International Security Assistance Act of 1977

International Security Assistance Act - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act to authorize the appropriation of not more than $5,000,000 for the disaster relief contingency fund for fiscal year 1978. Authorizes the appropriation of $39,000,000 for international narcotics control for fiscal year 1978.

Authorizes a loan of $300,000,000 to Portugal for the purpose of balance of payments support.

Amends such Act to authorize the appropriation of $228,900,000 for fiscal year 1978 for military assistance, including specific amounts for Greece, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Jordan, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand.

Permits the President to increase such amounts by not more than ten percent. Sets forth restrictions on such appropriations.

Authorizes an additional $270,000,000 worth of ammunition, howitzers, mortars and recoilless rifles to be designated as War Reserve Stocks, Allies, for fiscal year 1978.

Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to restrict the utilization of military personnel in the overseas management of foreign assistance and sales programs. Restricts the use of defense attaches for such functions. Permits regular armed forces units to be used to standardize military operations between the United States and NATO countries.

States that military management teams may be maintained in fiscal year 1978 in the following countries: (1) Brazil, (2) Greece, (3) Indonesia, (4) Iran, (5) Jordan, (6) Kuwait, (8) Korea, (9) Morocco, (10) Panama, (11) the Philippines, (12) Portugal, (13) Saudi Arabia, (14) Spain, (15) Thailand, and (16) Turkey. Restricts to 865 the number of military personnel which may be assigned to the management of international security assistance programs. Maintains the authority of the President for the assignment of up to six members of the armed forces to a Chief of a Diplomatic Mission for accounting and limited security assistance and advisory services.

Permits attaches to perform overseas management functions with respect to security assistance programs only if the President determines that such performance is the most economic and efficient means of performing such functions. Limits the number of attaches assigned to perform security assistance functions to the number authorized on December 31, 1976.

Exempts personnel performing functions on a fully reimbursable basis under the Arms Export Control Act from prohibitions on the use of military personnel in the management of foreign assistance and sales programs.

Authorizes the appropriation of $1,890,000,000 for security supporting assistance for fiscal year 1978, specifying amounts for Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Cyprus, and Lebanon.

Makes available out of amounts authorized to be appropriated for security supporting assistance, $80,000,000 for the countries of southern Africa to address the problems caused by the economic dislocation resulting from the conflict in that region, and for education and job training assistance for Africans from Namibia and Zimbabwe.

States the sense of Congress that the U.S. should support an internationally recognized constitutional settlement of the conflict in Rhodesia, leading promptly to majority rule.

Authorizes the appropriation of $1,000,000 for a study of the development needs of southern Africa.

Directs the Secretary of State to convene a Special Interagency Task Force to review and prepare a study on the security supporting assistance program for Egypt.

Authorizes the appropriation of $31,000,000 in fiscal year 1978 for military education and training in foreign countries.

Prohibits, subject to Presidential waiver, military assistance and training Foreign Military Sales credits and sales, and deliveries of military equipment financed by the U.S. Government to Argentina.

Prohibits recipients of U.S. economic or military assistance from delivering nuclear reprocessing equipment, material or technology to another country, or receiving such material from another country, unless it will be placed under multilateral auspices and management when available subject to International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.

Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to require that reports on the use of funds from the Middle East Requirements Fund include the reasons why the President has determined it is in the national interest to use such funds rather than other available funds.

Amends such Act to prohibit the use of funds made available under such Act for the construction, operation, or supply of fuel for any nuclear powerplant.

Repeals the prohibition in the Arms Export Control Act relating to the recently changed 12-mile fishing limit.

Amends the Arms Export Control Act to repeal the requirement that the President notify Congress 30 days prior to approving transfer of defense articles. Delays the effectiveness of such approval for 30 days, during which Congress may disapprove such consent, unless the President certifies the existence of an emergency requiring immediate transfer. Exempts (1) transfer of maintenance or repair defense services or articles, (2) temporary transfer of defense articles for maintenance or repair, and (3) cooperative cross servicing arrangements among NATO members, from restrictions on the transfer defense articles.

Directs the President to terminate all sales, credits, and guaranties under this Act to any government which grants sanctuary to terrorist groups.

Authorizes a foreign military sales credit and guarantee program of $2,102,350,000 for fiscal year 1978.

Amends the Arms Export Control Act to exempt the issuance of licenses for the export of major defense equipment to Australia, Japan, or New Zealand from the $25,000,000 limitation on the value of arms exports to non-NATO countries. Exempts the authorizations of appropriations and limitations of authority from arms exports for fiscal year 1977 from provisions of this Act, when enacted.

Authorizes the appropriation of such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 1978 to carry out defense cooperation agreements between Greece and Turkey. Prohibits obligation or expenditure of such funds until such agreement is approved by legislation.

Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to increase to $175,000,000 the limitation on military sales assistance to Turkey.

Directs the President to study United States policies and practices with respect to the national security and military implications of international technology transfers. Specifies factors to be examined by such study. Requires the President to submit to Congress the findings of such study and recommendations for legislation.

Prohibits assistance of any kind during fiscal year 1978 which would promote military operations in Zaire, unless the President determines that such assistance would be in the national security interests of the United States and submits to Congress the reasons for such determination and a description of such assistance.

Reaffirms that the U.S. policy of restraint in arms transfers shall not impair Israel's deterrent strength or undermine the military balance in the Middle East.

Directs the President to review all regulations relating to arms control, to categorize lethal and non-lethal products, and to establish the appropriate level of control for each category.

Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should take action to assure that the Republic of Korea cooperates fully with the investigations being conducted by Congressional committees.

Allows the conversion of piasters to dollars for certain Vietnamese employees of the Agency for International Development.