Gates announces plans to establish Africa Command

[Jacaylbaro]

Defense Secretary Robert Gates just announced that the president plans to establish a new combatant command for Africa.

 

Speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Gates said Africa Command would incorporate portions of three other commands so that the Pentagon can better focus on transnational threats.

 

"The president has decided to stand up a new unified combatant command, Africa Command, to oversee security, cooperation, building partnership capability, defense support to nonmilitary missions, and, if directed, military operations on the African continent," Gates said. This command will enable us to have a more effective and integrated approach than the current arrangement of dividing Africa between Central Command and European Command, an outdated arrangement left over from the Cold War."

 

• Read the secretary's testimony here.

 

As Time noted in an August story about the new command: "The Pentagon has five geographic Unified Combatant Commands around the world and responsibility for Africa is awkwardly divided among three of those: European Command, Pacific Command and Central Command — which is also responsible for running the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Creating an African Command would be an important structural move to coordinate U.S. defense policy for the continent, as well as provide a single military organization for agencies like the State Department and the CIA to work with in the region."

 

According to the Christian Science Monitor, "the new command will be more than an exercise in shuffling bureaucratic boxes, experts say. The US government's motives include countering Al Qaeda's known presence in Africa, safeguarding future oil supplies, and competing with China, which has been courting African governments in its own quest for petroleum, they suggest."

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

I hope it is located in Somalia. This would guarantee peace for few more decades.

[Fabregas]

I hope it is located in Somalia too.That way we can gurantee the possible rendition and secret flights of clerics continues..............

[Ms DD]

Oh My God..some people would sell their mothers if the price is right. I hope to God that they dont set up anything in Africa, let alone Somalia. Isnt bad enough that they meddle into our affairs already? Having been to Boosaaso, i met the so-called Puntland Intelligence Service (PIS) (i call them jaajuusta Puntland). They get paid hundred of thousands of dollars just to hand in any cleric oo juuqjuuq sameeyo.

[Jacaylbaro]

And why did you met the PIS if you're not a member of them ???

[Captain Xalane]

Waryaa what kinda question are u asking Gabadha?

[Ms DD]

Member of them? You are kidding right? I abhor and dislike intensly in everything they stand for. One of them is second uncle and he thought he could invite us for dinner with this blood money.

 

Anyhow they are just uneducated bunch of dhooroos. And you know what happens when they acquire power over the poor folks? Yep...they abuse it.

[-Nomadique-]

Al Qaeda is the Bogeyman of the 21st century. Now you see them...Now you don't (pity they evaporate after carpet bombing innocent villagers). But who can blame them though they are everywhere

 

 

Sorry for diverting from topic.

[Jamster]

CIA, MI5 et all are venerated in their rspective countries because they work for the interest of the state. Anaga jaajuusiin iyo cay lee kuwadnaah?

 

Aniga soomaliya markaan kunoqdu SIS aan kubiiraa!.

[Castro]

Originally posted by Naxar Nugaaleed:

I hope it is located in Somalia. This would guarantee peace for few more decades.

Unfortunately, your uncle is only important to you. He's practically nonexistent to the US who will not afford him any protection.

 

This 'base' is a way to ensure uninterrupted supply of African oil which is concentrated mainly in the Gulf of Guinea. Seeing how Iraq is on the brink of disintegration and with the real risk of Middle East volatility continuing to rise, it may be years, if not decades, before it is stable again specially if Iran is attacked.

 

So in order to hedge against supply shortfalls, there cannot be any rough-neck militants disrupting oil production in that region. Specially recently when they've become more and more brazen in kidnappings and bombings.

 

Look for AFRICOM to show up in a coastal (or near coastal) city in a western African country soon.

 

P.S. The article Nomadic Princess linked to above shows what probably is the scouting for a potential spot for the base. Of course, they're calling it a major 'training operation'. LOL.

[Jabhad]

US to have Africa military command

 

The US airforce has recently been in action

in Somalia [Getty Images]

 

The US president has approved plans to create a US military command for Africa, a move that reflects increasing US strategic interests in the continent.

 

George Bush said in a statement on Tuesday that he had asked Robert Gates, his defence secretary, to get the new "Africom" unit up and running by the end of September 2008.

