The committee identified several key Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) 2.0 elements and examples of new engagement opportunities. These examples are not intended to be comprehensive or prescriptive, but are meant to stimulate thinking about how CTR 2.0 can be implemented.
Global Security Engagement CTR 2.0’s objective is to enhance global as well as U.S. national security, recognizing that reducing threats to other nations has direct benefits to U.S. security. Global security engagement assumes that new partners participate not only because they confront or represent some level of threat, but also because they are security partners. This partnership will be reflected in longer-term efforts to build relationships and capacity.
The committee recognizes that not all new partners will be fully engaged at the outset or will even be fully cooperative. Similarly, partner attitudes may shift over time for political or other reasons, as has been the case with Russia. The challenges being addressed, however, may be so compelling that the engagement should proceed, even if partner cooperation is not as complete as might be desired.
Clear Strategic Plan To advance substantially from what currently exists, CTR 2.0 must have a clear strategic plan and strong senior leadership. These are core requirements.
Cooperative Network A set of programs and projects will be implemented by the United States in cooperation with a network of countries, international organizations, and nongovernmental partners. The goal is to prevent, reduce,
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3
The Form and Function of Cooperative
Threat Reduction 2.0: Engaging Partners
to Enhance Global Security
The committee identified several key Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR)
2.0 elements and examples of new engagement opportunities. These examples
are not intended to be comprehensive or prescriptive, but are meant to stimu -
late thinking about how CTR 2.0 can be implemented.
kEY ELEMENTS OF CTR 2.0
Global Security Engagement CTR 2.0’s objective is to enhance global as well
as U.S. national security, recognizing that reducing threats to other nations has
direct benefits to U.S. security. Global security engagement assumes that new
partners participate not only because they confront or represent some level
of threat, but also because they are security partners. This partnership will be
reflected in longer-term efforts to build relationships and capacity.
The committee recognizes that not all new partners will be fully engaged
at the outset or will even be fully cooperative. Similarly, partner attitudes may
shift over time for political or other reasons, as has been the case with Rus -
sia. The challenges being addressed, however, may be so compelling that the
engagement should proceed, even if partner cooperation is not as complete as
might be desired.
Clear Strategic Plan To advance substantially from what currently exists,
CTR 2.0 must have a clear strategic plan and strong senior leadership. These
are core requirements.
Cooperative Network A set of programs and projects will be implemented
by the United States in cooperation with a network of countries, international
organizations, and nongovernmental partners. The goal is to prevent, reduce,
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0 GLOBAL SECURITY ENGAGEMENT
mitigate, or eliminate common contemporary threats to security and prepare
for future threats. The United States has such a wide range of assets that can
be applied to CTR 2.0 that effective implementation will require strong, high-
leel, central leadership.
Partnership as the Basic Mechanism for Cooperation Partnership in CTR
2.0 will mean that the countries participating must be ready to discuss and
potentially support a rational division of responsibility for
• Project leadership, including project definition and planning
• Management, including project organization, implementation, and
oversight
• Resources, including personnel, technical capability, financial, and in-
kind contributions
A Creative, Flexible Approach to the Form and Substance of New Engage -
ments A creative and flexible approach will be needed both to developing the
form and to developing the substance of engagements, as well as to the metrics
used to measure these.
• Form CTR 2.0 will be capable of both long-term programmatic
engagements and rapid response. Although both are possible under CTR 1.0,
the committee believes that there should be more flexibility in programs across
the U.S. government. Piggybacking or comingling funds, allocation of funding
across U.S. government programs, the flexibility of funds, new approaches to
contracting, and other issues are dealt with in more detail in Chapter 4.
• Substance CTR 2.0 will look broadly at how it can support both
traditional cooperative threat reduction missions focused on weapons of mass
destruction (WMD) as well as new threats such as countering WMD terrorism
and similar challenges. In this context, building capacity may be an important
component, both in global commitment to security and in the ability to detect
and respond to events.
Various programs under CTR 1.0 supported important arms control treaty
implementation commitments. CTR 2.0 will continue to support these activi -
ties, but will also look specifically at ways to support new and expanded
multilateral and international security instruments, such as the Group of Eight
Global Partnership (G8 GP), the Proliferation Security Initiative, the United
Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540, and the Global Initiative
to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT). The use of CTR 2.0 could help engage
other countries as more active and effective participants in this new generation
of security efforts.
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FORM AND FUNCTION OF CTR .0
Coordinating CTR 2.0
CTR 2.0 requires a much higher degree of coordination than currently
exists in the United States, or between the United States and other partners.
Coordination is also one of the key points that Congress asked to have con -
sidered in this report. The importance of coordination was also noted by the
United Nations when it passed UNSCR 18101:
Resolution 1810 (2008) encourages the 1540 Committee to work more closely, in its
outreach activities, with global and regional intergovernmental organizations, and ar-
rangements within and outside the United Nations system to foster the sharing of
experience, create forums for discussion and develop innovative mechanisms to achieve
the implementation of the resolution.2
The committee heard a consistent and strong emphasis from many U.S.
and international experts on the need for a cohesive strategic approach as
the Department of Defense (DOD) and other U.S. government (USG) CTR
programs become global. One senior official of a G8 GP country commented
that the United States tends to “move out when it sees opportunities and go
it alone on a lot of issues. It [the United States] can do a lot, but it cannot do
everything. We need to work out how to do things in a complementary way,
before we begin approaching new countries.”3
As CTR 2.0 programs are implemented, they will need to take into account
the myriad of other programs, organizations, and conditions in new high-prior-
ity engagement areas. Regional development banks, and assistance programs
from countries and organizations that were not part of the calculus in the for-
mer Soviet Union (FSU) may become new partners. Other competing national
and regional priorities, such as basic health, water, and food needs may limit
how much can be done and in what time frame. Each new effort must begin
with a clear strategy that assigns specific roles to U.S. government departments
and programs and identifies the appropriate resources and capabilities for the
task. This will be even more important as programs are implemented in the face
of a deepening global economic crisis in which security may take a backseat to
providing a population with the basic necessities of life.
