Topic: International Affairs — Foreign Aid
Subject: International affairs
Date: 2007-05-22 00:00:00

Afghanistan Freedom and Security Support Act of 2007 - Title I: Economic and Democratic Development Assistance for Afghanistan - (Sec. 103) Amends the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act of 2002 to provide for assistance with respect to: (1) continuing humanitarian needs; (2) a pilot program of crop substitution for poppy production; (3) agriculture, health, and infrastructure reconstruction; (4) education and anti-corruption, including implementation of the Afghan action plan on transitional justice; (5) assistance to women and girls; (6) energy development and short-term energy supply; and (7) capacity building. Authorizes additional FY2008-FY2010 appropriations for: (1) contributions to the United Nations Drug Control Program; and (2) the crop substitution program. Directs the President to report to Congress every 180 days through FY2010 respecting implementation of the crop substitution program. Authorizes FY2008-FY2010 appropriations for: (1) the Afghan Ministry of Women's Affairs; (2) the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission; (3) grants to Afghan-led nongovernmental organizations, including Afghan women-led nongovernmental organizations; and (4) short-term energy supply assistance. States that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) should give priority to U.S. organizations for grants to aid in Afghanistan's revitalization. (Sec. 104) Directs the President to provide Congress with an annual certification of whether any senior official of the government of Afghanistan, at the provincial or local levels, is engaged in or benefits from the illicit narcotics trade or is engaged in terrorist or criminal activities. Prohibits, as of FY2009, assistance to a local or provincial government of Afghanistan if the President certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that one or more senior officials from such provincial or local government is engaged in or benefits from the narcotics trade or is engaged in terrorist or criminal activities. (Sec. 105) Directs the President to: (1) establish and implement a system to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of assistance provided under this title on a program-by-program basis to maximize such assistance's long-term impact; (2) establish assistance performance goals; and (3) provide assistance to enhance the government of Afghanistan's capacity to monitor and evaluate programs carried out by Afghan national, provincial, and local governments. Obligates specified funds for such purposes. (Sec. 106) Directs the President to provide assistance to support the auditing and oversight capacities of the Offices of the Inspector General of the Department of State and USAID in Afghanistan. Requires such Offices to maintain a permanent in-country presence in Afghanistan. Provides FY2008-FY2010 funding. (Sec. 107) Directs the President to appoint a Coordinator for U.S. assistance programs for Afghanistan. (Sec. 108) Directs the Secretary of State to establish a FY2008-FY2010 pilot program to provide scholarships to Afghan university students for public policy internships in the United States. (Sec. 109) Authorizes FY2008-FY2010 appropriations for economic and democratic development assistance for Afghanistan. Title II: Assistance for a New Framework for Afghanistan - Subtitle A: Amendments to the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act of 2002 - (Sec. 201) Revises the cap on military drawdown assistance from $550 million aggregate to $300 million per fiscal year. Expresses the sense of Congress that such assistance to eligible foreign countries and international organizations should: (1) promote greater interoperability with and among the military forces of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the United States, and the government of Afghanistan; and (2) be used in part to protect women legislators when they return to their respective provinces. (Sec. 203) Authorizes the President to provide a subsidy of up to 5% of the acquisition cost of U.S. defense items if the purchasing nation will use such items or comparable defense items it already possesses in military operations in Afghanistan for an extended period of time. Authorizes FY2008-FY2010 appropriations. (Sec. 204) Extends the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act of 2002 through FY2010. Subtitle B: Other Matters - (Sec. 211) Directs the U.S. Armed Forces to continue to support counter-narcotics interdiction operations in Afghanistan in coordination with Afghanistan and with support from the United Kingdom and other countries. Directs the President to: (1) enhance civilian counter-narcotics teams; and (2) ensure that assistance to the Afghan National Police includes vetting procedures. Authorizes the participation of foreign counter-narcotics personnel. (Sec. 212) States that is U.S. policy to encourage the governments of Pakistan and friendly Arab countries to increase reconstruction assistance to, and diplomatic support for, Afghanistan. Directs the President to encourage Afghanistan-Pakistan military cooperation. (Sec. 213) Authorizes the President to provide training for foreign military personnel who are to be deployed to Afghanistan, particularly in the areas of special operations, counter-insurgency, border security, counter-terrorism, and counter-narcotics. Authorizes additional FY2008-FY2010 appropriations. (Sec. 214) Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should be commended for and should continue ongoing assistance programs to innocent Afghan civilians who have suffered a serious loss during U.S. military operations. Directs the President to report to the appropriate congressional committees on the feasibility of specified additions to such assistance programs. (Sec. 215) Expresses the sense of Congress that the U.N. Security Council should expand the UN mandate in Afghanistan to: (1) authorize international civilian law enforcement missions as a part of the peace operations in Afghanistan; (2) authorize, with the government of Afghanistan's concurrence, ISAF to participate in counter-drug interdiction operations; (3) centralize authority within the United Nations Special Representative for Afghanistan; and (4) extend ISAF's authorization beyond October 13, 2007. (Sec. 216) Directs the Secretary of Defense to report to the appropriate congressional committees every six months on the sale and use of Iranian-made weapons for the Taliban in Afghanistan. Title III: Miscellaneous Provisions - (Sec. 301) Extends the donor contributions to Afghanistan reporting requirement through December 31, 2010. Revises the committees to which the Secretary of State must report. (Sec. 302) Replaces the existing Afghanistan reporting requirement of the Secretary of State with a comprehensive report by the President every six months through September 30, 2010, on progress and security in Afghanistan. (Sec. 303) Directs the President to formulate a comprehensive interagency strategy for long-term security and stability in Afghanistan which shall include strategies for reconstruction, counter-narcotics, and Afghanistan National Security Forces sustainability. (Sec. 304) Authorizes the President to appoint a special envoy to promote closer Afghanistan-Pakistan cooperation. (Sec. 305) States that it shall be U.S. policy to encourage Pakistan to permit Indian shipments across Pakistan's territory of equipment and material to Afghanistan in support of Indian reconstruction and development projects in Afghanistan. Directs the President to report annually until January 1, 2010, regarding actions taken by Pakistan to permit or impede such transit. (Sec. 306) Authorizes FY2008-FY2010 appropriations for Radio Free Afghanistan. (Sec. 307) Amends the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to authorize under certain circumstances officers or employees of the government of Afghanistan or Pakistan to receive an award under the Department of State rewards program. (Sec. 308) States that nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the ability of the United States to respond to Iranian-supported or facilitated attacks against U.S. Armed Forces or interests in Afghanistan.