Pentagon Can Now Fund Foreign Militaries

Defense Secretary Pushed for New Powers to Better Deal With Emergencies

By Bradley Graham

Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, January 29, 2006; Page A10

Congress has granted unusual authority for the Pentagon to spend as much as $200 million of its own budget to aid foreign militaries, a break with the traditional practice of channeling foreign military assistance through the State Department.

The move, included in a little-noticed provision of the 2006 National Defense Authorization Act passed last month, marks a legislative victory for Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who pushed hard for the new powers to deal with emergency situations.