Policy makers also must have reliable data on existing programs to develop
an effective strategy. In 1991, the authorizing legislation for the cooperative
1 UNSCR 1810, adopted April 25, 2008, extends the 1540 Committee mandate for three more
years and calls on the 1540 Committee to intensify its efforts to promote the full implementa -
tion of UNSCR 1540. Available as of March 2009 at http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/
cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/Terrorism%20SRES1810.pdf.
2 U.N. Security Council 6015th Meeting. November 12, 2008. New york, S/PV.6015. 4 pp.
Available as of March 2009 at: http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-
4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/Terrorism%20SPV%206015.pdf.
3 Mary Alice Hayward. 2008. Discussion at Committee Meeting #1. May 21.
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GLOBAL SECURITY ENGAGEMENT
threat reduction and humanitarian assistance programs, the FREEDOM Sup -
port Act (Public Law 102-511), established a “Coordinator of U.S. Assistance
to the Former Soviet Union.” This provided a central point in the Department
of State that coordinated and monitored humanitarian and security assistance
budgets and program implementation across all agencies. The database that
once existed in that office is no longer maintained regularly, making it very
difficult to see where there are program overlaps or gaps, or where programs
could be integrated. The G8 GP has tried to maintain a database and several
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) attempt to track budgets for CTR
programs, but these do not compensate for the lack of a comprehensive U.S.
government tracking system.
Other countries, international organizations, NGOs, the academic com -
munity, and industry will also have insights into issues that can materially affect
the success of future security engagement efforts and can provide important
program data. If marshaled effectively, these diverse resources can increase the
probability of program success and sustainability. A high degree of leadership
and coordination within the U.S. government, and from the U.S. government
with partners inside and outside the United States, will be required. The com -
mittee has not seen evidence that a model currently exists for this level of
cooperative and collaborative interaction.
Finding 3-1: The lack of a government-wide tracking program for USG CTR
programs that cross agency budgets impedes the U.S. government’s ability to
develop a strategic approach to CTR 2.0.
NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR ESTABLISHED PARTNERS
Changing political dynamics may also have a profound impact on where
and how CTR 2.0 programs are conducted. The tensions that have developed
between the United States and Russia since the August 2008 Russian conflict
with Georgia are an example. Russia remains a major recipient of USG CTR
support and is the primary beneficiary of programs under the G8 GP. In
addition to being a beneficiary, Russia could integrate that experience into
approaches for global security engagements in new regions. Long-term ties
between Russia (and in some cases the FSU) and countries such as the Demo -
cratic People’s Republic of korea and Iran may make Russian participation
indispensable if engagement opportunities open in those countries. Similarly,
Russia’s educational ties with countries in the former Soviet sphere of influence
may provide unique links that could be important in future security engage -
ment efforts.
The Russians should be able to bring important insights to CTR 2.0 that
can help inform and shape future approaches. Temporary political perturba -
tions should not be allowed to disrupt or curtail efforts to complete, continue,
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FORM AND FUNCTION OF CTR .0
and initiate threat reduction programs in Russia or to seek Russia’s participation
in pursuing threat reduction in other countries. Successful CTR projects in Rus-
sia, such as the Russian Methodological and Training Center at Obninsk 4 and
the Animal Breeding Facility at the Pushchino Research Center, might serve as
models for global efforts.5
THE ROLE OF LEADERSHIP
In August 2007, President George W. Bush signed into law a bill imple-
menting the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.6 The law provides
for the creation of a special White House office headed by the United States
Coordinator for the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation
and Terrorism, indicating Congress’s recognition of a need for greater leader-
ship and integration of efforts across the U.S. government. The committee
also recognizes that some form of strong central leadership will be essential to
the successful implementation of CTR 2.0. We applaud a recent effort that we
believe epitomizes the spirit of CTR 2.0. This interagency effort, “United States
Bioengagement Strategy,” led by the National Security Council−Homeland
Security Council (NSC-HSC) and begun in 2008, is a possible model for USG
CTR’s evolution. It is different because it encompasses security and nonsecurity
agencies and programs to explore how they all can contribute to a common
strategy. Beginning with this foundation in biological engagement, the NSC-
HSC team could reach out even more broadly to traditional and nontraditional
partners, possibly focusing on one country as a pilot project. Once the system
has been established and the mechanisms have been defined, other working
groups could develop similar models, working with different challenges in dif -
ferent countries and regions, to create the network we call CTR 2.0.
Another possible approach is proposed by the Project on National Security
Reform (PNSR),7 which recommends fundamental reforms in the organization
of the U.S. national security system similar to what the Goldwater-Nichols Act 8
did for the U.S. military in the 1980s. The project’s proposals are based on case
studies that “assess a series of events and developments that would shed light on
4 A brochure describing the activities at the Russian Methodological and Training Center is avail-
able as of March 2009 at http://www.nti.org/db/nisprofs/russia/fulltext/rmtc/rmtc1.htm.
5 A brochure describing the activities of the center is available as of March 2009 at www.fp7-bio.
ru/konferencii/v-international-symposium/pushchino-scientific-centre/at_download/file.
6 Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, P.L. 110-53.
7 Project on National Security Reform. 2008. Available as of March 2009 at http://www.pnsr.
org/web/page/682/sectionid/579/pagelevel/2/interior.asp.
