U.S. military deploying to Africa in ever increasing numbers and no one knows about it

[AnalystInParadise]

This is getting out of hand, an entire Brigade from Fort Bliss (where I work) has received tentative orders (meaning they could change)to deploy to seven African nations at the end of this year. Why aren't we talking about this? An entire Brigade Combat Team with Tanks, Bradleys and Apache helicopters is preparing to go to Africa and we don't seem to care. If Shrub had done this, we would be screaming, as we should. Now it seems that we ignore what is happening right before our eyes.

http://www.mintpressnews.com/uss-invasion-africa-nobody-knows/189150/

[AnalystInParadise]

1. More links

In case people don't like my source.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/drone-base-in-niger-gives-us-a-strategic-foothold-in-west-africa/2013/03/21/700ee8d0-9170-11e2-9c4d-798c073d7ec8_story.html

http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175743/tomgram%20percent3A_nick_turse%20percent2C_africom%20percent27s_gigantic_%20percent22small_footprint%20percent22

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175823/tomgram%20percent3A_nick_turse,_america%20percent27s_non-stop_ops_in_africa/

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Replace Ukraine for China

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024841666

The nations have interests applies.

China is expanding like gangbusters in Africa and even building roads and infrastructure and it is not due to their own good intentions either.

http://www.chinaafricarealstory.com/

And we are barely talking about it for "good reasons."

[msongs]

4. we are not building roads and infrastructure much at home either nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. That is true

But that is a sign of declining empires. Like Russia, China can do math.

[itsrobert]

3. Did they teach you OPSEC at Ft Bliss?

n/t

[AnalystInParadise]

7. LOL

yeah they did. Open Source information is Open Source....

[AnalystInParadise]

8. Here is a small taste about it

http://www.armytimes.com/article/20140102/NEWS/301020012/24-issues-will-shape-Army-2014

I can post more links but you get the point.

[AnalystInParadise]

9. Or this

http://fearandloathingintheinfantry.com/brigade-tracker/

Or if you subscribe to Army Times they publish a deployment list every single week of units they have received movement orders. so I guess the question is do you know dick about OPSEC, because it looks like no........

[AnalystInParadise]

12. Hey look

An Army Brigade talking about it on their Facebook page..............

You done yet?

[tazkcmo]

27. lol n/t

[Separation]

5. I guess it depends on what circles you travel in

Marines have been in Africa for some time now. It's 90% training and %10 advisory. Italy and the French Foreign Legion are there as well and are taking a more combat support role.

[AnalystInParadise]

10. The problem is

we are taking on a combat role. A significant increase in the combat role and in a few countries we are taking the lead.

[Maedhros]

42. It's a bit more than training.

http://www.thenation.com/article/176045/us-militarys-pivot-africa

http://socialistworker.org/2012/11/06/obamas-war-in-africa

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175823/tomgram%3A_nick_turse%2C_america%27s_non-stop_ops_in_africa/

The numbers tell the story: 10 exercises, 55 operations, 481 security cooperation activities.

For years, the U.S. military has publicly insisted that its efforts in Africa are small scale. Its public affairs personnel and commanders have repeatedly claimed no more than a “light footprint” on that continent, including a remarkably modest presence when it comes to military personnel. They have, however, balked at specifying just what that light footprint actually consists of. During an interview, for instance, a U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) spokesman once expressed worry that tabulating the command’s deployments would offer a “skewed image” of U.S. efforts there.

It turns out that the numbers do just the opposite.

Last year, according AFRICOM commander General David Rodriguez, the U.S. military carried out a total of 546 “activities” on the continent -- a catch-all term for everything the military does in Africa. In other words, it averages about one and a half missions a day. This represents a 217% increase in operations, programs, and exercises since the command was established in 2008.

In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this month, Rodriguez noted that the 10 exercises, 55 operations, and 481 security cooperation activities made AFRICOM “an extremely active geographic command.” But exactly what the command is “active” in doing is often far from clear.

AFRICOM releases information about only a fraction of its activities. It offers no breakdown on the nature of its operations. And it allows only a handful of cherry-picked reporters the chance to observe a few select missions. The command refuses even to offer a count of the countries in which it is “active,” preferring to keep most information about what it’s doing -- and when and where -- secret.