 

The United States would work closely with African allies to choose a location for the new command in Africa, he said.

 

"This new command will strengthen our security cooperation with Africa and create new opportunities to bolster the capabilities of our partners in Africa," Bush said.

 

"Africa Command will enhance our efforts to bring peace and security to the people of Africa and promote our common goals of development, health, education, democracy and economic growth in Africa."

 

'Following the oil'

 

Bush's decision comes as Washington grows increasingly concerned about growing "Islamist militancy" in parts of Africa.

 

The US is also concerned at Chinese attempts to gain greater control over the continent's natural resources.

 

US military in Africa

 

Djibouti - More than 1,500 US troops have been based in Camp Lemonier, in Djibouti, a tiny Horn of Africa nation since 2002. In 2006 the military said it would expand Camp Lemonier from its present 88 acres to more than 600. Djibouti is the centre of US operations in the Horn of Africa.

 

Ethiopia - US troops and diplomats are believed have worked closely with the Ethiopian army which recently helped the Somali government defeat the Islamic Courts Union in early 2007.

 

Egypt - The US supplies the Egyptian army with over $1 billion of military equipment annually. Two US battalions are also stationed in Egypt's Sinai peninsula as a part of a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel.

 

Somaliland - In 2005 a detachment of US troops reportedly landed in Somaliland, a break-away region of Somalia, to search for members of Al-Qaeda.

 

Elsewhere in Africa - US troops have also helped train anti-terrorism forces of Algeria, Chad, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda amongst others.

Hu Jintao, the Chinese president has been on a seven country tour of the continent, during which he has pledged to write off $70 million worth of Sudanese debt.

 

Josh Rushing, Al Jazeera's military analyst, told the Inside Story programme that Africa Command came down to simply "following the oil".

 

Meanwhile on the same programme Salim Lone an international affairs analyst and a former UN spokesman, lamented the planned US military intervention.

 

"Finally an engagement has been made with Africa but a military one," he said.

 

Referring to the growing Chinese presence in the continetn, Lone said: "If the Chinese giving aid [to Africa] is 'colonisation' then what is Africa Command?"

Long-term plans

 

However Gates said that the creation of Africom would allow the US to focus it's resources more closely on Africa.

 

"This command will enable us to have a more effective and integrated approach than the current arrangement of dividing Africa between Central Command and European Command - an outdated arrangement left over from the Cold War," Gates told the US Senate's armed services committee.

 

At present, the US military's deployments to Africa are handled by Central Command, which handles the Middle East and Horn of Africa, European Command which covers northern Africa and Pacific Command which has responsibility for Madagascar and some smaller islands.

 

The commands are unified, meaning they control assets from different armed services.

 

Involvement in Africa

 

The US is already extensively involved in Africa, working closely with several Arab nations in north Africa as well as with other countries further south.

 

The US army began working in west and central Africa in 2002, teaching local armies basic techniques to help them locate and destroy militant groups in the region.

 

"If the Chinese giving aid is 'colonisation' then what is Africa Command?"

 

Salim Lone

US forces also carried out at least two air strikes in Somalia last month, targeting al-Qaeda fighters.

 

Al-Qaeda carried out near simultaneous car bombings at the US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in 1998, killing more than 250 people.

 

The US, the world's biggest energy consumer, also hopes the Gulf of Guinea region in West Africa will provide up to a quarter of its oil imports within a decade.

 

Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, said that Pentagon officials would flesh out plans for the new command at a briefing on Wednesday.

 

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/92686A3A-D5F0-478D-B622-20B1C6120EB8.htm

[Naxar Nugaaleed]

Castro

Unfortunately, your uncle is only important to you. He's practically nonexistent to the US who will not afford him any protection.

walle dadka qaar wexey kaga degtey Abdullahi Yusuf.

No castro, My uncle Abdullahi Yusuf is not the only one or thing important to me. I am sure the Americans will build this base to safeguard their own interest, mainly to counter the rise of chinese influence in Africa but who works interest-free in international. When it comes to interenational relations, we must not only look after our own interest but we must look for common interest. Eat and let eat. Believe, the reason why that tiny desert country called jabuti is the most staple in the horn of africa is because of the troops stationed there. Sadly, that is most likely place the American will base their command.