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Relief group criticizes
new US Africa command
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WASHINGTON(July
19 - 20,2008)
- The new U.S. military command for Africa is unlikely to foster the
security required to bring badly needed development to the impoverished
continent, according to a study released on Thursday.
A report by the Washington-based relief agency Refugees International
said U.S. Africa Command, or AFRICOM, lacks the funding necessary
to address the continent's need for competent policing and criminal
justice operations.
"AFRICOM's current meager budget for bilateral security cooperation
falls far short of what is needed to have true credibility and impact,"
the 48-page report said.
But Africa Command spokesman Vince Crawley said the command would
play only a supportive role in helping countries upgrade police and
other law enforcement agencies, and that most of the effort would
be funded and led by the State Department.
"People are right to be apprehensive, but we do believe there's
been a lot of misunderstanding about what we're trying to accomplish,"
Crawley said. The agency's report was the latest criticism of the
new regional command the Defense Department created last year to take
over operations in Africa that had been divided between three existing
commands. It formally assumes its responsibilities on Oct. 1.
AFRICOM is unique among U.S. combatant commands because its includes
State Department and USAID officials and its strategy for containing
Islamist militancy involves humanitarian and development activities,
such as the development of law enforcement and civil institutions,
defense officials said. One of two deputy commanders is a State Department
official.
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