US security sector assistance (SSA) is frequently positioned as helping to promote democracy and the rule of law, but too often SSA goes to security forces that undermine these ideals without advancing other US interests. The United States has continued to assist security forces that commit abuses against the people they are supposed to be serving, contradicting its espoused mission to promote human rights and democracy. Congress should proactively oversee SSA and withdraw military-centered assistance when security forces are found to be either committing human-rights violations or posing a serious threat of doing so in the future. SSA should be part of a larger suite of assistance programs that focus on advancing the rule of law, strengthening civilian control of security forces, and building stronger civil societies that can ensure democratic oversight of the security sector.
