DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA: The Pentagon’s mystery missions in Africa

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http://atimes.com/atimes/World/WOR-01-310314.html



DISPATCHES FROM AMERICA: The Pentagon’s mystery missions in Africa
By Nick Turse
Mar 31, '14

The numbers tell the story: 10 exercises, 55 operations, 481 security cooperation activities.

For years, the US military has publicly insisted that its efforts in Africa are small scale. Its public affairs personnel and commanders have repeatedly claimed no more than a “light footprint” on that continent, including a remarkably modest presence when it comes to military personnel. They have, however, balked at specifying just what that light footprint actually consists of. During an interview, for instance, a US Africa Command (AFRICOM) spokesman once expressed worry thattabulating the command’s deployments would offer a “skewed image” of US efforts there.

It turns out that the numbers do just the opposite.

Last year, according to AFRICOM commander General David Rodriguez, the US military carried out a total of 546 “activities” on the continent - a catch-all term for everything the military does in Africa. In other words, it averages about one-and-a-half missions a day. This represents a 217% increase in operations, programs, and exercises since the command was established in 2008. More ...