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US scaling up military presence in Africa | |||
2004-02-28 | |||
The United States is scaling up its military presence in Africa as concern mounts over terrorist threats - both immediate and future - on the continent, the deputy head of American forces in Europe said Friday.
"The threat is not weakening, it is growing," Air Force Gen. Charles Wald said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from Luanda, Angola. "We can't just sit back and let it grow."
The focus on Africa is part of major restructuring as U.S. forces in Europe reposition for the war against terror. The European Command oversees U.S. military activities in Africa excluding the Horn, site of a U.S. counterterrorism effort for northeast Africa and Yemen. Africa is a growing strategic interest to the United States because of its terror links and its oil, which is seen as a possible alternative to Middle East fuel.
European Command is not looking to station large concentrations of troops on the continent, Wald said. But it intends to make its presence felt through joint exercises, training initiatives and other exchanges. U.S. forces have also negotiated access to a number of sites, including air strips in Angola and Gabon, that can be used for stopovers, refueling, or to position troops and equipment. Wald said this will allow U.S. forces to respond with light, mobile troops - whether for peacekeeping, crisis response or a specific terrorist threat. "We're actually going to get more capability with less force because of our ability to move around fast," he said. Key to the effort is supporting the development of regional security groups, improving the capabilities of African police and soldiers, and building relationships with governments and militaries, Wald said. Wald is one of at least three top U.S. commanders to touch down in Africa in the past two weeks, following the U.S. commander in Europe, Marine Gen. James L. Jones. And Wald said he expects to be back about every three months. | |||
Posted by:Dan Darling |
#3 Wald said this will allow U.S. forces to respond with light, mobile troops - whether for peacekeeping, crisis response or a specific terrorist threat. Wonder how those'll do against the PRC in Zim-land? |
Posted by: Pappy 2004-2-28 11:46:41 PM |
#2 Cheese it! It's the GSP! (grammer & spelling police) |
Posted by: PBMcL 2004-2-28 7:00:01 PM |
#1 "chalk full" of them? chock full. |
Posted by: gromky 2004-2-28 3:16:53 PM |