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Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill
Man's pains and pains' relief are from within.
Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !."
-
Tamil Poem in Purananuru, circa 500 B.C 

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Home > Tamils: a Trans State Nation Struggle for Tamil Eelam > Foreign Aid &  Tamil Eelam - Sri Lanka Conflict > US Lends Sri Lanka More for Arms

Foreign Aid & Sri Lanka's Military Expenditure

US Lends Lanka More for Arms

Tamil Guardian, February 1, 2006


The United States has increased its military credits under its Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program: from $496,000 in 2005 to an estimated $1 million in 2006, IPS reported. The credits could be used by Sri Lanka to buy either US weapons or other military equipment.

The US has provided an average of about $500,000 to Sri Lanka every year as military grants under the International Military Education and Training Program (IMET), compared with about $1.4 million annually to neighboring India, IPS also reported.

�Increased FY 2006 FMF funding will be used to help Sri Lanka�s navy meet threats posed by national and regional terrorist groups, and will help to reform and upgrade its military,� US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs, Donald Camp, said last year.

The FMF program provides grants and loans to help countries purchase U.S.-produced weapons, defense equipment, defense services and military training. FMF funding for Sri Lanka reached a high of $2.5 million in 2004, IPS said.

FMF funds are for purchases made through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, which manages government-to-government sales.

The US State Department�s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs sets policy for the FMF program, while the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), within the Defense Department, manages it on a day-to-day basis.

IMET pays for the training or education in the US of foreign military and a limited number of civilian personnel. IMET grants are given to foreign governments, which choose the courses their personnel will attend.

IMET is often considered to be the �traditional� U.S. military training program. Funded though the foreign aid appropriations process, IMET is overseen by the State Department and implemented by the Defense Department.

 

 

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