This memorandum responds to a request from David C. Miller, Jr., Spe­ cial Assistant to the President and Senior Director, National Security Council, for our advice whether the federal government may lease or loan aircraft to foreign countries to assist in international narcotics control under the author­ ity of subsection 506(a)(2) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (the “FAA”), 22 U.S.C. § 2318(a)(2). For the reasons that follow, we con­ clude that aircraft may be leased to foreign countries to assist in international narcotics control under the authority of that provision.1

Discussion Subsection 506(a)(2) of the FAA grants the President authority, inter alia, to draw down “defense articles” and “defense services” from the stocks of the Department of Defense “for the purposes and under the authorities o f ’ sections 481 through 489 of the FAA, 22 U.S.C. §§ 2291-2291h, if he deter­ mines and reports to Congress that the provision of such assistance is “in the national interest.” 22 U.S.C. § 2318(a)(2)(A)(i).2 Sections 481 through 489 of the FAA relate to international narcotics control. In particular, subsection 481(a)(4) of the FAA authorizes the President, “[notwithstanding any other provision of law, . . . to furnish assistance to any country or international organization, on such terms and conditions as he may determ ine , for the control of narcotic and psychotropic drugs and other controlled substances.” 22 U.S.C. § 2291(a)(4) (emphasis added).3 The express grant of authority in 1 B oth the D epartm ent o f S tate and the D efense S ecurity A ssistance A gency co n cu r in this co n clu sio n . 2 S ubsection 5 0 6 (a)(2 ) o f the FAA also g rants the P resident authority to draw dow n “d e fe n se a rtic le s ” and “ d efense serv ice s" from th e stocks o f the D epartm ent o f D efense to p rovide in ternational d is a s te r assistan ce under 22 U .S .C . §§ 2292-2292q, o r to m eet refugee and m igratio n needs u n d e r the M ig ra tio n and R efugee A ssistance A ct o f 1962, as am ended, 22 U.S.C. §§ 2601-2606. 22 U .S.C . § 2318(a)(2)(A )(ii). T h e aggregate value o f the articles and services draw n dow n under the a u tho rity o f su b section 5 0 6 (a )(2 ) is lim ited to $75 m illion p e r fiscal year. 22 U .S .C . § 2318(a)(2)(B ).

119 subsection 506(a)(2) of the FAA to furnish assistance under subsection 481(a)(4) of the FAA is clearly broad enough to encompass leases or loans of defense articles such as aircraft to foreign countries to assist in international narcotics control. Indeed, the term “defense article” is defined in subsection *2 644(d)(1) of the FAA, 22 U.S.C. § 2403(d)(1), as including “any weapon, weap­ ons system, munition, aircraft, vessel, boat or other implement of war.”

Conclusion

We conclude that the federal government may lease or loan Defense De­ partment aircraft to foreign countries to assist in international narcotics control under the authority of subsection 506(a)(2) o f the FAA, 22 U.S.C. § 2318(a)(2).

J. MICHAEL LUTTIG Acting Assistant Attorney General Office o f Legal Counsel 3 B e c a u s e s u b s e c tio n 4 8 1 (a )(4 ) o f th e FA A a u th o r iz e s th e P r e s id e n t to fu r n is h a s s is ta n c e “ [n o tw ith s ta n d in g any o th e r provision o f law ,” we need n o t resolve the q uestion w h e th er the A rm s E x p o rt C o n tro l A ct (th e "A E C A ”) w ou ld o therw ise p ro h ib it the lease o f defense a rtic le s such as a irc ra ft u n d e r th e FA A . S u b se ctio n 61(a) o f th e A EC A sp ecifically auth orizes the P resident to “ lease d efen se a rtic le s in th e sto c k s o f the D epartm ent o f D efense to an elig ib le fo reig n country o r in ternational o rg a ­ n iz a tio n ” if he “d e te rm in e s that there a re com pelling foreig n policy and national security re a so n s” for su ch a ctio n . 22 U .S .C . § 2796(a). U n d e r subsection 61 (c) o f the A E C A , "lease[s] o r loan[s]” o f such a rtic le s m a y be m ad e “o n ly under the a u th o rity o f this su b ch a p te r [22 U .S .C . §§ 2 796-2796d] o r c h a p te r 2 o f p a rt II o f the F o reig n A ssistance A c t o f 1961 [22 U .S .C . § 2311 e t seq .].” 22 U .S .C . § 2 796(c). S u b se c tio n 5 0 6 (a )(2 ) o f th e FAA, 22 U .S .C . § 2 3 18 (a)(2), is co n tain ed in “c h ap ter 2 o f p art II o f the [F A A ],” see Pub. L. N o. 87-195, 75 S tat. 424, 435-38 (1961), and thus su bsectio n 6 1 (c) does not a p p e a r o n its fa c e to p ro h ib it the m aking o f le a se s o r loans u n d e r the a u tho rity o f FAA su b section 506(a)(2). N e v e rth e le s s, w e have b e en advised b y Jerom e H. Silber, G eneral C ou n sel o f the D efense S ecurity A ss is ta n c e A gency, th a t despite the p la in language o f su b section 6 1 (c), there is som e question as to w h e th e r su b se c tio n 61 (c) w as intended to perm it the m aking o f leases u nder the a u thority o f the FA A . M r. S ilb e r a g re es, how ev er, that this issu e need not be reso lv ed here in light o f the e xpress g ra n t o f a u th o rity in su b se c tio n 481(a)(4) of th e FAA to furnish assistan ce "[n ]o tw ith stan d in g any o th e r p ro v i­ sio n o f law .”

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