After Benghazi, U.S. Army Sets Up African Response Team In Djibouti

Photo: US Navy, Camp Lemonnier. Camp Lemonnier, Republic of Djibouti

Army Sets Up Response Team In East Africa Months After Benghazi Attack -- Washington Times

The Army now has a rapid response force in East Africa in case of another terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, the Army‘ deputy director of strategy, plans and policy said Thursday.

During a media roundtable at the Pentagon, ArmyBrig. Gen. Kimberly Field said the response team was established in April in Djibouti with 129 troops from the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, based in Fort Riley, Kansas.

“They are a response force specifically trained and ready to respond to a crisis such as [Benghazi … which we didn’t have before,” Gen. Field said. “They’re ready to get where they need to be.”

Former Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta ordered the team be established after U.S. and Libyan forces were unable to stop a terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi on Sept. 11.

Read more ....

My Comment: Better late than never.

Pentagon Now Prepared To Repel Assaults On Diplomatic Outposts

No Benghazi II: Pentagon Now Prepared To Repel Assaults On Diplomatic Outposts In Africa -- Washington Times

The Pentagon says it’s now equipped to launch the type of rescue mission that could have helped American personnel who came under deadly attack at the temporary diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, last year.

U.S. Africa Command has positioned a 500-strong Marine task force in Moron, Spain and equipped with Osprey aircraft capable of vertical landing along with KC-130 mid-air refueling tankers, said Defense Department spokesman Maj. Robert A. Firman.

“Their whole reason for being is crisis response in Africa,” Maj. Firman said, adding that Africom also now had its own Commander's In-extremis Force — a small commando of special forces personnel prepared to deploy at short notice.

Their exact response time is classified, he said, but “They are ready to go.”

Read more ....

My Comment: Am I skeptical .... considering what I heard at today's Benghazi hearing .... I will have to say yes.

Africom Now Has It's Rapid Response Force

U.S. Marine Rapid Response Force Deploying To Spain Base -- CNN

The first of 500 Marines have begun deploying to Spain as part of a new rapid reaction force to respond to threats against U.S. citizens, government personnel or installations in Africa.

The new task force is based at Moron Air Base in southern Spain, which provides quick access especially to northern Africa, where security concerns have grown since the September 2012 attack on a U.S. government facility in Benghazi, Libya, a Pentagon official told CNN.

Deployment began Wednesday

Read more ....

More News On Africom Receiving A Rapid Resource Force Of 550 Marines

550 Marines Move to Spain to Join AFRICOM -- DoD Buzz
550 Marines head to Spain in support of AFRICOM -- Stars and Stripes
Marines move crisis response force to edge of Africa -- E-Ring/Foreign Policy
Corps' new crisis-response force deploys -- Marine Times

New Africom Chief Outlines Military Threats

Africa-Bound Gen. Rodriguez Outlines Military Threats -- E-Ring/Foreign Policy

While you were Hageling about the Senate floor on Thursday, Army Gen. David Rodriguez, nominated to lead Africa Command, told the Armed Services Committee that he expects to face down terrorist threats on the continent with U.S. military force. But exactly how often the White House -- and self-declared noninterventionist Chuck Hagel -- will call on Rodriguez, instead of the FBI or the CIA, to stop the spread of terrorism in Africa is becoming one of the biggest questions the administration faces in the next four years.

When Africom was created in 2008, the Pentagon billed it as a barely-armed force of good with a mission of training local militaries and enforcing maritime traffic and fisheries. Based in Germany, it promised it would build no American military facilities in Africa.

Read more ....

My Comment: Africa-Bound Gen. Rodriguez is right about one thing .... at this moment in time everything is evolving in Africa.

The Pentagon's Africom Command Prepares To Confront Militant Threats In Africa

Militant Threats Test Role Of A Pentagon Command In Africa -- New York Times

NIAMEY, Niger — Created five years ago to focus on training the armed forces of dozens of African nations and strengthening social, political and economic programs, the Pentagon’s Africa Command now finds itself on a more urgent mission: confronting a new generation of Islamist militants who are testing the United States’ resolve to fight terrorism without being drawn into a major conflict.

Some military and Congressional critics question whether the command is up to dealing with its dual mission, and some influential lawmakers warn that Africom, with its headquarters in Germany, is understaffed and poorly financed for challenges that include countering Al Qaeda’s fighters in Mali, Islamic extremists in Libya, drug traffickers in West Africa and armed rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Read more ....

My Comment: With a budget of only $300 million and with the command stationed in Germany .... Africom is clearly not up to the task of battling Al Qaeda and militant networks in the region. Africom clearly needs more resources, but in an era where severe defense budget cuts are about to occur coupled with no political or public will to expand U.S. military operations in places like Africa .... the Pentagon is going to be severely tested in the short term.