8 U.S. Code: Title 10,111. Executive Department, Title 10 - Armed Forces/Subtitle A - General
Military Law/Part I - Organization and General Military Powers/Chapter 2 - Department of De -
fense. Available as of March 2009 at http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/search/display.html?term
s=goldwater&url=/uscode/html/uscode10/usc_sec_10_00000111----000-notes.html.
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4 GLOBAL SECURITY ENGAGEMENT
the past performance of the United States Government in mitigating, preparing
for, responding to, and recovering from national security challenges.” 9 Some of
the questions that guided the case studies in that report reflect the fundamental
issues identified by the committee in its study of CTR programs: Were U.S.
government efforts integrated and guided by an overarching strategy or were
they ad hoc; and how well did the agencies and departments work together?
The PNSR released its findings and recommendations to the White House and
to congressional leaders in November 2008, and Volume 1 of its case studies
in September 2008. The PNSR report contains sweeping themes and recom -
mendations. The committee identified those that are fully compatible with the
CTR 2.0 concept. These include the following:
• Adopting new approaches emphasizing integrated effort, collaboration,
agility, and a focus on national missions and outcomes. This point includes
several recommendations including one that would prescribe in statute the
national security roles of each department and agency, especially those that have
previously been viewed as part of the national security system. This would solve
a problem that is addressed later in this report.
• Establishing clear White House authority for national security strategy
coordination across the government and providing the resources to carry out
this function.
• Creating interagency teams to manage national security issues.
• Revising the budget process to better link resources to national security
goals.
• Improving the ability to develop and share information across national
security agencies.
• Building a partnership between the executive and legislative branches.
A similar approach with White House leadership and interagency collabo -
ration was proposed in the 2007 report on the future of the Biological Threat
Reduction Program of the Department of Defense.10 Whatever approach is
ultimately adopted, its goal should be to eliminate the overlap and duplication
that exists in CTR 1.0. The committee was told by an officer in one of the Uni -
fied Combatant Commands about a set of visits during 2008 to a Central Asian
country by two different programs; one providing border security assistance
and the other providing counternarcotics trafficking assistance. Both programs
9 Richard Weitz, ed. 2008. Project on National Security Reform: Case Studies Volume . Available
as of March 2009 at http://www.pnsr.org/data/files/pnsr%20case%20studies%20vol.%201.pdf.
10 National Research Council. The Biological Threat Reduction Program of the Department of
Defense: From Foreign Assistance to Sustainable Partnerships. Washington, D.C.: The National
Academies Press. 54 pp. Available at http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12005 as of
March 2009.
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FORM AND FUNCTION OF CTR .0
were dealing with the same agencies in the partner government, but unfortu -
nately neither knew about the other’s efforts.
Even with strong leadership from the White House, no new effort will
succeed without the active and committed support of cabinet secretaries and
other senior officials from all relevant agencies. It is difficult, however, to sustain
senior-level engagement over the longer term. One possible solution would be
to have regular White House-led reviews, perhaps on a biannual schedule, to
drive higher-level attention and coordination.
Finding 3-2: Responding to the new global security challenges requires a new
model of interagency leadership. CTR 2.0 will function most effectively with
strong leadership from the White House, and with the active involvement of
relevant departments and agencies.
Recommendation 3-1: CTR 2.0 should be directed by the White House
through a senior official at the National Security Council and be implemented
by the Departments of Defense, State, Energy, Health and Human Services,
and Agriculture, and other relevant cabinet secretaries.
HAVING THE RIGHT TOOLS
USG CTR currently has a substantial array of programs and resources,
but new engagements may require new tools or old tools used in a new way.
Although CTR 1.0 programs encountered problems implementing programs
in the FSU because of difficult economic times or social and political stress,
these may be minor compared to the challenges of engaging countries like
Afghanistan or Pakistan. For example, where Russia and other countries of
the FSU had well-educated populations and adapted quickly to the technology
used in many USG CTR projects, it may be a challenge to find user-friendly and
environmentally appropriate approaches for countries that are less developed.
Officers from the U.S. Pacific Command pointed out that in their region the
level of technical ability varies from country to country and can also vary sig -
nificantly within countries. In these environments, program success will depend
not only on the tools selected, but also on how well principles of sustainability
are integrated from the outset of program development and implementation.
In some cases, sustainability can hinge on something as basic as equipment
maintenance. The original DOD CTR legislation had a “Buy American” provi -
sion, which in some cases worked against program sustainability and long-term
security impact, especially where the partner country had no local source for
regular equipment maintenance and repair of U.S.-origin technology. Proj-
ects that incorporate local equipment and technology may have had a greater
degree of success. This became the approach that the Department of Energy
(DOE) used successfully in its Russian nuclear material protection, control, and
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GLOBAL SECURITY ENGAGEMENT
Partnership Continuum (Biology)
Allies Jordan
Georgia
Disease Surveillance
ch
ar
se
Re
int
Jo
Assistance Security of Facilities and Collections
Partnership
PH Capacity Building
Iran
North Korea
Estranged
FIGURE 3.1 Partnership Continuum (Biology)
SOURCE: David R. Franz.
accounting program. Not only have local technologies been used, the program
Figure 3-1
has resulted in several spin-off companies that provide security equipment and
(new)
design security installations. R-1446
Figure 3.1 illustrates one way to analyze potential engagements, using biol-
vector, editable
ogy as an example. Countries on the north-south axis range from allies on the
top that are on good terms with the United States and perceive threat in simi -
lar ways to estranged countries on the bottom that have difficult or no formal
relations with the United States and disagree with the United States on threat
perceptions. The east-west axis runs from the countries that require assistance
to carry out programs to the countries with their own resources. Based on this
analysis, the upper right quadrant offers the richest opportunities for engage -
ment, but at least some level of activity can be projected for all quadrants. If
the figure is used to map a biosecurity strategy, it shows that disease surveillance
activities can be pursued with almost any country, whereas more sensitive areas
like the security of biological facilities and pathogen collections and engaging
in joint research are reserved to a more select group of partners.
