Nominees Brennan, Hagel Should Face Key Human Rights Questions

Middle East

• The Arab Spring of 2011 and the unrest that has gripped much of region since then has swept aside or called into question many of the old certainties of U.S. policy in the Middle East and North Africa built around alliances and relationships with autocratic and dictatorial regimes.  Past support of discredited dictatorships has contributed to widespread suspicion of U.S. motives and goals among the peoples of the region.  The next Secretary of Defense must make clear that U.S. vital security interests will be best served by building relationships of mutual interest and mutual respect with legitimate, representative, democratic governments and that therefore a sustained, consistent policy of promoting democratic change throughout the region serves the national interest of the United States.  The U.S. government should use its close relations with military establishments in several key countries in the region to promote the peaceful democratic transitions in each of them.
• In Bahrain, the U.S. is faced with a challenge that is often — incorrectly — framed as a choice between stability and human rights.  The presence of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in a country simmering with violence and mass arrests on a daily basis requires U.S. leadership to support calls for reform and respect for human rights in the interest of stability.  The next Secretary of Defense should be asked how the U.S. will pursue human rights and stability in Bahrain and help prevent an escalation of violence into full-fledged chaos.

Asia

• The next Secretary of Defense should be fully engaged in the rebalancing of U.S. assets in the Asia-Pacific theater.  As the U.S. seeks to ease Chinese skepticism that this pivot constitutes a challenge to its influence, there is concern that the United States will try to avoid other confrontational issues, such as human rights.  Rather, the U.S. should be integrating human rights concerns throughout its relations with China, including its relationships through the Department of Defense.  The next secretary should be asked how he will work to advance human rights in China, and work with China to not be an obstacle to human rights strategies, such as in Syria.

Mass Atrocities

• President Obama established the Atrocities Prevention Board last year to dedicate the full resources of the U.S. government to stem mass atrocities.  Intelligence collection and analysis are key to identifying threats of mass atrocities and developing effective responses. The next CIA Director should be asked how he plans to participate in this process, including allocating adequate resources for the new Mass Atrocity National Intelligence Estimate and the Worldwide Threat Assessment.
• The next Secretary of Defense should also be asked about his priority on atrocity prevention.  The Department of Defense, through the Office for Rule of Law and Detainee Policy, is developing a Mass Atrocities Prevention and Response Operation (MAPRO) that focuses on how the military can identify imminent mass atrocities and help prevent them before military intervention is the only option.  The new secretary should commit to establishing and resourcing this important program.
• In addition, the Department of Defense should leverage its position as a consumer to ensure that the U.S. government maintains procurement practices that support atrocity prevention principles, rather than support enablers of mass atrocities.  The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2012 includes a provision that prohibits Department of Defense contracts with Rosoboronexport, the Russian arms agency that is fueling Syria’s regime attacks on civilians while in a $1 billion contract  with the Pentagon.  The new secretary should be asked to adopt a regulation in the Defense Acquisition Regulations System to prohibit activities with state-owned enterprises, commercial entities, and individuals that enable mass atrocities.

Private Contractors

• The next Secretary of Defense should commit to U.S. engagement in the Voluntary Principles and the International Code of Conduct of Private Security Providers on the condition that credible, independent, and transparent accountability mechanisms are installed.