US military's Africa command alarms aid workers

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

US military's Africa command alarms aid workers
13 Dec 2007 11:05:15 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Andrew Gray

WASHINGTON, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Mary Yates is
deputy to the commander of the U.S. military's new
Africa Command. But she has no stars on her shoulder
and does not wear a uniform.

Yates is a career diplomat who has served as U.S.
ambassador to Ghana and Burundi. Her appointment
symbolizes the military's effort to make its newest
command very different from the others and a possible
model for the future.

The command, responsible for U.S. military operations
in Africa, will include more diplomats, aid experts and
other civilians than headquarters for other parts of
the world. And they will be integral to the organization,
not just advisers.

-snip-

But the structure has alarmed aid agencies, who see
the military encroaching into traditionally civilian areas
such as aid work and economic development and
believe armed forces should have a minimal role in
those efforts.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N14212191.htm

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(crossposted by request)

[LynnTheDem]

1. Dear Africans;

I am so sorry for what this country is going to do to your country and your people.

You must have known it was only a matter of time before the monster decided to go for you. Especially after you discovered those huge pools of oil in 2003.

I'm sorry. :(

[SharkSquid]

3. AFRICOM has been in the works since 1995

I remember them talking about it when I first got in.

[SharkSquid]

2. In most of those areas, the aid workers need protection

Remember Somalia.

AFRICOM is important in the sense that we would be doing extensive operations in Africa with or without AFRICOM, the difference is that with Africa being divided between EUCOM, CENTCOM, and PACCOM, one unified joint command would make our efforts (mostly humanitarian) go far smoother.