U.S. defense asks for permanent authority on foreign military training

WASHINGTON, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. defense department called the Congress on Tuesday to approve the permanent shifting of the authority over training and equipping foreign militaries from State Department to the Pentagon.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the House Armed Services Committee that the foreign military assistance program is "a vital and enduring military requirement, irrespective of the capacity of other departments, and its authorities and funding mechanisms should reflect that reality."

The head of the State Department, Condoleezza Rice, showed "fully support" to her defense counterpart, saying the Pentagon's programs had proved important for years in providing arms and training on short notice to countries like Lebanon.

However, some lawmakers cast doubts on the proposal as part of the efforts to more effectively handle the emerging security challenges.

"We've greeted them with some concern, though," said the committee chairman, Representative Ike Skelton. "Some of that concern has had to do with what appears to be the migration of State Department activities to the Defense Department."

It has been a traditional mission to the State Department to oversee the foreign military assistance programs with the Pentagon only playing a supplement role.

In view of suddenly emerging terrorist threats after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, the defense department has sought more power in helping ally foreign militaries more quickly.

Congress has authorized the Pentagon to run military training and equip programs through the past three years, but the authority is expiring at the end of this year.