While Rodriguez’s testimony offers but a glimpse of the scale of AFRICOM’s activities, a cache of previously undisclosed military briefing documents obtained by TomDispatch sheds additional light on the types of missions being carried out and their locations all across the continent. These briefings prepared for top commanders and civilian officials in 2013 demonstrate a substantial increase in deployments in recent years and reveal U.S. military operations to be more extensive than previously reported. They also indicate that the pace of operations in Africa will remain robust in 2014, with U.S. forces expected again to average far more than a mission each day on the continent.

Afghanistan and Iraq, and to much lesser extent Pakistan and Yemen, are the subjects of news stories in the media. There is almost no discussion of the unprecedented U.S. escalation of military involvement in Africa which began in 2008 and drastically accelerated in 2011. Indeed, the exact nature of U.S. involvement on the continent is shrouded in secrecy. From the outside, it appears to be an implementation of the Rumsfeld Doctrine: widespread operations of covert special operations forces back by a mobile rapid deployment force.

Our withdrawal from Afghanistan and Iraq is rightly viewed as well overdue. How much are we now spending on African military operations, and are they necessary? I say we have better uses for that money at home, rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and creating jobs.

[Separation]

44. Been in Africa doing the same thing for years.

I lost friends in Djibouti, when our 53 was bombed accidentally by a B52.

As far as taking the lead in combat action, well I've been out, for six months and haven't talked to anyone over there recently. But before I left it was like I said before, Italy, and French Foreign Legion are doing the ground pounding.

Transporting troops, flying drones, training, giving intel, isn't what I would say is direct combat support.

As far as spending to much money, you are preaching to the choir. Why does the EU, NATO, and pacific allies get to spend more on social programs? Because they know we will bail their asses out, which IMO is BS.

[AnalystInParadise]

45. The French are talking the lead in West Africa

which is a Francophone region in many places. Italy it taking the lead in Somalia and Libya where they previously had control, that still leaves a lot of Africa left. Central and Southern Africa are the main regions, which coincidentally seem to be where China is focusing.

[Maedhros]

46. The takeaway is that Obama has increased operations in Africa by 265% since taking office.

But nobody is really discussing it.

I respect your experience in Djibouti, but the entirely of our operations in Africa cannot be inferred from activities in just one tiny corner of it. For most of the operations we have no idea what they comprise.

[L0oniX]

11. Still looking for that yellow cake?

Don't ask "we the people" ...we the people don't know what's going on ...and that's what TPTB want.

[AnalystInParadise]

13. Yep

Except in this case we are taking over for over matched African military's and fighting their battles for them.

[L0oniX]

16. Why should other countries fight when we will do it for them.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Funny, sort off actually,

Yellow cake actually comes out of the ground (the piece of truth in that pile of lies). And not just yellow cake. There is a skew of minerals, and precious stones. I am sure you've heard of diamonds. And then there is that black stuff.

Africa is seen as an emerging market. This is about who gets the cake, no pun, the US or China. And China is beating us to snot. While we deploy the military, they deploy road engineers. Who do you think will win that game?

[KG]

15. only doing what any imperial military force should be doing, protecting extraction industries and

trade routes....

[KoKo]

17. Recommend....It's true...

Friend of mine's son..a Military Lawyer over there for three years...in Italy..(command base) and he just has been ordered for three more years. WE ARE THERE for the NEW THEATER. Our huge base in Italy (no one talks about) is so central to AFRICOM for OPS the Troops come in from the other stagings like Libya..where we have huge presence along with Somalia and wherever we can get our troops in behind the closed doors.

AFRICOM! (because China is there...and we don't wan't China competing....even though everything we import mostly these days comes from CHINA.

Is our Foreign Policy so screwed up we don't even see what we are doing anymore?

[AnalystInParadise]

18. People would be stunned

if they knew the truth. Even the cheerleaders.

[KoKo]

19. Indeed..

I'm always surprised we don't have more DU'ers here who have folks in military that they could at least give a view. Don't need to identify but...could give as much info as is out there in the news about what they know about what we are doing. And some of their kids and relatives are Democrats...who are out there.. As is my friend's son. But, he's in military and lawyer...and does what he does...

It's his job.. But...why the families don't speak up is beyond me....when they are Democrats who must know that what we are involved in is very dicey...for all of us going forward. If only more would speak up. But...jobs are scarce...maybe that's the problem.

[oldhippie]

20. True .......

I've been retired for three years now and not as "plugged in" as I used to be, but I have several internet correspondents in the military Intel community that are *somewhere in East Africa* doing *community support*.

