Bush: US is engaged in African conflicts

[flashl]

Source: Boston Globe

COTONOU, Benin—President Bush insisted his administration is "plenty active" in the turmoil now roiling nearly every corner of Africa, but said his trip to the continent that began Saturday is focused more on its successes than its conflicts.

"When you herald success, it helps others realize what it possible," the president said here in this tiny sliver of a West African nation, the first of five nations Bush is visiting. "This is a large place with a lot of nations and no question not everything is perfect. On the other hand, there are a lot of great success stories and the United States is pleased to be involved with those success stories."

Even as Bush defended an emphasis on the positive, he stepped into one of Africa's most disturbing recent developments. December's presidential elections in Kenya unleashed weeks of ethnic violence that left more than 1,000 people dead and displaced hundreds of thousands, a worrisome sign in a country typically regarded as one of Africa's most stable.

Bush endorsed a power-sharing agreement to help resolve the dispute. He is dispatching Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to peel off from his entourage on Monday to make a quick trip to Nairobi, and said she would deliver his view.

"The key is that the leaders hear from her firsthand U.S desires to see that there be no violence, that there be a power-sharing agreement that will help this nation resolve its difficulties," the president said.

Boston Globe

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/02/16/bush_us_has_much_at_stake_in_africa/

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Yes, 'we' are engaged....

Army Times | January 23, 2006| Pg. 23

Officials Look To Put Africa Under One Watchful Eye:Continent now split between two commands

As Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld considers how to reorganize the military to address global threats in coming years, defense officials are exploring the possibility of putting Africa, long split between the U.S. European Command and U.S. Central Command, under one unified command.

...

Africa, an operational backwater for the U.S. since the botched operation in Somalia in 1993, is becoming increasingly relevant in the war on terrorism, officials say. Experts say that terrorist groups, squeezed out of places like Iraq and Afghanistan are moving to areas in North and West Africa and elsewhere. Many nations cannot effectively govern themselves, leaving a welcome mat for terrorist groups.

Early Bird

[no_hypocrisy]

1. I'd like to see * do a photo-op in downtown Dafur, extoling democracy.

[ohio2007]

2. New Africa scramble delights despots

?e=1203206400&rs=65&ri=1024&h=3ced8d3cdf56f221fd8096ce29608217
"Black Africa" turns blood red for black gold




New Africa scramble delights despots

snip

A motley collection of robber barons, imperialist ideologues, explorers, rogues and adventurers — the likes of Cecil Rhodes and the appalling Leopold II, "king of the Belgians" — carved up the continent in the name of five European powers.

Today, a second "scramble for Africa" is under way.

This time, only one giant nation is involved, but its ambitions are every bit as momentous as those of Rhodes and company.

With every day, China's economic tentacles extend deeper into Africa. While Europe sought direct political control, China is acquiring a vast and informal economic empire.
Hence the quest for overseas oil. Yet Beijing's options are limited. America and the Western powers have already snapped up the world's largest oil reserves. Saudi Arabia and Iraq, with 45 per cent of the world's oil between them, are in effect closed to China. So the less developed tracts of Africa are an obvious target.

Sudan's six billion barrels of proven reserves, with more to be discovered, have become of vital strategic significance to China.

snip
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b00_1188738676

and the choir say ?




<crickets>

[flashl]

3. Yes, Africa, oil and turmoil. nt

[uppityperson]

4. Post Katrina speech recycled. eom

[floridablue]

5. Are there any African Democracies left ?

Or has every attempt degenerated into tribal warfare?

[pitohui]

6. south africa is probably the leader there now

there is some crap i don't understand about the recent election in south africa concerning dick size and who is circumcised or not but they did have the election after all the shouting was done and from the little i saw this nation is trying to move into the 21st century whilst leaving its poor image behind

altho, yeah, while one would hope that future elections will involve less talk of male organs, considering the ridiculous spectacle of some of the recent usa elections, i'm not sure we have much room to talk