IPFS News Link • Foreign Policy
Militarized Humanitarianism in Africa
• http://original.antiwar.com, by Joeva RockWith the Iraq War over and the war in Afghanistan slowly ending, it is becoming increasingly apparent – from interviews with generals, recommendations from influential think tanks, and private conversations with military personnel – that Africa is the US militarys next frontier.
US Africa Command (AFRICOM), the newest of the US militarys six regional commands, has rapidly expanded its presence on the African continent since its establishment at the end of the Bush administration.
Emphasizing a "3D" approach of "defense, diplomacy, and development," the White House describes AFRICOMs charge as coordinating "low-cost, small-footprint operations" throughout the African continent.
Yet despite efforts to market AFRICOM as a small operation, recent reports have revealed that the command is "averaging more than a mission a day" on the continent, and has anywhere from "5,000 to 8,000 US military personnel on the ground" at any given point.