ZodiaK
VIP
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) following the Afghan Taliban takeover of the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan, Albania, Bahrain, Georgia, Germany,
Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Kuwait, North Macedonia, Norway,
Mexico, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sudan, Uganda,
Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and
the Self-Declared Independent Republic of Somaliland
responded to the United States' request for assistance in the
effort to evacuate and support thousands of United States
citizens, lawful permanent residents of the United States,
vulnerable Afghans, and their families; and
(2) the United States values the vital contributions of
these partners and allies to the evacuation effort and is
grateful for their support of this critical humanitarian
mission.
SEC. 1264. FEASIBILITY STUDY ON SECURITY AND DEFENSE
PARTNERSHIP WITH SOMALILAND.
(a) Defined Term.--In this section, the term ``appropriate
congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
(3) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of
Representatives; and
(4) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives.
(b) Feasibility Study.--The Secretary of State, in
consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall conduct a
study regarding the feasibility of the establishment of a
security and defense partnership between the United States
and Somaliland (a semi-autonomous region of the Republic of
Somalia) that--
(1) is separate and distinct from any security and defense
partnership with the Federal Republic of Somalia;
(2) includes coordination with Somaliland government
security organs, including Somaliland's Ministry of Defense
and Armed Forces;
(3) determines opportunities for collaboration in the
pursuit of United States national security interests in the
Horn of Africa, the Gulf of Aden, and the broader Indo-
Pacific region;
(4) identifies opportunities for United States training of
Somaliland security sector actors to improve
professionalization and capacity; and
(5) is separate and distinct from any security and defense
partnership with the Federal Republic of Somalia.
(c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in
coordination with the Secretary of Defense and other relevant
Federal departments and agencies, shall submit a classified
report to the appropriate congressional committees that
contains the results of the study required under subsection
(b), including an assessment of the extent to which--
(1) opportunities exist for the United States to support
the training of Somaliland's security sector actors with a
specific focus on counter-terrorism and maritime security;
(2) Somaliland's security forces have been implicated in
gross violations of human rights during the 3-year period
immediately preceding the date of the enactment of this Act;
(3) the United States has provided, or discussed with
Somaliland government and military officials the provision
of, training to security forces, including--
(A) where such training has been provided;
(B) the extent to which Somaliland security forces have
demonstrated the ability to absorb previous training; and
(C) the ability of Somaliland security forces to maintain
and appropriately utilize such training, as applicable;
(4) a direct United States security and defense partnership
with Somaliland would have a strategic impact, including by
protecting United States and allied maritime interests in the
Bab el-Mandeb Strait and at Somaliland's Berbera Port;
[[Page S8000]]
(5) Somaliland could--
(A) serve as a maritime gateway in East Africa for the
United States and its allies; and
(B) counter Iran's presence in the Gulf of Aden and China's
growing regional military presence; and
(6) a direct United States security and defense partnership
would--
(A) bolster security and defense cooperation and
capabilities between Somaliland and Taiwan;
(B) further stabilize this semi-autonomous region of
Somalia as a democratic counterweight to destabilizing and
anti-democratic forces in Somalia and the wider East Africa
region; and
(C) impact United States capacity to achieve policy
objectives, particularly to degrade and ultimately defeat the
terrorist threat in Somalia posed by al-Shabaab and the
Somalia-based Islamic State affiliate ISIS-Somalia.
(d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section,
including the conduct of the feasibility study under
subsection (b) and the submission of the classified report
under subsection (c), may be construed to convey United
States recognition of Somaliland as an independent state.
(1) following the Afghan Taliban takeover of the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan, Albania, Bahrain, Georgia, Germany,
Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Kuwait, North Macedonia, Norway,
Mexico, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sudan, Uganda,
Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and
the Self-Declared Independent Republic of Somaliland
responded to the United States' request for assistance in the
effort to evacuate and support thousands of United States
citizens, lawful permanent residents of the United States,
vulnerable Afghans, and their families; and
(2) the United States values the vital contributions of
these partners and allies to the evacuation effort and is
grateful for their support of this critical humanitarian
mission.
SEC. 1264. FEASIBILITY STUDY ON SECURITY AND DEFENSE
PARTNERSHIP WITH SOMALILAND.
(a) Defined Term.--In this section, the term ``appropriate
congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
(3) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of
Representatives; and
(4) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives.
(b) Feasibility Study.--The Secretary of State, in
consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall conduct a
study regarding the feasibility of the establishment of a
security and defense partnership between the United States
and Somaliland (a semi-autonomous region of the Republic of
Somalia) that--
(1) is separate and distinct from any security and defense
partnership with the Federal Republic of Somalia;
(2) includes coordination with Somaliland government
security organs, including Somaliland's Ministry of Defense
and Armed Forces;
(3) determines opportunities for collaboration in the
pursuit of United States national security interests in the
Horn of Africa, the Gulf of Aden, and the broader Indo-
Pacific region;
(4) identifies opportunities for United States training of
Somaliland security sector actors to improve
professionalization and capacity; and
(5) is separate and distinct from any security and defense
partnership with the Federal Republic of Somalia.
(c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in
coordination with the Secretary of Defense and other relevant
Federal departments and agencies, shall submit a classified
report to the appropriate congressional committees that
contains the results of the study required under subsection
(b), including an assessment of the extent to which--
(1) opportunities exist for the United States to support
the training of Somaliland's security sector actors with a
specific focus on counter-terrorism and maritime security;
(2) Somaliland's security forces have been implicated in
gross violations of human rights during the 3-year period
immediately preceding the date of the enactment of this Act;
(3) the United States has provided, or discussed with
Somaliland government and military officials the provision
of, training to security forces, including--
(A) where such training has been provided;
(B) the extent to which Somaliland security forces have
demonstrated the ability to absorb previous training; and
(C) the ability of Somaliland security forces to maintain
and appropriately utilize such training, as applicable;
(4) a direct United States security and defense partnership
with Somaliland would have a strategic impact, including by
protecting United States and allied maritime interests in the
Bab el-Mandeb Strait and at Somaliland's Berbera Port;
[[Page S8000]]
(5) Somaliland could--
(A) serve as a maritime gateway in East Africa for the
United States and its allies; and
(B) counter Iran's presence in the Gulf of Aden and China's
growing regional military presence; and
(6) a direct United States security and defense partnership
would--
(A) bolster security and defense cooperation and
capabilities between Somaliland and Taiwan;
(B) further stabilize this semi-autonomous region of
Somalia as a democratic counterweight to destabilizing and
anti-democratic forces in Somalia and the wider East Africa
region; and
(C) impact United States capacity to achieve policy
objectives, particularly to degrade and ultimately defeat the
terrorist threat in Somalia posed by al-Shabaab and the
Somalia-based Islamic State affiliate ISIS-Somalia.
(d) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section,
including the conduct of the feasibility study under
subsection (b) and the submission of the classified report
under subsection (c), may be construed to convey United
States recognition of Somaliland as an independent state.
