Another view of AFRICOM


(AFRICOM) avoids overreaching on policy matters and during peacekeeping missions, say Africa experts and regional military officials, who give the Bush administration poor marks for explaining its AFRICOM plans.
One key concern of senior South African military officials is that a large U.S. presence could change how peacekeeping missions are conducted on the continent.
“If you look at a situation like Darfur, how would a situation like that be different?” the official asked, and what if AFRICOM officials and Washington insisted that since American forces were closer, they should be sent in to restore order?


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This article brings up good questions and points. thoughts?


DAKAR, Senegal - Just a few years ago, the U.S. military was all but absent from the oil-rich waters of West Africa's Gulf of Guinea.

This year, it plans to be there every day.

Africa's strategic importance is on the rise, as the U.S. acknowledged last month with the creation of a new unified U.S. military command for the continent called Africom. Monday brings the first military mission to Africa since Africom's founding, a U.S. Navy cruiser on a half-year training exercise through the Gulf of Guinea that stops first in Senegal's capital, Dakar.


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Sounds like our military is following the oil trail.

Yes it does! And no where is anyone surprised at that.

Here are some of the programs AFRICOM will be involved in.


AFRICOM: Begun Oct. 1, it is expected to be fully operational within a year. Oversees U.S. military operations in 53 African nations — all the continent except Egypt. Previously, Africa was split among three U.S. commands. Staff of 200 due to grow to around 800. Expected to focus on training African militaries and providing logistic support to peacekeeping missions.


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Well, it's becoming a known fact that military power alone won't secure an area so they might be better off with a different tactic.

Apparently, thius is the only tactic that Bush and the Boyz can come up with--sad, huh?

The thing that really ticks me off is we seem to be protecting other countries oil resources when they won't protect it themselves.

I think we are protecting EXXON's resources more than anything.

What would expect5 a general in the US military to say?


he head of U.S. Africa Command assured congressional leaders yesterday that a new military command structure in Africa is necessary to consolidate the Department of Defense's work on the continent, which had been previously distributed among three different commands.

Gen. William "Kip" Ward said before the House Armed Services Committee that a military command presence would not disrupt ongoing peace processes or lead to militarization in the region


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a military command presence would not disrupt ongoing peace processes or lead to militarization in the region

Right. Where do they did these clowns up from?

Sounds more like wishful thinking. Do not blow smoke up my ass and then tell me there is a fire.

Nigeria says NO!


ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria won’t host the U.S. military’s new Africa-wide military command, taking Africa’s most populous nation and a top source of American oil imports out of contention.

Nigerian leaders have been vocal critics of the new U.S. military command for Africa, which is seeking a home on the world’s poorest continent. The government made its position official Monday as President Umaru Yar’Adua met with state governors and federal lawmakers.

Nigeria is also against the U.S. command basing its headquarters elsewhere in West Africa, where the country of 140 million is a military and diplomatic heavyweight, said Kwara State Governor Bukola Saraki, who announced the government’s position after the meeting.


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Countries in Africa are showing amazing intelligence with this situation.


TUNIS, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. efforts to seek a home for the Africa Command (AFRICOM) have suffered one more blow as the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) stated strong opposition Tuesday to any foreign military establishments on the soil of African countries.

The UMA, founded in 1989 by Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Moroccoand Tunisia, said through its consultative committee that such foreign establishments would not bring any benefit to the UMA or the African Union countries.


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I can't say I'm disappointed that AFRICOM is facing hurdles. My way of thinking on this is, the closer we are to the regional conflicts, the more likely we are to be involved in them.