AFRICOM

[Exarch]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africom#Official_goals

THe american Imperium on the march.
what the heck do the yanks want with africa?
as if the yanks arent already overstretched in i-rak

and why do i keep getting images of these, whenever i hear about AFRICOM?


now b4 the usual american nationalist armchair General imperialists like thomas barnett start to whitewash AFRICOM as a 'peacekeeping' force, let us remember that institutions such as the UN, UNHCR etc already exist for such 'peacekeeping' and humanitarian duties.

food for thought:

[Farnan]

Umm....

Do you know what you're talking about?

Nope.

Here's a quick wiki article for ya:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unified_Combatant_Command

Africa used to be divided into the responsibility of two commands, EUCOM (European Command) and CENTCOM (Central Command). This was deemed wrong as Africa is not like the Middle East and Europe and needs people who are experts on that region instead of being a step-child. AFRICOM is also organised differently than the other 5 Unified Combatant Commands and has a larger focus on humanitarian aid and working with the State Department.

[Exarch]

ummmmm

did u watch the clip?
listen to what the woman says, they're objecting to the building of AFRICOM HQ, a unilateral, americna militaristic HQ in africa.
objection to a shift from UN multilateralism to a predominantly american unilateralism

[Farnan]

Umm... the HQ is in Germany...

And I don't generally trust Youtube for my facts.

[Exarch]

Umm... the HQ is in Germany...

And I don't generally trust Youtube for my facts.

really?
i had no idea osama bin laden and other assorted terrorists responsible for 9/11 were in africa.

also,
it's only a matter of time b4 a permanent african HQ is built:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_...a_headquarters
and if u dont generally trust youtube or wiki for ur facts, then i trust u wont ever be using either of them to support ur arguments

[Farnan]

really?
i had no idea osama bin laden and other assorted terrorists responsible for 9/11 were in africa.

Actually Bin Laden was in the Sudan for a long time.

And what does this have to do with 9-11?

And I didn't say I didn't trust wiki, but I don't trust it completely. And I don't generally trust youtube, expesially when its a program with a highly charged title, just like I won't use Fox News. If the youtube video is a posted item from a reputable source I'll trust it.

Anyways this command has more to do with the problems in Somalia and Darfur than 9-11. The background is thus:

Until now Africa was divided by 3 commands in which Africa was a secondary priority. The goal is to develope one command for Africa (minus Egypt) that would make Africa its main priority that way we can better coordinate US actions with our allies. There is a look to place a base in Africa but only if a willing host nation is found, and in that case besides security there will be no real combat troops (just like in Qatar).

[MaximiIian]

really?
i had no idea osama bin laden and other assorted terrorists responsible for 9/11 were in africa.

What the does our Middle Eastern military actions have to do with US military involvement and action in the African Continent? Military involvement with the middle east is devolved to CENTCOM, not AFRICOM.

Furthermore, you are wrongly conflating military involvement by a global superpower/hyperpower with colonialism. Just because the US puts its national interests as a primary priority does not mean it is an empire or an imperialist colonial entity.

[Seda]

What the does our Middle Eastern military actions have to do with US military involvement and action in the African Continent? Military involvement with the middle east is devolved to CENTCOM, not AFRICOM.

Furthermore, you are wrongly conflating military involvement by a global superpower/hyperpower with colonialism. Just because the US puts its national interests as a primary priority does not mean it is an empire or an imperialist colonial entity.

QFT. It's common knowledge to anyone who's bothered to look that the U.S. already has several branches of command to better coordinate any possible actions of any kind, anywhere. We've got one for Europe (And, if I'm not mistaken, China/Eastern Asia) as well, and you hardly see them bowing at the knee to the U.S, or being forced into subservience. It's quite a leap for you to assume because the U.S appears to have an interest in Africa that it intends to do Euro-style colonialism.

[PacSubCom]

has a larger focus on humanitarian aid and working with the State Department.

that way we can better coordinate US actions with our allies. There is a look to place a base in Africa but only if a willing host nation is found, and in that case besides security there will be no real combat troops (just like in Qatar).

puts its national interests as a primary priority does not mean it is an empire

better coordinate any possible actions of any kind, anywhere.

Naivete like this is the danger to liberty. Unbelievable.

[Farnan]

QFT. It's common knowledge to anyone who's bothered to look that the U.S. already has several branches of command to better coordinate any possible actions of any kind, anywhere. We've got one for Europe (And, if I'm not mistaken, China/Eastern Asia) as well, and you hardly see them bowing at the knee to the U.S, or being forced into subservience. It's quite a leap for you to assume because the U.S appears to have an interest in Africa that it intends to do Euro-style colonialism.

We have one for Canada and Mexico too...

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Centurion-Lucius-Vorenus]

now b4 the usual american nationalist armchair General imperialists like thomas barnett start to whitewash AFRICOM as a 'peacekeeping' force, let us remember that institutions such as the UN, UNHCR etc already exist for such 'peacekeeping' and humanitarian duties.

And fail's miserably at it.

[Exarch]

WORLD DOMINATION


ok jokes aside
what does USA want with africa?
what are its intentions?

[Mythos]

what does USA want with africa?

Resources.

what are its intentions?

Maintaining world supremacy.

[Farnan]

Most of the work will be coordinating existing operations (namely Dijibouti and training operations throughout Africa and supporting AU with logistics in some places) and planning future contingincies. It is not a movement to create a base there but rather to centralise planning and put it all together instead of in 3 seperate places.

[Centurion-Lucius-Vorenus]

With the on going war Against Al-Quaida in the Islamic Maghreb in the Northern Berber nations, the recent crisis's in the south east of Africa (Kenya and Zimbabwe), The probable conflict between Eritrea and Djibouti iAnd of course Darfur, it seems like AFRICOM isn't a bad idea.

However, I'm finding it very hard to believe this isn't a Power play to check the improving relations between the Chinese and the African nations, Which China now get's a good deal of its Oil from.

[Exarch]

trhat's cuz it is a powerplay, shrouded under a banner of 'alleviating human rights abuses' and 'deposing robert mugabe'

[Farnan]

Who said anything about deposing Mugabe?

And of course this is an effort to improve our ability to deal with China in Africa. I thought that was obvious.

China and the US are in an Aid War in Africa trying to win nations to our spheres of orbit.

[Centurion-Lucius-Vorenus]

And of course this is an effort to improve our ability to deal with China in Africa. I thought that was obvious.

China and the US are in an Aid War in Africa trying to win nations to our spheres of orbit.

So in other words, It is Imperialism ?

[Exarch]

So in other words, It is Imperialism ?

exactly
'sphere of influence'

[Centurion-Lucius-Vorenus]

It's not as bad as the 19th century, you can't compare it to that.

But the great game is still going on I see.

Its not an effort to control Africa, but rather to have African nations more willing to support the US then China and vice versa. Both China and the US are trying to win over African people to their side. Think of it like the Cold War, but instead of fighting brush wars using proxies each country is trying to buy nations with humanitarian aid.

Closer ties to African nations mean better chance of Military intervention however. So keeping in mind with the escalation of China as a world power, a proxy war is far from Un-thinkable, Maybe even far from un-probable. And with conditions like those, sooner or later we'll get into the struggle on the side of the warlord, Junta, or the 'President' who has his hands in two many ballot box's. South America all over again I think.