US House committee approves defense bill

The US House Armed Services Committee passed a nearly USD 612 billion defense policy bill early today that challenges President Barack Obama's policies on Guantanamo Bay, Ukraine and Iraq.
The vote was 60 to 2. The measure will be taken up by the full House next month.
Aside from taking breaks to handle other House business and attend the Japanese prime minister's address to a joint meeting of Congress, the committee worked amendment-by- amendment for more than 18 hours. The panel of sleepy-eyed lawmakers adjourned their marathon session at 4:39 a.M.
On Guantanamo, the committee's ranking Democrat, Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, tried but failed to amend the authorization to remove restrictions on transferring detainees out of the military prison for terror suspects in Cuba.

The measure that passed reauthorizes a ban on transferring detainees to the United States or building detention facilities in the United States to hold them.
In an affront to the White House, it also rescinds the president's authority to unilaterally transfer detainees like he did when he exchanged five Taliban detainees for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. And it reverts to a strong transfer policy established under the 2013 defense act, which says transfers may take place only when the defense secretary can certify that a third country will maintain control over a released detainee and prevent him from returning to the fight or threatening the US.

The president has already voice his opposition to the stronger provisions. Even before the committee voted, the White House spokesman complained that instead of removing what it called burdensome restrictions, the House bill would extend them and impose other restrictions.

On Ukraine, the committee approved provisions to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine forces fighting Russian-backed separatists. It authorizes USD 200 million to do more to provide Ukraine with military training and assistance to defend itself from Russian aggression. Despite bipartisan demands in Congress to arm Ukraine's forces to defend itself, Obama has so far refrained to do so.
In another move opposed by Obama as well as by an influential Shiite cleric, the committee approved giving 25 percent of USD 715 million to train and equip the Iraqi army directly to Sunni and Kurdish fighters.

"In the event of approving this bill by the US Congress, we will find ourselves obliged to unfreeze the military wing and start targeting the American interests in Iraq even abroad, which is doable," said the statement on Muqtada al-Sadr's website.