Finding 3-3: CTR 2.0 will have to tailor approaches for each new engagement
and associated threat, and use creative forms of collaboration, particularly in
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FORM AND FUNCTION OF CTR .0
environments where the partners are reluctant, the political climate is adverse,
or local conditions can only support limited levels of technology.
Engagement Strategies
CTR 2.0 programs must be guided by a clear strategy that includes shared
responsibility with partner countries for program development, planning,
resources, and implementation. This approach should produce a high level of
trust and transparency, and promote sustainability. This may sound straight -
forward, but it will require a leap of faith on the part of U.S. program imple-
menters, who may be more used to “checkbook diplomacy” than true partner-
ship—a “we pay, you do as we say” attitude. Although some CTR 1.0 programs
are moving away from this model, the transition to a new, more collaborative
model needs to occur quickly.
Nontraditional partners may be able to play important reinforcing or even
primary roles. Flexible NGOs or even other countries may be needed to take
a lead role in certain circumstances. For example, an NGO partner may have
long-term goals for a country or region and be able to maintain a low to moder-
ate level of engagement for an extended period. Partnering may offer CTR 2.0
new opportunities for both sustaining program progress as well as monitoring
ongoing implementation once responsibility is assumed by the partner country
or countries for sustaining the activity.
Just because a country may be hesitant to engage in the first instance with a U.S. gov-
ernment program is not necessarily a signal that it will always oppose such engage-
ment; it may just need to be engaged initially in a more creative and limited way.
The challenges to launching a new security engagement may be significant.
The committee is aware, for example, of the situation in one country named by
several experts as a logical candidate for CTR 2.0 engagement where officials
have communicated informally that they are not prepared to discuss USG CTR
activities in the nuclear area. However, a USG CTR biosecurity engagement
program has established a successful program based on a modest science coop -
eration program started by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Just because a country may be hesitant to engage in the first instance with a
government program is not necessarily a signal that it will always oppose such
engagement; it may just need to be engaged initially in a more creative and
limited way. The innovative use of a variety of partners could facilitate these
early engagement approaches. The “soft engagement” strategy of working in
tandem with nongovernment partners will be an important element in future
program development.
The broader group of CTR 2.0 partners can help establish initial contacts
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GLOBAL SECURITY ENGAGEMENT
and relationships in environments where government or international programs,
such as support for UNSCR 1540, are desirable but not welcome or feasible in
the near term. These facilitators can be the wedge in some circumstances that
will pave the way for government programs to follow at a future time, or, in
some cases, may have to play a long-term role. This type of soft engagement
could involve many different activities, such as training programs, opportunities
to participate in professional meetings with individuals or organizations that
could be relevant to future efforts, or developing Internet-based networks as a
way of initiating dialogue on topics of interest, to name a few. CTR 2.0, there -
fore, will involve national and international coordination, possible government
and nongovernment components, and activity in new regions, with all these
elements influencing the shape and content of new engagement strategies.
Finding 3-4: Strategies that employ soft engagement, sometimes facilitated by
NGOs, academe, or other nontraditional diplomatic efforts, may be necessary
to support or initiate CTR 2.0 engagements.
Recommendation 3-1a: Domestically, CTR 2.0 should include a broad group of
participants, including government, academe, industry, nongovernment orga -
nizations and individuals, and an expanded set of tools, developed and shared
across the U.S. government.
Transparency will be a natural result of CTR 2.0, but the United States
must be prepared to accept two-way transparency. One CTR 1.0 program has
always had this element because of the way it was initially designed. The Science
and Technology Centers (STC) program to redirect the former Soviet WMD
scientists and engineers always had an international headquarters staff drawn
from all countries, including the host countries, Russia and Ukraine. Although
the agreements establishing the STCs require transparency in terms of access
to the facilities where projects are funded and program audits, it is really the
direct staff involvement that has had a lasting impact. The STC staffs participate
in all levels of program implementation, providing significant transparency into
operations and management. Because annual project and institutional audits are
the norm, all staff members have learned to appreciate the value of oversight
and accountability. As CTR 2.0 programs are developed, ways to design trans -
parency into program plans and implementation need to be a priority.
Finding 3-5: Transparency will be a hallmark of CTR 2.0 and will further
strengthen commitments to threat reduction beyond any applicable legal obli -
gations in a treaty, contract, or other legal instrument.
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FORM AND FUNCTION OF CTR .0
New Approaches to Security
The United States and other nations that share a common view of threats
have demonstrated that working together to develop innovative approaches
can reduce threats. Several efforts have emerged that operate in parallel with
traditional arms control treaties. The Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) 11
operates globally and grew out of the December 2002 U.S. National Strategy
to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction. PSI aims to interdict shipments of
WMD, their delivery systems, or materials. The GICNT12 developed from a
joint statement on July 15, 2006, by Presidents George W. Bush and Vladimir
V. Putin. It is designed to “expand and accelerate the development of partner-
ship capabilities to prevent, detect, and respond to the global threat of nuclear
terrorism.”13 As of July 2008, 75 countries had signed on to the GICNT prin-
ciples,14 including some that were named to the committee as possible CTR 2.0
engagement partners.
