Senate Democrats call on Pentagon to halt aid to human rights abusers and coup governments
BY BRAD DRESS - 01/26/24 3:10 PM ET
Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) on Friday called for the Biden administration to halt plans for joint military exercises with military units of countries accused of human rights abuses, or democratic nations fallen to coups.
In a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the senators expressed concern the Pentagon is inviting units from countries overtaken by coups or that have participated in internationally condemned human rights abuses, including Sudan and Azerbaijan, to join American troops in military drills.
“We therefore request that [the Department of Defense] not invite foreign security force units to U.S. military exercises from the aforementioned countries, or countries in which the duly elected government has been deposed by coup d’etat,” they wrote.
The senators are concerned the trainings violate the Leahy Law, which prohibits U.S. assistance to foreign military units suspected of human rights abuses.
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4431570-senate-democrats-call-pentagon-halt-aid-human-rights-coups/
