U.S. Military Splits Over Africa Anti-Terror Strategy
U.S. Military Splits Over Africa Anti-Terror Strategy
June 5 (GIN) - A turf war over Africa is dividing two wings of the U.S. military as they build a massive security presence on the continent while creating new and thorny problems for President Barack Obama.
Vying for increased power is the Special Operations Command (Socom), on one side, and regional commanders under the State Dept. on the other.
Socom's Adm. William H. McRaven was betting on a larger role for his elite units who operate in the shadowy corners of American foreign policy. He wanted increased authority to train foreign internal security forces, previously off-limits to the American military.
But the other side, under Hillary Clinton's State Dept. and its regional commanders, wasn't about to cede its authority. In a surprise decision by independent House and Senate officials, Socom’s latest demand was turned down.
The power struggle puts a harsh spotlight on the dizzying spiral of new U.S. military engagements throughout Africa and the “power grab” – as it has been called – by Special Ops, who have been deploying in Mali, Mauritania and potentially all the way to Nigeria.
In fact, few countries have not seen one or more faces of the U.S. military as it pursues targets in the Central African Republic; Democratic Republic of the Congo; South Sudan; and Entebbe and Kampala, Uganda. Training and other operations are underway in Djibouti, Chad, Somalia, Burundi, Namibia and South Africa, among others. Since 9/11, Socom’s budget has quadrupled with some 66,000 uniformed and civilian personnel on the rolls, with further growth projected.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, at command headquarters in Tampa last month, urged both groups to work out their differences. “We need Special Operations forces who are as comfortable drinking tea with tribal leaders as raiding a terrorist compound… We also need diplomats and development experts who understand modern warfare and are up to the job of being your partners."
Jerusalem Not A Safe Haven For African Immigrants
June 5 (GIN) – An early morning arson attack on the home of African asylum seekers from Eritrea, marked an upsurge in hostilities towards Africans by Israeli citizens.
Dozens of foreigners, including families with children, lived in the building where the fire broke out, on Jaffa Road, one of the city's central arteries. Four residents suffered burns and smoke inhalation. Graffiti in Hebrew sprayed on the building read: "Get out of the neighborhood."
Arson attacks were also reported in Tel Aviv and last month several homes and a kindergarten were firebombed. In Eilat, an African hotel employee was beaten by Israeli beach-goers. Two weeks ago, Israeli youths in southern Tel Aviv smashed storefront windows in a refugee neighborhood, police said.
While officially condemning the violence, the government seemed to share the anti-immigrant fever with talk of deporting or imprisoning refugees. One lawmaker called on Israeli soldiers to shoot any refugees attempting to cross the border with Egypt.
Meeting with his party members Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to complete a 150-mile, 16-foot-tall steel fence along the Israeli-Egyptian border; to speed up construction of a massive detention facility able to hold up to 10,000 immigrants; and to step up efforts to deport foreigners.
Some 60,000 Africans who sought refuge in Jerusalem now face prosecution under a new law allowing authorities to detain illegal migrants for up to three years. w/pix of African immigrant father and child after firebomb
New Nation Faces Slew Of Problems In Its First Year
June 5 (GIN) – Some $4 billion of public money has gone missing from the treasury of South Sudan, creating a crisis for the popular president Salva Kiir Mayardit.
In a letter sent to some 75 former and present government officials, Kiir begged for the return of the funds and blasted those who “forgot what we fought for” in the liberation war. “Many of our friends died for freedom, justice and equality,” he said, “yet once we got to power, we began to enrich ourselves at the expense of the people.”
“Most of these funds have been taken out of the country,” he surmised, “and deposited in foreign accounts. Some have purchased properties, often paid in cash."
Over half of the estimated $4 billion was diverted by the infamous grain scandal, where large orders of sorghum were ordered but never delivered or distributed. Hundreds of grain stores, to be used in emergencies, were also paid for but not built.
Meanwhile, some 22 colleges and private universities, formerly run by Khartoum in the north, have been closed by the Minister of Higher Education.
"There are so many challenges to higher education in South Sudan, including weak standards at a school level, poor infrastructure, a shortage of academic staff, the lack of funding for science and technology research… There are few university places for those that want to study," said John Akec, vice-chancellor of the University of Northern Bahr El Ghazal.
“The South Sudanese government's priorities are on primary and secondary education - the focus is especially on the education of girls," said Tony Calderbank, of the British Council in South Sudan. About 80 per cent of the South Sudanese population is illiterate.
Part of the challenge is to standardize the language in which schoolchildren are taught. South Sudan has chosen English as its state language, but many schools still teach in Arabic - the language favored by Sudan before independence. w/pix of Juba University to be closed
Nation Grieves For Victims In Nigeria’s Largest Plane Disaster In 20 Years
by Fungai Maboreke
June 5 (GIN) - President Goodluck Jonathan declared 3 days of national mourning for the victims of a horrific plane crash Sunday in which the aircraft, flying into Lagos, lost altitude and plummeted into a residential area, exploding in flames. All the passengers, over 150 people, died at the scene.
The Federal Government suspended the operational license of Dana Air, citing “safety precautionary reasons,” pending investigations.
At least two people on the ground, including a woman clutching a baby in her arms, were also killed. There were no known mechanical problems, according to Dana Air’s Flight Operations Director, Oscar Wilson. “There was nothing wrong with the aircraft," he said. "I am the pilot who did the (last) ... operational test flight."
Among the victims were at least 7 Americans and Nigerians with American citizenship, including a woman from West Hartford, Connecticut with her husband, sister, mother in law and four children. Four Chinese citizens, two Lebanese and a French woman were also on the plane.
The skyrocketing growth of Lagos has seen homes, businesses and industrial sites shoot up along the approach route used by aircraft landing at the airport, changing what used to be forests and wetlands into a sprawling megacity.
The development has put the population there at risk with many aviation disasters in Nigeria over the last two decades. Emergency workers fear more on-the-ground deaths from Sunday's crash that saw the aircraft slam into two apartment buildings, a printing press and a woodworking shop. w/pix of Nigerians carrying a waterhose to burning plane