Another opportunity for CTR 2.0 to support a new international security
instrument is the potential for supporting the implementation of UNSCR 1540
and subsequent related resolutions.15 UNSCR 1540 requires states “to refrain
from providing any form of support to non-State actors that attempt to develop,
acquire, manufacture, possess, transport, transfer or use nuclear, chemical or
biological weapons and their means of delivery.”16 The binding obligations of
the resolution include a requirement that states “adopt and enforce appropriate
effective laws which prohibit any non-State actor to manufacture, acquire, pos -
sess, develop, transport, transfer or use nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons
and their means of delivery,” and a requirement that states “take and enforce
effective measures to establish domestic controls to prevent the proliferation
of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery.” It also
encourages international cooperation and has a mechanism that allows states
to request assistance. The types of assistance under UNSCR 1540 include areas
that would be appropriate for CTR 2.0 activities:17
11 Department of State. Proliferation Security Initiative. Available as of March 2009 at http://
www.state.gov/t/isn/c10390.htm.
12 State Department. 2006. Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism: U.S. Russia Joint
Statement. St. Petersburg. July 15. Available as of March 2009 at http://www.state.gov/t/isn/
c18406.htm.
13 Ibid.
14 See the current list at State Department. 2008. Global Initiatve Current Partner Nations. Avail-
able as of March 2009 at http://2001-2009.state.gov/t/isn/105955.htm.
15 See United Nations Security Council. Resolutions. 2004. Available as of March 2009 at http://
www.un.org/Docs/sc/unsc_resolutions04.html for the text of the resolution. See also UNSCR
1673 (2006) and UNSCR 1810 (2006), available as of March 2009 at http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/
unsc_resolutions06.htm. See also UNSCR 1810 (2008) available as of March 2009 at http://www.
un.org/Docs/sc/unsc_resolutions08.htm.
16 Ibid.
17 Ibid.
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GLOBAL SECURITY ENGAGEMENT
priators to ensure that the agency receiving funds has the flexibility to create
appropriate accounts to accept other agency funds.
The preferred approach leads to a larger issue of how much funding should
be allocated, and to which budgets, to support critical security engagement
work. At present, each agency develops its own budget, which goes through a
stove-piped process to OMB, where budgets are adjusted to meet a maximum
presidential budget figure for any given fiscal year. Gordon Adams, a former
senior official at OMB, describes this as “the diaspora of foreign assistance pro-
grams.”18 In addition, the 2009 DOD Quadrennial Roles and Missions Review
“supports institutionalizing whole-of-government approaches to addressing
national security challenges,” including the budgets of national security pro -
grams.19 In the current system, there is no referee at the White House level
looking across the many agencies and programs that could contribute to CTR
2.0 to determine if adequate resources are going to the programs best able to
accomplish the priority tasks that have been defined in the White House-led
strategic planning exercise.
Recommendation 3-3a: Program planning should be developed out of a stra -
tegic process and be matched by a strategic budget process that produces a
multiyear budget plan and distributes funding across agencies based on agency
ability to respond to program requirements. As needed, agency legislative
authorities should be revised to include a national security dimension.
Funding with International Partners
The congressional request for this study expressed a particular interest in
how USG CTR programs can work more effectively with international partners
and how, through those partnerships, the United States can encourage more
partner funding. In reviewing this question, the committee determined that the
current lack of comingling authority needs to be addressed.
The Miscellaneous Receipts Act requires that money received by the U.S.
government be deposited into the General Fund of the U.S. Treasury. The act
was passed to ensure that, as a general matter, government agencies do not
bypass the appropriations authority of Congress by augmenting their budgets
18 Gordon Adams. 2008. Smart Power: Rebalancing the Foreign Policy/National Security Tool -
kit. Testimony before the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal
Workforce, and the District of Columbia of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs. Hearing on a Reliance on Smart Power–Reforming the Foreign Assistance
Bureaucracy. July 31.
19 Department of Defense. 2009. Quadrennial Roles and Missions Reiew Report. Washington,
D.C.: Department of Defense. 31 pp. Available as of March 2009 at http://www.defenselink.mil/
news/Jan2009/QRMFinalReport_v26Jan.pdf.
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FORM AND FUNCTION OF CTR .0
via other means. The Carter-Joseph Report urged Congress to exempt DOD
CTR from the Miscellaneous Receipts Act20 by authorizing DOD CTR to
accept funds from foreign countries and to comingle those with appropriate
DOD CTR funds. This would enable countries, for example, to contribute
to DOD CTR in fulfillment of their G8 GP commitments without having to
negotiate their own separate umbrella agreements. Such comingling authority
exists broadly in other countries, such as the United kingdom and Canada, and
has been provided by Congress for some specific DOE programs, including
Second Line of Defense21 and Global Threat Reduction Initiative. This issue
was raised with several G8 GP partner countries, who argued that this ability
was critical for securing the contributions of small donors who otherwise would
not apply their funds to CTR-type programs. The committee believes that if
Congress provides all agencies operating under CTR 2.0 with such comingling
authority for CTR purposes, it will increase the potential for countries to share
in program costs. Having this authority would also help address the issue of
differing authorities, budgets, and time lines of international partners. The case
frequently arises where a country’s desire to contribute to a project does not
mesh with its legal and budgetary structures. Comingling authority adds the
additional flexibility that may make participation possible in such cases.
Recommendation 3-3b: Congress should provide comingling authority to all
agencies implementing programs under CTR 2.0 as a way to encourage other
partners to contribute funds to global security engagement efforts.
Legal Frameworks
U.S. government programs have adopted a variety of legal frameworks
under which CTR 1.0 has been implemented. The committee believes that
implementation of the DOD CTR program is hindered by the relative lack of
flexibility in its legal frameworks and authorities. These include the following:
• umbrella agreement issues relating to liability, taxes, and access
• geographic limitations and burdensome contracting procedures that
could be eased by the provision of “notwithstanding authority”
• the lack of “comingling authority”
20 Miscellaneous Receipts Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3302(b)(2006). Available as of March 2009 at http://
frwebgate3.acces.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/TEXTgate.cgi?WAISdocID=01862318241+0+1+0&WAISactio
n=retrieve.