U.S. Wants A Drone Base In Northwest Africa

An Air Force Predator drone in New Mexico in 2010. Photo: Air Force

U.S. Plans Base for Surveillance Drones in Northwest Africa -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — The United States military command in Africa is preparing plans to establish a drone base in northwest Africa to increase unarmed surveillance missions on the local affiliate of Al Qaeda and other Islamist extremist groups that American and other Western officials say pose a growing menace to the region.

For now, officials say they envision flying only unarmed surveillance drones from the base, though they have not ruled out conducting missile strikes at some point if the threat worsens.

If the base is approved, the most likely location for it would be in Niger, a largely desert nation on the eastern border of Mali, where French and Malian troops are now battling Qaeda-backed fighters who control the northern part of that country. The American military’s Africa Command is also discussing options for the base with other countries in the region, including Burkina Faso, officials said.

Read more ....

My Comment: Niger would be a perfect place for a drone base. It borders all the major countries in this part of the continent.

Africom Finally Has It's Own CIF

Africa’s Fast-Reaction Force Ready To Go From Colorado -- Washington Times

Four years after its startup, U.S. Africa Command has it own fast-reaction commando force — based at Fort Carson, Colo., thousands of miles from the troubled continent.

The command, known as Africom, turned out to be a toothless tiger when it faced its biggest crisis on Sept. 11 as militants attacked the U.S. Consulate and an annex in Benghazi, Libya, and killed four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador.

The Benghazi debacle highlighted the fact that Africa Command, despite its oversight of a volatile region, had few combat forces or a quick-response special operations unit called a Commander's In-extremis Force (CIF) that is designed for such emergencies. Each geographic combatant command, except Africom on that day, had a CIF.

Read more ....

My Comment: Better late than never .... but does it make sense to have such a force based in Colorado?

President Obama`s Point Man Against Al Qaeda In Africa

Photo: General David M. Rodriguez

U.S. Army General David Rodriguez -- Eli Lake, Daily Beast

Obama’s pick to lead the war on terror in Africa.

Last week, amidst reports that Islamists were close to overrunning Mali’s government, French forces unleashed an air campaign in the country—an operation for which the Pentagon is providing intelligence support. Then, a few days after the intervention began, a group affiliated with al Qaeda took hostages—including several Americans—at a gas field in eastern 
Algeria. Soon, the Algerian government was storming the facility.

In other words: welcome to your new job, David Rodriguez. Back in October, President Obama nominated the 58-year-old general to take over U.S. Africa Command. Rodriguez is still awaiting confirmation by the Senate, but once installed he’ll inherit responsibility for what increasingly looks like the central front in the war on terror.

Read more ....

My Comment: He has little if any troops under his command. If they expect him to have an impact against Al Qaeda and their affiliated groups in Africa .... they are dreaming.

Pentagon To Accelerate Special Ops in 35 African Countries

Hagel's Nomination Signals Intent To Accelerate Ops In 35 African Countries -- Business Insider

In the weeks leading up to Chuck Hagel's nomination, the Pentagon announced plans to put specialized Army troops in 35 countries in Africa.

Though the announcement came on Christmas Eve and didn't receive much attention, it still serves as a hint of what's to come under a Hagel-run Pentagon — that is, conservative deployment of U.S. troops.

The mission for these troops is loosely noncombat, and primarily to train organic security forces to quell Islamic insurgent activity, which somewhat parallels operations during the Banana Wars of about a century ago.

Read more ....

My Comment: The American public and Congress should demand a debate and discussion on  this policy shift .... but considering that this news was released on Christmas Eve .... I guess everyone had other priorities.

U.S. Army To Bolster U.S. Africa Command

U.S. Army Gen. Carter Ham, the commander of United States Africa Command, seen here at the 134th National Guard Association of the U.S. General Conference in Reno, Nev., Sept. 10, warned against military action in Mali. (Jim Greenhil / Army)

Army Plans To Shift Troops To U.S. Africa Command -- Washington Times

Aims for quick crisis response.

U.S. Africa Command, the military’s newest regional force, will have more troops available early next year as the Pentagon winds down from two ground wars over the past decade, Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, Army chief of staff, told The Washington Times.

As part of Gen. Odierno’s Regionally Aligned Forces concept, about 1,200 soldiers will deploy to Africa as early as March in an effort to place troops strategically around the globe to respond quickly to sudden challenges in hot spots such as Libya and to develop ties with the people and officials in host countries.

Read more ....

Update #1: Teams from a US Army brigade heading to 35 African nations to beef up anti-terror training -- Washington Post/AP
Update #2: US deploying troops to 35 African countries -- RT

My Comment: I guess the Africom Commander`s worries about the growing extremist threat in Africa is making waves in Washington. I also presume that this deployment will be on top of the Special Ops units that are being sent to the region.

