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On 8/26/2008 9:41:59 AM U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs Office wrote
U.S. Africa Command is a "Model We Should Embrace," says Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Coulter
A senior Defense Department policy official has sought to put to rest concerns that U.S. Africa Command is an example of militarization of U.S. foreign policy. Instead, the new headquarters is "a model we should embrace," said Michael W. Coulter, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs.
In a speech July 15, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates noted that "America's civilian institutions of diplomacy and development have been chronically undermanned and underfunded for far too long." Coulter agreed with this statement but denied accusations, voiced by some critics, that the Department of Defense, specifically U.S. Africa Command, is usurping State Department funds.
Coulter stressed that there are clear laws regulating where the Department of Defense and other agencies may allocate funds. "No funds have been taken from State and provided to DoD," Coulter explained in a written statement provided to U.S. Africa Command.
Additionally, he said that statements describing the Africa Command as "militarizing foreign policy" are misleading. General William E. "Kip" Ward has reiterated in several speeches that the command will not set foreign policy, but will provide support to the State Department in reaching U.S. foreign policy objectives.
"When properly resourced and coordinated, the U.S. is a grand tool for good in the world, Coulter commented. Unfortunately, the inverse can also be true: when uncoordinated or inappropriately resourced, we can- and have- stumbled. It is DoDs desire, through innovative mechanisms like AFRICOM, to ensure our tools are well integrated with other elements of national power in support of our foreign policy and national security objectives. And on the continent of Africa, where the most important tasks are not 'destructive' tasks but rather the 'constructive' tasks of building legitimacy, good governance, rule of law, and hope, such cooperation is all the more critical. This is the 'jointness' of the new century and the goal we strive to achieve with AFRICOM."
On 9/1/2008 3:28:09 PM Daniel in Pretoria, South Africa wrote The establishment of Africom is the clearest demonstration yet of the United States' commitment to the advancement of Africa for Africa's sake and for the sake of global peaceful political and economic co existence. Unfortunately some Africans with hidden agendas have sought to politicise a project the majority of Africans welcome with open hands. A lot of communicating and building stakeholder relations will however be required from the Americans working with Africans, in order to dispel the any notions of cynical ulterior motives.
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