21 National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). 2008. NNSA’s Second Line of Defense
Program. Department of Energy. Available as of March 2009 at http://nnsa.energy.gov/news/992.
htm.
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0 GLOBAL SECURITY ENGAGEMENT
Finding 3-9: Many of the legal and policy underpinnings of the current DOD
CTR program that were established for accountability and protection of U.S.
implementing agencies are cumbersome, dated, and limiting, and often dimin -
ish the value and hinder the success of program assistance and partnerships.
The DOD CTR Umbrella Agreement:
Issues Relating to Liability, Access, and Taxation
The DOD CTR bilateral umbrella agreement is well established as the
mechanism under which programs are implemented. Its provisions have changed
little over time, and recent experiences, including multiyear negotiations to
extend the Russian umbrella agreement and to establish an umbrella agreement
with kazakhstan, signal that it may be time to consider other approaches.
On June 19, 2006, the United States and Russia signed a protocol to extend
for another 7-year period the U.S.-Russian Cooperative Threat Reduction
Umbrella Agreement, which entered into force in 1992, and was first extended
in 1999. As a result of protracted negotiations over the agreement’s liability
protections, the 2006 Extension Protocol was signed less than a week before the
agreement was due to expire.22 Press reports portrayed the DOD CTR program
as nearly derailed by the dispute.23 The DOD CTR agreement’s access and taxa-
tion exemption provisions have also been the subject of contention. Disputes
over liability, access, or taxation could again threaten the umbrella agreement’s
extension when the 2006 protocol expires in 2013.
Liability and access issues in particular could also hinder progress in the
interim. The 2006 DOD CTR extension protocol kept the original umbrella
agreement liability protections in place for existing projects, but left protection
language for future projects subject to negotiation.24
The access provisions of the DOD CTR umbrella and related agreements
provide the U.S. government the right to examine the use of materials or ser-
vices provided by it as part of the assistance process. However, a February 2007
report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) warned of continuing
restrictions on U.S. access to facilities that store, manufacture, or dismantle
22 Peter Baker. 2006. U.S., Russia Break Impasse on Plan to keep Arms from Rogue Users.
Washington Post. June 20. A11 pp.
23 Peter Eisler. 2006. U.S., Russia reach deal on securing Soviet WMD; Post-Cold War program
nearly derailed by dispute. USA Today. June 16. See also, Michael Crowley. 2007. The Stuff Sam
Nunn’s Nightmares Are Made Of. New York Times. February 25. The two sides signed an agree-
ment to move ahead with plutonium disposition in 2000, but the deal could not be implemented
until a liability protocol was signed some 5 years later. See U.S., Russian Officials Sign Liability
Protocol for Plutonium Disposition. Inside the Pentagon. September 21, 2006.
24 Eisler.
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FORM AND FUNCTION OF CTR .0
Russian nuclear weapons.25 The GAO report noted that “access difficulties at
some Russian nuclear warhead sites may . . . prohibit DOE and DOD from
ensuring that U.S.-funded security upgrades are being properly sustained.” 26
For example, “Russia has denied DOE access at some sites after the comple -
tion of security upgrades, making it difficult for the department to ensure that
funds intended for sustainability of U.S.-funded upgrades are being properly
spent.”27 Specifically, neither DOE nor DOD had “reached an agreement with
the Russian [Ministry of Defense] on access procedures for sustainability visits
to 44 permanent warhead storage sites where the agencies are installing secu -
rity upgrades.”28 Absent such agreement, DOE and DOD “will be unable to
determine if U.S.-funded security upgrades are being properly sustained and
may not be able to spend funds allotted for these efforts.”29 Such limitations
could impede compliance with U.S. laws requiring verification of the proper
use of U.S. government funds.
Perhaps the best-known standoff over access involves the DOD-funded
Fissile Material Storage Facility at Mayak.30 The United States and Russia from
the outset of the project agreed in principle that the United States would have
the right to some form of monitoring of this site, to ensure that it is being used
for its intended purpose. However, 5 years after the site was commissioned and
10 years after transparency negotiations began, a transparency agreement has
not been concluded.
The umbrella agreement issues have been the subject of tensions not only
between the United States and Russia but also between U.S. departments
and agencies. As the State and Energy departments began to join the Defense
Department in funding and implementing CTR-type projects, the former Soviet
states and especially Russia learned to play U.S. agencies off each other—seek -
ing weaker legal protections from one U.S. department and then arguing the
new provisions served as a precedent for other U.S. departments.
Arguably, if it takes 2 or more years to put an umbrella agreement in place before
any work begins, the nature and urgency of the threat being addressed has to be
questioned.
25 GAO. 2007. Progress Made in Improing Security at Russian Nuclear Sites, but the Long-term
Sustainability of U.S.-Funded Security Upgrades is Uncertain. Available as of March 2009 at http://
www.gao.gov/new.items/d07404.pdf.
26 Ibid., p. 22.
27 Ibid., p. 26.
28 Ibid., p. 29.
29 Ibid.
30 Matthew Bunn. 2007. Securing Nuclear Warheads and Materials: Mayak Fissile Materials
Storage Facility. Nuclear Threat Initiative. Available as of March 2009 at http://www.nti.org/
e_research/cnwm/securing/mayak.asp.
