U.S. strategic interests rise in West Africa's oil-rich Gulf of Guinea

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20050807-1036-protectingtheoil.html

SAO TOME, Sao Tome and Principe – Far from home, a U.S. Coast Guard cutter plows its white bow through the seas of West Africa's Gulf of Guinea, where an oil boom could outpace Persian Gulf exports to America in a decade.

The ship's presence here is a sign of U.S. military and financial interest in an increasingly strategic part of the world – one American officials say is vulnerable to piracy, political instability and terrorism.

The potential dangers are clear with 3,000 miles of virtually unpoliced coastline that's home to billions of dollars in U.S. oil industry investment alone.

"It's a lot of water with not a lot of security," said Lt. Cmdr. Daniel Trott, a strategy specialist for U.S. Naval Forces Europe, whose area of responsibility includes most of Africa. "And where there's a lack of security, there's an opportunity for bad actors to show up."

Though U.S. officials cite no current terrorist activity in the Gulf of Guinea, homegrown al-Qaeda-linked groups or cells are thought to be active across Africa, especially in countries with large Muslim populations like Algeria, a longtime oil producer, and Mauritania, which is poised to start pumping crude next year.

[dubyaD40web]

1. Time to blame them for an attack

and invade them!

[Toots]

2. What the hell is a US Coast guard Cutter doing patroling African coast?

That is US Navy's job not Coast Guard. They are making our coasts less safe now it would appear. Why have a National Guard or a Coast Guard if they are not to be used as they are meant to be used? I believe we will not have them much longer if Bush* Cabal is allowed to continue the Plunder of America. Even our Guard units are being plundered.

[Sgent]

9. Its the USCG's

mission to patrol american interests and protect against piracy. The N. Coast of Africa is one of the few places left with "real" pirates.

Remember, the USCG is an active duty force -- similar to the active duty navy or marine corp.

[Toots]

10. No that is not their mission

Their number one missin is interdiction. They were created for that mission after prohibition and it still is their number one mission with marine safety coming in second. They are a domestic military service and have no reason cruising African coastlines. There are no coast guard bases overseas. None

[Sgent]

11. Learn your history

The USCG was created over 200 years ago -- it had nothing to do with prohibition. It has fought in almost every war in this countries history. Most recently Vietnam and Kosovo and the Iraq I. From their website.... They also have at least one permanent overseas base in Japan.

In recent years, the nation's CINCs have requested--and have been provided--Coast Guard cutters to conduct maritime-intercept operations, carry out peacetime-engagement missions, and perform other essential warfare tasks for all three forward-deployed Navy fleets: the Fifth Fleet in the Arabian Gulf/Middle East; the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean; and the Seventh Fleet in the Western Pacific. In addition, Coast Guard cutters have recently supported NATO operations during the Kosovo crisis

www.uscg.mil

[Toots]

12. You don't know what you are talking about

The US Coast guard was created as a part of the Treasury Dept strictly for enforcing Prohibition. They did not become part of Transportation until the mid sixties. They have never been a part of the US Military.

[Sgent]

13. My Uncle & Vietnam

My uncle didn't get his leg blown off in the Miet Cong delta on a USCG boat? Thanks for telling me. He will be even more happy to hear it.

Go to the website. The USCG was created in 1790. It has been a part of the military almost since one existed. It has a dual role, both one as part of the treasury, and one of military. USCG clippers are assigned and travel with every US Fleet in the world performing patrol functions. It patroled the shores or Kuwait, and the USCG was the first US Forces into Kuwait harbor in the first war.

[mbperrin]

3. Uh-oh! Alert! Alert! Dark people with oil!

Emergency response required! They gotta be terrists!!!!

[Javaman]

4. "there's an opportunity for bad actors to show up."

Does that mean moron* is going to pay them a visit??

[Javaman]

5. There was a change of gov't there recently...

I find it interesting that the US is suddenly over there.

[classysassy]

6. The dark continent

America on the prowl,first it was the black people now they want that black gold.

[NNN0LHI]

7. Dark colored people with oil? We must "Shock And Awe" them and...

...then liberate them immediately if not sooner.

Don

[VegasWolf]

8. Oil again! nt