Pentagon counternarcotics and counterterrorism operations around the world were abruptly suspended this month when the Defense Department officials overseeing the programs failed to ensure they were funded by congressional authorizations, according to documents obtained by The Washington Examiner. The lapse has caused serious national security and diplomatic problems for the U.S. military, according to Defense Department officials.
The authorizations cover joint counternarcotics operations with foreign governments, as well as federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in the U.S.
The mix-up occurred when the anti-narcotics programs were not included on a list provided to Congress of operations that needed to be funded under a continuing resolution made necessary by the lawmakers’ failure to pass a bill authorizing defense funding in fiscal 2012, according to Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. James Gregory.
“The temporary lapse in these authorities has had significant national security and diplomatic implications for our counternarcotics efforts in Afghanistan, Colombia, Mexico and along the Southwest border,” Gregory said. “We are working with the interagency and our international partners to ensure critical programs are maintained with as little interruption as possible, but these mitigation efforts are temporary and incomplete. Many DoD counternarcotics activities have been reduced in scope, delayed, or suspended altogether.”
An analysis of the mishap, classified as secret, is under review by the Defense Department to determine the national security implications and the costs caused by the unplanned suspensions of the programs. It is expected to cost taxpayers “tens of millions” of dollars to restart the programs, according to a Pentagon official with direct knowledge of the problem.
The office of William F. Wechsler, deputy assistant secretary of defense for counternarcotics and global threats, failed to ensure the reauthorizations for counternarcotics funding and provisions, another U.S. military official told The Examiner.
An internal email from Wechsler, written several weeks ago to counternarcotics offices inside the Defense Department, described a serious problem and ordered operations suspended.
“In light of this uncertainty, Under Secretary [of Defense] Michele Flournoy requested that the DoD General Counsel provide a definitive legal opinion on this issue,” Wechsler’s email said. “While we are still waiting for his response in writing, we understand that he has unfortunately confirmed that we must suspend all activities conducted under 1004, 1021, and 1022 until these authorities are extended through the NDAA [national Defense Authorization Act] or a subsequent CR [Congressional Resolution].”
A call for comment to Wechsler’s office was returned by Pentagon spokesman Gregory.
The situation has left military officials scrambling to find other avenues to obtain congressional funding for their counterdrug operations and programs, which are now halted.
Gregory said defense officials “are closely engaged with Congress to identify a more permanent legislative solution to address this situation.”
“[Wechsler’s] office didn’t shepherd the authorities through Congress ensuring their reauthorizations were in the congressional resolution,” one U.S. military official with knowledge of the situation told The Examiner. “They just assumed that they would be in the CR.”
Under Section 1004, now suspended, the Defense Department was authorized to provide intelligence analysts, linguists, equipment maintenance, transportation of personnel from the U.S. to foreign countries for the purpose of counternarcotics operations, training of law enforcement personnel in the U.S. and abroad, and the detection and monitoring of drug cartels.
Secretary of the Army John McHugh last week authorized using the Latin American Cooperation Fund as a stopgap measure to salvage one program, the U.S. Army’s training of 84 Latin American military students residing in the U.S., according to an email from U.S. Southern Command.
But other programs are in limbo. “This is as serious as it gets,” said military official, whose operations have been suspended. “Whoever made this mistake that is now affecting our national security should lose their job.”
Sara A. Carter is The Washington Examiner’s national security correspondent. She can be reached at [email protected].
