Zen10

Ostensibly to fight Al Qaeda but really about counterbalancing Chinese presence there. Not really being reported in mainstream media - no point in advertising the cold war with China, I guess.

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/...n-nations.html

Hiro11

That blog seems more than a little suspect (especially given the self-quoting going on there).

Also, it's worth noting two things:

-we're talking a grand total of 4,000 troops here for all operations, most of which are focused on training local troops. It's not peanuts, but it's not anything close to a major ground operation.

- the cornerstone operation in Mali is actually being spearheaded by the French (those dastardly unilateralists), the US role there is purely non-combat, it's observation drones.

HarryTheSpider

... assuming there's money to pay for it?

Zen10

The info is correct, whatever the blog looks like. The significance of the deployment is the symbolic value it represents to Beijing.

robin1234

The Chinese play the long game, they can afford to wait a few decades while the little American attention span jumps from one thing to another..

jas88

Stranger still, part of the air transport for the French troops is being handled by the RAF - a pair of C-17s. French troops being flown by British crews on American transport aircraft!

Zen10

It all comes down to military hardware and numbers. For now, the US massively outspends China on defence. However, not far off China's GDP will exceed that of the US and it will be able to divert more funds to its military than the US can.

This is something that neither the Soviet Union nor Nazi Germany were able to do. Given the undemocratic nature of China, I believe this state of affairs will be seen as a critical threat to the vital interests of the US, and it will respond as it has done with everyone who has tried to challenge it, and indeed the British Empire did with all challengers before.

Drakule

http://www.africom.mil/

Hiro11

The facts listed there have been heavily editorialized. Also, the second half of the blog post is entirely opinion that refers to other blog posts on the same site.
I'm sure this is part of it. Other facts include AQIM is now the best funded and best equiped Al Queda franchise in the world and that this area is seething with civil war. These are also both probably parts of the story.

SATX John

The C17s are on loan to the UK, since the UK defense budget cannot afford to buy them, call it a lease. The French do not have a similar agreement, and hence they cannot deploy as rapidly, since they cut their defense budget.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics...sistance-army/

Nothing new here. The premise of the article is nothing new, this has been happening for decades, just under a new command. The US supports many countries in their efforts to defeat terrorism and threats.

Yep, that is their website, part of the UCP "Unified Command Plan" the US uses, and is directed to execute by law and through the president.

You can google many things related to this area Trans Sahara, not concurring with the accuracy of those sites results. Agreed the cited source draws conclusions that are not accurate. Resources and the idea that the purpose of reducing "Chinese Influence" is flawed fundamentally.

This article smacks of conspiracy theory and Alex Jones logic.

Zen10

The Chinese are not in Africa to "influence" anything and are rather open about the West's failure to democratise it. They are there principally for the natural resources and for trade. For now, US interests in Africa are not being threatened, but the reason foe the increased US presence is because they know this is not a static arrangement.

gruffbrown

He never sang the Snowman song?

jas88

The first four were leased back in 2000, but my information was that they were bought outright at the end of that lease period, given Airbus's A400M "issues"...

SATX John

I agree with the second part, not that the Chinese maybe attempting to fill a democratization void. There are many studies from rand and others on the near and long term Chinese interests.

I would venture the US security interest in Africa is more terrorism related, then countering Chinese economic activities.

You are correct, the UK now owns them.

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/...d-a-5th-02506/