Was General Carter F. Ham Fired Over Benghazi

Photo: General Carter F. Ham. Wikipedia

Has General Ham Been Fired? -- Mike Johnson, American Thinker

Has General Carter F. Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command, been fired for defying Leon Panetta on Benghazi?

Glenn Reynolds, the Instapundit, ran a piece Saturday afternoon titled "Interesting Rumor Concerning General Carter Ham and Stand Down Order." This piece is presented as a rumor. It suggests that General Ham was told to stand down from sending aid to Benghazi, that General Ham on his own decided to proceed, and that he was then relieved of his command. Remember, all rumor at this point.

Read more ....

Update #1: Is a General losing his job over Benghazi? -- Washington Times
Update #2: Obama to nominate Army Gen. Rodriguez to lead AFRICOM -- Stars and Stripes

My Comments: This is just speculation .... read meat for the pundit class. But the timing is raising a few eyebrows.

Update #3: I do not know if this story is true (or not) .... but it is one more reason why a more thorough investigation and discussion must follow on what went wrong in Benghazi.

The Growing US Military Presence In Somalia

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. David Hogg, center right, inspects Sierra Leone troops in Freetown during a deployment ceremony this year. (U.S. Army Africa / July 28, 2012)

US Is The Driving Force Behind The Fighting In Somalia -- Stars and Stripes/L.A. Times

The soldiers stood at attention, rifles at their sides, as U.S. Army Maj. Gen. David Hogg walked down the ranks, eyeing the men heading off to fight in Somalia.

"You will push ... the miscreants from that country, so Somalia can once again be free of tyranny and terrorism," he told them, according to a video of the May ceremony. "We know you are ready."

These weren't American soldiers. They were from impoverished Sierra Leone in West Africa. But Hogg, a top U.S. Army commander for Africa, was in Freetown, Sierra Leone's capital, because this was largely an American operation.

Read more ....

My Comment: Somalia is not the only country where US forces are becoming involved.

U.S. Intelligence Operations Are Expanding In Africa

A U-28A plane, painted in a civilian paint scheme, is seen about to touch down on a landing strip, in this file photo. (US Airforce)

US General: American Military Spies 'Across Africa' -- ABC News

America's top commander in Africa revealed that the U.S. military has conducted spy operations all over the continent as part of the fight against international adversaries from al Qaeda-allied terror groups that target the homeland to suspected war criminals like Joseph Kony.

"Do we collect information across Africa? Yes, we do," U.S. Gen. Carter Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command, said in a leadership conference at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies Monday.

Read more ....

More News On U.S. Intelligence Operations In Africa

US looks to expand military aid, intel to Africa -- SFGate/AP
US looks to expand military aid, intel to Africa -- CBS
US Military Expands Presence in Africa -- Voice of America
US Commander in Africa: Pentagon Bolstering Operations on Continent -- Voice of America
US expanding military aid to Africa – for what end? -- Boris Volkhonsky, Voice of Russia

America's Growing Military Role In Africa

US Military Expands Presence In Africa -- Voice of America

PENTAGON - The commander of U.S. forces for Africa, Army General Carter Ham, said Monday that the U.S. military is increasing its operations on the continent as terrorist groups begin to work closer together to carry out attacks in the region.

The head of the U.S. Africa Command, General Carter Ham, said the terrorist threat in Africa is growing and that U.S. forces under his command are focused on three main groups: al Shabab in East Africa, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb in the north, and Boko Haram in Nigeria.

Read more ....

More News On America's Growing Military Role In Africa

US expanding military aid and intel to Africa, top commander says -- FOX News/AP
US Commander in Africa: Pentagon Bolstering Operations on Continent -- Voice of America
Africom Commander Details Current, Emerging Threats -- US Department of Defense
African Terrorist Groups Starting to Cooperate, U.S. Says -- Bloomberg Businessweek
African extremist groups linking up: U.S. general -- Reuters

More U.S. Troops To Be Deployed To Africa

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

3,000 Soldiers To Serve In Africa Next Year -- Army Times

A brigade will deploy to Africa next year in a pilot program that assigns brigades on a rotational basis to regions around the globe, the Army announced in May.

Roughly 3,000 soldiers — and likely more — are expected to serve tours across the continent in 2013, training foreign militaries and aiding locals.

As part of a “regionally aligned force concept,” soldiers will live and work among Africans in safe communities approved by the U.S. government, said Maj. Gen. David R. Hogg, head of U.S. Army Africa.

Read more ....

Update: Army: Troops to be ready for Africa missions -- Washington Times

My Comment: With this deployment .... it makes you wonder on how many covert missions are going to be conducted .... and on how many conflicts will US troops find themselves in.