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GLOBAL SECURITY ENGAGEMENT
As we look forward to broadening engagements, it is time to look carefully
at what mechanisms are required and how they should be applied. If CTR 2.0
programs are to form a meaningful response to situations that pose a threat to
U.S. national security, implementation mechanisms will have to be put in place
in a timely manner. Arguably, if it takes 2 or more years to put an umbrella
agreement in place before any work begins, the nature and urgency of the threat
being addressed has to be questioned. As a result of the 2008 G8 Summit, the
G8 GP has accepted the principle of expanding beyond the former Soviet
Union.31 The G8 GP already has a set of guidelines for new programs, and the
committee was informed that an effort may be under way to develop a model
G8 GP project agreement. If basic model project agreement terms could be
articulated, this might help accelerate the process of putting new agreements in
place. Other rapid contracting mechanisms also should be explored.
DOD would benefit from undertaking a systematic study of its umbrella
agreement and other contracting mechanisms. It needs to identify where the
DOD CTR program is currently prohibited by law from starting work and
which specific contracting procedures may be responsible for the DOD CTR
program’s inability to move with requisite speed and efficiency. It is better that
these obstacles be identified now, and if appropriate, removed quickly, rather
than be identified at a time when the provisions stand in the way of accomplish-
ing a high-priority national security goal. This will provide needed CTR 2.0
program flexibility and allow programs to respond to important opportunities
that may be lost while waiver authority is sought.
Recommendation 3-3c: To maximize the effectiveness of CTR 2.0, the DOD
CTR legal frameworks and authorities should be reassessed. DOD should
undertake a systematic study of the CTR Umbrella Agreement protection
provisions, what purposes they serve in particular circumstances, whether
there might be less intrusive means of accomplishing the provisions’ goals,
and when the provisions are necessary in their present form. In addition, all
USG CTR programs should identify legal and policy tools that can promote
the sustainability of U.S.-funded CTR work and provide greater implementa -
tion flexibility.
Geographic Limitations, Contracting Procedures, and
“Notwithstanding Authority”
As a practical matter, the State Department’s Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund
largely operates in the absence of government-to-government liability, taxation, and
access protection provisions. It relies instead on mechanisms such as contracts with
its foreign counterparts, and asserts that its diminished protections have not led to
problems.
31 See Appendix G.
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FORM AND FUNCTION OF CTR .0
This committee agrees with individuals at DOD and elsewhere who have
suggested that the traditional DOD CTR Umbrella Agreement may not be
necessary for some countries to which DOD might expand. Depending on the
anticipated scope of work, this is undoubtedly correct as a matter of law. As
a practical matter, the State Department’s Nonproliferation and Disarmament
Fund (NDF) program largely operates in the absence of government-to-govern-
ment liability, taxation, and access protection provisions. It relies instead on
mechanisms such as contracts with its foreign counterparts, and asserts that its
diminished protections have not led to problems. NDF and its flexible structure
will be an important element of CTR 2.0.
Because of the difficulty of negotiating and extending traditional DOD
CTR Umbrella Agreements and NDF’s success in operating in their absence,
a study that looks at the two models could contribute significantly to enabling
DOD CTR to operate more nimbly. DOD (and other U.S. government agen-
cies) could also study other existing arrangements between the United States
and potential partner countries, such as science and technology, health, or other
agreements, to assess whether these might provide an adequate framework,
particularly for any initial engagement work.
While the NDF receives its funding from Congress for expenditure “not -
withstanding any other provision of law,” DOD CTR has no such notwith-
standing authority. As a result, DOD CTR is subject to geographic limitations,
contracting procedures, and other restrictions that do not apply to NDF.
Geographic Limitations
Beginning with the Fiscal year 2004 Defense Authorization Act, Congress
began authorizing the President to use a portion of DOD CTR funds outside
the former Soviet Union in emergency situations. The George W. Bush admin -
istration exercised this authority for the first time in mid-2004, when it provided
assistance to Albania for the elimination of chemical weapons. In 2007, Con -
gress expanded the authority to spend DOD CTR funds outside the FSU by
eliminating the restriction that this occurs only in emergency situations. How -
ever, the program is still subject to the Glenn Amendment32 and other similar
sanctions, which could be an obstacle to work in countries subject to those
sanctions.33 The Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008 provided the Presi -
dent with Glenn Amendment waiver authority with respect to CTR-type work
32 The “Glenn Amendment,” or the Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act of 1994, imposes sanc -
tions under several conditions, including on nonnuclear states that detonate nuclear explosions.
See also the Glenn-Symington Amendments to the Foreign Assistance Act in 1977 and the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Act of 1978.
33 For many years, Congress conditioned funding for the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program
on the president making an annual certification that each recipient nation was “committed to”
certain goals. However, in 2007, Congress eliminated the certification requirements.
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4 GLOBAL SECURITY ENGAGEMENT
in the Democratic People’s Republic of korea (DPRk). The Glenn Amendment
was lifted with respect to India and Pakistan shortly after September 11, 2001.
Sources with whom committee members spoke disagreed as to whether DOD
CTR work in Iran or any other country is currently barred by a federal law or
laws that cannot be waived by the president. However, existing waiver authori -
ties do not take into account the potential for future sanctions that may not be
subject to waiver. For example, the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism can be
revised, and any country added to that list would be subject to sanctions. In
such cases, it may not be possible to engage under any program other than the
NDF. Given NDF’s relatively small annual appropriation, it is possible that the
bulk of its funds might be used by a single program (such as denuclearization
in the DPRk), leaving no backup program with similar flexibility to take on a
new activity. There also can be specific prohibitions contained in appropriations
language, as is the case for DOD and the DPRk.
Contracting Procedures
Unlike NDF, DOD CTR is subject to the Federal Acquisition Regula -
tions and other federal contracting procedures and restrictions. Several sources
opined to the committee that these requirements were a major reason why DOD
CTR is sometimes unable to match NDF’s speed and lower cost estimates.
