e.g., to $5 million in FY 95). The SAC also directed the Defense Security Assistance Agency in September 1993 to "actively and continuously review its traditional IMET program for opportunities to shift funds more rapidly into expanded IMET initiative courses and training."(Note 7)