U.S. Special Forces Sent To Uganda -- News Roundup

Africom to work Lord's Resistance Army problem with Uganda -- Time

WAPO and NYT reporting over the weekend that the US will send around 100 armed advisers to help the Ugandan military work the stubborn problem of the Lord's Resistance Army, a beyond-its-expiration-date insurgency that's terrorized rural populations across four states for a couple of decades now. These guys really are the worst of the worst, engaging in atrocities galore, mass rape as a tool of terror, and the forced recruitment of child soldiers. They check every box on war crimes.

Read more ....

More News On The U.S. Intervention With Uganda In the War Against The LRA

U.S Military Intelligence ‘Critical’ to Defeat Rebels, Says Uganda Official -- Voice of America
U.S. to Go After Kony and the LRA -- Time
Uganda president: US troops not sent in to fight -- CBS/AP
Now U.S. sends troops to Africa to take down brutal rebel leader -- Daily Mail
Obama risks miring US in an African war: McCain -- AFP
Activists React to President Sending Troops to Africa -- ABC
LRA: Rebels worth sending U.S. troops to Africa? -- CBS/AP
Why Is Obama Sending Troops Against the Lord's Resistance Army? -- Max Fisher, The Atlantic
Mission to Uganda -- National Post editorial
Obama, the king of Africa -- Pepe Escobar, Asia Times
Profile: Joseph Kony -- Al Jazeera

BREAKING NEWS: U.S. Combat Troops Deployed To Uganda

Obama Sends US Combat Troops To Uganda -- Al Jazeera

US president says he is deploying 100 combat troops to Uganda to help efforts against Lord's Resistance Army rebels.

US President Barack Obama has announced he is deploying 100 "combat-equipped" troops to Uganda to help efforts against rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), accused of grievous human rights abuses.

The US troops, subject to the approval of national authorities, could also deploy from Uganda into South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of the Congo, Obama said in a message to Congress.

Read more ....

More News On US Combat Troops Deployed To Uganda

Obama Sends 100 US Troops to Uganda to Help Combat Lord’s Resistance Army -- ABC News
Obama sends 100 U.S. military advisers to Uganda -- MSNBC/Reuters
Obama sends 100 US troops to Uganda to help fight rebels -- AFP
Obama sends troops to aid Africa anti-insurgency -- AJC
Obama orders U.S. troops to help chase down African 'army' leader -- CNN
Obama Deploys 100 U.S. Military Personnel to Central Africa -- National Journal

My Comment: Another war in which US forces are now involved. President Obama's letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner on this deployment is here.

What is my take .... the LRA is actively involved in two other countries (South Sudan, and The Congo). Are US troops going to enter these countries? Personally .... I hope not. This conflict has been going on for years, and getting involved in Africa's tribal conflicts is one that we should avoid.

Terror Groups In Africa Are Starting To Work Together

Terror Collaboration In Africa Worries U.S. General -- Washington Times/AP

3 groups forming network in much of continent.

The general responsible for U.S. military operations in Africa said Wednesday he is worried that three terrorist groups based on the continent are attempting to share training and collaborate in other ways in pursuit of their goal of attacking the United States and other foreign targets.

Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command, told a group of reporters that each of the three - al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Somalia-based al-Shabab and Boko Haram - poses a “significant threat” not only in the areas in which they operate but also to the United States.

Read more ....

My Comment: This news should not surprise anyone .... many parts of Africa are a perfect breeding ground for these groups, and they are taking advantage of these conditions. Large Muslim populations where many feel disenfranchised .... coupled with dysfunctional or failed governments .... what more can a terror leader wish or want for.

AFRICOM In The Congo

AFRICOM In The Congo (Part 1) -- Stars And Stripes

Trainees try to be a force that can overcome child-abducting rebels – and their own horrific past.

KISANGANI, Congo — Against the soldiers, he had no chance to resist.

The uniformed men, a motley mix of government troops and rebels, were patrolling in the village of Katanga in southern Congo, when they spotted the teenage brother and sister standing alone. The soldiers tied up the boy and went after the girl.

“She was raped in front of me,” said 2nd Lt. Babi Loveli Kalala, recalling a day of abuse that would change his life.

Read more ....

My Comment: Part 2 is here.

Special Operations Forces Unit Added To AFRICOM

Naval Special Operations Forces Unit Added To AFRICOM -- Stars And Stripes

STUTTGART, Germany − A special forces unit, newly commissioned at U.S. Africa Command, has expertise in African security matters and will be available for crisis response missions and counter-terrorism operations on the continent, where insurgent groups in Somalia and North Africa threaten regional stability.

Naval Special Warfare Unit-10, with its focus on Africa, “will ensure our national interests are protected, violent extremists organizations are placed in check and key partner nations start controlling their own security posture,” said Cmdr. Joseph Geary, the unit’s leader, during a recent commissioning ceremony at Panzer Kaserne in Stuttgart.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is a recognition on the growing role of Africa and its strategic importance in U.S. national security.