United States Agency for International Development

The United States Agency for International Development (or USAID) is the U.S. government organization responsible for most non-military foreign aid. An independent federal agency, it receives overall foreign policy guidance from the US Secretary of State and seeks to "extend a helping hand to those people overseas struggling to make a better life, recover from a disaster or striving to live in a free and democratic country..." ^*

It advances US foreign policy objectives by supporting:

economic growth, agriculture and trade in
health
democracy, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance

USAID provides assistance in four regions of the world:

USAID is also organized around 4 main pillars:

Global Development Alliance
Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade
Global Health
Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance

Origins of USAID

USAID's origins date back to the Marshall Plan reconstruction of Europe after World War II and the Truman Administration's Point Four Program. In September 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed the Foreign Assistance Act into law and by executive order established USAID by consolidating U.S. non-military foreign aid programs into a single agency.

USAID in the context of U.S. foreign aid

At the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the world's governments adopted a program for action under the auspices of the United Nations–Agenda 21, which included an Official Development Assistance (ODA) aid target of 0.7% of gross national product (GNP) for rich nations, roughly 22 members of the OECD, known as the Development Assistance Committee (DAC).

US levels for foreign aid fall short of this goal (the US currently ranks last among the world's wealthiest countries at about 0.1 percent of GNP.) However, in absolute amounts, the United States is currently the world's top donor of economic aid, providing $16.254 billion in 2003 according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

In 2001, the United States gave $10.9 billion, Japan $9.7 billion, Germany $4.9 billion, the United Kingdom $4.7 billion, and France $4.3 billion. As a percentage of GNP, however, the top donors were Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Sweden. The Netherlands (pop. 16.3 million) gave $3.2 billion in 2001 — almost a third of what America contributed.

The 2003 budget of President Bush proposed $11.4 billion in foreign aid with an additional $4.3 billion for peacekeeping operations and to finance, train, and educate foreign armed forces. By fiscal year 2006, the President's budget requested $9.1 billion for development and humanitarian assistance administered by USAID; the Agency will uniquely program and manage approximately $5.0 billion and manage an additional $4.1 billion in coordination with the Department of State.

The fiscal year 2006 USAID budget request totals $4.22 billion in the following accounts: Child Survival and Health: $1.252 billion, Development Assistance: $1.103 billion, International Disaster and Famine Assistance: $655.5 million, Transition Initiatives: $325 million, P.L. 480 Food for Peace: $885 million. In addition, USAID will manage the following programs with the Department of State: Support for East European Democracies: $382 million, FREEDOM Support Act: $482 million, and Economic Support Funds: $3.036 billion.

USAID states that "U.S. foreign assistance has always had the twofold purpose of furthering America's foreign policy interests in expanding democracy and free markets while improving the lives of the citizens of the developing world." However, some critics say that the US government gives aid to reward political and military partners than to advance genuine social or humanitarian causes abroad.

USAID and the CIA

The question of USAID’s relation to the Central Intelligence Agency is a controversial one.

Most claim that there was in the past, but no longer is, a relationship between the CIA and USAID. Others disagree.

Some assert that the CIA has used USAID to provide support for its programs. For example, Louis Wolf, co-publisher of CovertAction Quarterly, who worked in Laos from 1964 to 1967, asserts that some of the CIA personnel working in Operation Phoenix in Vietnam were working under USAID cover. John Paul Vann is another critic who linked the two.

In a lecture given in 2000 at the University of the Philippines-Manila, Roland G. Simbulan described the importance of the CIA’s operations in the Philippines, and noted: “During my interview in 1996 with Ralph McGehee, a former CIA agent, and other former CIA operatives assigned to the Manila station, I was told that the CIA had many unheralded successes in the Philippines such as the manipulation of the trade union movement through the Asian-American Free Labor Institute (AAFLI) and through funds which were channeled through the USAID, Asia Foundation and National Endowment for Democracy.” ^*

Eva Gollinger, for example, writes that USAID "functions as an instrument of CIA penetration into civil society" and maintains that the USAID was being used by the CIA as recently as the 2002 attempt to bring down the government of Hugo Chávez in Venezuela. ^*

Iraq

Main article: Reconstruction of Iraq

Syndicated columnist John McCaslin wrote:

So who rebuilds Fallujah now that the U.S. military is mopping up its operations and securing the Iraqi city? We do, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Prior to the recent fighting, USAID workers were already in Fallujah working with the district government, moderate sheiks and tribal leaders on 17 projects totaling $2.3 million. (Hopefully, all were spared during the fighting.) Now, as soon as security is in place, USAID in Washington says it will re-enter Fallujah and begin neighborhood cleanups, clinic rehabilitation and municipal building repairs, all the time providing short-term employment to residents who will be returning to the city. Upwards of 250,000 residents fled Fallujah, and USAID has been providing many of them food and relief supplies, such as tents, blankets, mattresses, plastic sheeting, jerrycans, buckets, and hygiene and health kits. ^*

Rebuilding Iraq - C-SPAN 4 Part Series In June 2003, C-SPAN followed USAID Admin. Andrew Natsios as he toured Iraq. The special program C-SPAN produced aired over four nights. ^*

USAID itself is transparent on the information distributed to the public about its operations in Iraq. Detailed weekly reports, contracts and special reports are a part of the agency's web site on Iraq. ^*

However, USAID contributions are a very small portion in comparison to the $1.014 billion dollars the United States has used in 2004 to fund reconstruction projects in Al Anbar Province. The most significant sources of funding for development in Iraq are CERP, CERP-DFI, IRRF, IIG, and lastly, USAID. Civil Affairs units find that USAID funds are difficult to use due to the requirements for using the funding source legitimately.

Haiti

Recent USAID FOIA documents also show that USAID "democratization" programs were clearly meant to undermine and destabilize the elected government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. This destabilization campaign is said to have taken place between 2001 and 2004. FOIAs also show that USAID continues to support opposition pro-coup political parties in Haiti. See http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2006/4/13/15539/1082

External links

USAID website
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
The US and Foreign Aid Assistance, article by Anup Shah

Independent Agencies of the United States Government | International development agencies

United States Agency for International Development | აშშ-ის საერთაშორისო განვითარების სააგენტო | United States Agency for International Aid