About the oil: Yeah, I didn’t know where it was, either. It’s on the southwestern Atlantic coast of Africa, and our military presence there is growing dramatically. Why? Because about 15 percent of our oil comes from southern Africa (not to mention timber, iron ore, copper and other useful stuff). And where there’s oil, there’s U.S. military might to protect it.
I found out about this from the Department of Defense, which is so proud of our enhanced military presence in the Gulf of Guinea that it sent out a press release about it. Here are some highlight excerpts:
U.S. military engagement along southwestern Africa’s Atlantic coast has increased exponentially, Navy Capt. Tom Rowden, commander of Task Force 65, said during a Pentagon interview last week. It’s increased from almost no activity in 2004 to 130 “ship days” in 2005 to even more planned ship days this year, he said. The goal is to build long-term relationships that promote greater security and stability in the region, Rowden explained.
The focus is on helping African nations increase their naval capabilitiesThe region faces several potentially destabilizing factors: narcotics trafficking from South America, smuggling of illegal aliens into Europe, about $1 billion a year in illegal fishing, and pollution that threatens the coast and the local food supply, among them.
“We’re looking at building the capacity and capability of the nations down there to secure the maritime domain to address these destabilizing activities,” Rowden said.
Basically, we need to make sure we can get all that oil and raw materials out of Africa cheaply and efficiently, so we’re helping the Africans help themselves. Helping — kind of like what we’re doing in Afghanistan and Iraq, but with fewer bulets and bombs — so far.
The focus is on helping African nations increase their naval capabilities, with help from the United States, [Rowden] said.
Toward that end, the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land recently wrapped up a three-month deployment to the region, where its crew conducted a series of security cooperation activities. The deployment included port visits to Senegal, Sao Tome and Principe, Gabon, Ghana, Angola, and the Republic of the Congo.
U.S. Navy training teams helped their West African counterparts increase their capabilities in damage control and ship maintenance. They provided survey teams to help develop more accurate navigational charts. They also helped the African navies build leadership within the ranks and strengthen their noncommissioned officer corps.
But it’s not so much a military operation as it is a diplomatic mission, which leads to the most over-the-top quote in the whole hyperbolic release:
“There’s no better ambassador for the United States of America than the sailor of the United States Navy,” Rowden said. “I was absolutely blown away by their ability to go out and make friends and the willingness on their part to give.”
Well, given our recent military-industrial-oil-protection history let’s hope that the Africans get it together, otherwise we know who’s going to really get “blown away.”