“Notwithstanding” Authority
The geographic limitation and contracting issues can be addressed through
limited provision of notwithstanding authority. Senator Lugar has proposed
that the DOD CTR program be given authority to act “notwithstanding”
any sanction or other provision of law, to ensure that the program would
have the ability to respond rapidly to new nonproliferation opportunities. The
Carter-Joseph Report also recommended that Congress provide DOD CTR
with notwithstanding authority comparable to that enjoyed by NDF or, failing
that, provision for specific waivers in high-priority cases.34 Although several
congressional staff members with whom committee members spoke expressed
opposition to providing DOD CTR with blanket notwithstanding authority, the
committee believes that limited notwithstanding authority is needed to provide
the U.S. government with adequate flexibility. Specific exceptions, such as the
34 Ashton B. Carter, Robert G. Joseph, et al. 2008. Reiew Panel on Future Directions for De-
fense Threat Reduction Agency Missions and Capabilities to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction .
Cambridge: Harvard University. Available as of March 2009 at http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/
publication/18307/review_panel_on_future_directions_for_defense_threat_reduction_agency_
missions_and_capabilities_to_combat_weapons_of_mass_destruction.html?breadcrumb=%2F.
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FORM AND FUNCTION OF CTR .0
congressional waiver authority provided to the Glenn Amendment for CTR-
type work (including by DOE) in the DPRk, are not sufficient and do not take
into account the limitations of possible future sanctions.
Recommendation 3-3d: Congress should grant DOD limited “notwithstand-
ing” authority for the CTR program—perhaps a maximum of 10 percent of the
overall annual appropriation and subject to congressional notification—to give
the program the additional flexibility it will need in future engagements.
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Finding 3-1: The lack of a government-wide tracking program for USG CTR
programs that cross agency budgets impedes the U.S. government’s ability to
develop a strategic approach to CTR 2.0.
Finding 3-2: Responding to the new global security challenges requires a new
model of interagency leadership. CTR 2.0 will function most effectively with
strong leadership from the White House, and with the active involvement of
relevant departments and agencies.
Recommendation 3-1: CTR 2.0 should be directed by the White House
through a senior official at the National Security Council and be implemented
by the Departments of Defense, State, Energy, Health and Human Services,
and Agriculture, and other relevant cabinet secretaries.
Finding 3-3: CTR 2.0 will have to tailor approaches for each new engagement
and associated threat, and use creative forms of collaboration, particularly in
environments where the partners are reluctant, the political climate is adverse,
or local conditions can only support limited levels of technology.
Finding 3-4: Strategies that employ soft engagement sometimes facilitated by
NGOs, academe, or other nontraditional diplomatic efforts, may be necessary
to support or initiate CTR 2.0 engagements.
Recommendation 3-1a: Domestically, CTR 2.0 should include a broad group
of participants, including government, academe, industry, nongovernmental
organizations and individuals, and an expanded set of tools, developed and
shared across the U.S. government.
Finding 3-5: Transparency will be a hallmark of CTR 2.0 and will further
strengthen commitments to threat reduction beyond any applicable legal obli -
gations in a treaty, contract, or other legal instrument.
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GLOBAL SECURITY ENGAGEMENT
Finding 3-6: In addition to supporting traditional arms control and nonpro -
liferation agreements, CTR 2.0 can be used to advance other multilateral
(Proliferation Security Initiative, Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terror-
ism) and various international security instruments such as UNSCR 1540 and
related resolutions.
Finding 3-7: The holistic approach of CTR 2.0, including engagement with
international partners, can be useful in post-conflict environments.
Recommendation 3-1b: Internationally, CTR 2.0 should include multilateral
partnerships that address both country and region-specific security challenges,
as well as provide support to the implementation of international treaties
and other security instruments aimed at reducing threat, such as the G8
Global Partnership, the Proliferation Security Initiative, UNSCR 1540, and
the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism.
Finding 3-8: The benefits of personal engagement survive beyond the formal
implementation of programs and projects.
Recommendation 3-2: The executive branch and Congress need to recognize
that personal relationships and professional networks that are developed
through USG CTR programs contribute directly to our national security and
that new metrics should be developed to reflect this.
Recommendation 3-3: The legislative framework, funding mechanisms, and
program leveraging opportunities should be structured to support more effec -
tive threat reduction initiatives across DOD, other U.S. government depart -
ments and agencies, international partners, and NGOs.
Recommendation 3-3a: Program planning should be developed out of a stra -
tegic process and be matched by a strategic budget process that produces a
multiyear budget plan and distributes funding across agencies based on agency
ability to respond to program requirements. As needed, agency legislative
authorities should be revised to include a national security dimension.
Recommendation 3-3b: Congress should provide comingling authority to all
agencies implementing programs under CTR 2.0 as a way to encourage other
partners to contribute funds to global security engagement efforts.
Finding 3-9: Many of the legal and policy underpinnings of the current DOD
CTR program that were established for accountability and protection of U.S.
implementing agencies are cumbersome, dated, and limiting, and often dimin -
ish the value and hinder the success of program assistance and partnerships.
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FORM AND FUNCTION OF CTR .0
Recommendation 3-3c: To maximize the effectiveness of CTR 2.0, the DOD
CTR legal frameworks and authorities should be reassessed. DOD should
undertake a systematic study of the CTR Umbrella Agreement protection
provisions, what purposes they serve in particular circumstances, whether
there might be less intrusive means of accomplishing the provisions’ goals,
and when the provisions are necessary in their present form. In addition, all
USG CTR programs should identify legal and policy tools that can promote
the sustainability of U.S.-funded CTR work and provide greater implementa -
tion flexibility.
Recommendation 3-3d: Congress should grant DOD limited “notwithstand-
ing” authority for the CTR program―perhaps a maximum of 10 percent of the
overall annual appropriation and subject to congressional notification—to give
the program the additional flexibility it will need in future engagements.
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