[AnalystInParadise]

24. I am retired MI

myself, only retired last year though. I still work in the biz, on the contractor side now, but yeah I also have a number of friends in countries in Africa no one in our media EVER wants to talk about.

[oldhippie]

25. My last assignment ....

... in my 40 year career was in Operational Test Command at Fort Hood. We still have a bunch of folks at Ft Bliss and WSMR working NIE. But most of my earlier work was in SIGINT, ELINT and ECM/ECCM. I was a Signal guy but spent a lot of time with you intel weenies.

[AnalystInParadise]

28. Cool, very cool

I work for Fort Bliss and the Intel Group here, now training the 35F's on Conventional War Doctrine. My career was as an All Source guy and in my time at Hood, I worked at the CTSF on the Test Floor as a soldier. Of course that was way back in the day during Task Force XXI when the CTSF was new as was the concept of Digital systems in a TOC.

[AnalystInParadise]

22. I will never violate

OPSEC, contrary to what that clown further up thread believes. But, I will also not be quiet about things that can be found in the public domain. I voted for an end to war, not an expansion of the war to another 30 countries. People really are ignorant of what is happening.

[KoKo]

26. yes...

there should be ways to do it without identifying info that violates what you have to sign. But, there should be some way to get attention...but, it's the families I wish would speak out in some way...but, then it would put their kids in jeopardy, also.

There are a few reporters trying to talk about it..but, they aren't in the Mainstream Media.

Here's a link...you probably already know...but "Tom Dispatch" does try...And, I find more about our "other stuff/Ops" there than anywhere else.

https://www.commondreams.org/nick-turse

[KoKo]

31. This...

from link above I mentioned:
Published on Monday, April 14, 2014 by TomDispatch.com
Our Big, Fat, Not-So-Secret War in Africa
U.S. Officials Talk Candidly (Just Not to Reporters) about bases, winning hearts and minds, and the “War” in Africa
by Nick Turse

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/04/14-2

[AnalystInParadise]

32. Yep....

And this is also not an OPSEC violation. Sorry, that other guy chapped my ass, I have safeguarded Classified information for 21 years, I would never violate OPSEC......

But you are correct, there is a lot going on and yet we seem to be ignoring it as a nation.

[MannyGoldstein]

33. Apparently, speaking embarrassing truths is naughty

at least in the eyes of juror #4:

AUTOMATED MESSAGE: Results of your Jury Service

On Fri Apr 18, 2014, 10:16 PM an alert was sent on the following post:

I will never violate
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4842145

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

Calling another DUer a "clown" is rather rude and is definitely a personal attack. Name calling and insults add nothing to the discussion.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Fri Apr 18, 2014, 10:27 PM, and the Jury voted 1-6 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: A person who casually implies that someone is violating US law, without knowing the facts, is indeed a clown. Thus this is a fact rather than an insult.
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: "Clown" is pretty harmless for someone who claims you are violating OPSEC.
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: I've been called far worse things than a clown on DU and never whined about it.
Juror #4 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Name-calling and conspiracy theory crap. He's president. Deal with it.
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: There is absolutely nothing wrong with the word "clown" as it was used here. There needs to be a penalty for "false alerting".

Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Use of the term 'clown' is a minor offense. The point made by the alerted point is important in the discussion. Leave it alone.


Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[AnalystInParadise]

38. That's two failed alerts in a week

about embarrassing military truths. I have a fan apparently. The last word from me on this is this: if it is in a dozen reputable publications it is hardly a conspiracy theory.

[MannyGoldstein]

39. It must be awful to be followed around by people who alert on you.

[AnalystInParadise]

40. Not sure if sarcasm

or sincerity

[MannyGoldstein]

41. Tongue in cheek

I have my own swarm of alert-bots that nips at my heels.

Or I'm just clinically paranoid.

In any case, I apologize for not making that more obvious.

[Fuddnik]

43. We could probably give the Joker a name

But, that would violate the rules.

[Separation]

29. Marine Corps Times,

Army and Navy times. If you have Facebook, just like their page. Troop movements in Africa have been on the front page for at least a year. These are independent from their respective branch they cover...to the point of the Commandant of the Marine Corps wanted to remove the magazine from the front aisle and put them in the back of the store.

[malaise]

23. Imperialism on steroids

I can't take much more of this.

[Scuba]

21. It's just temporary ...

[840high]

30. ...^ that

[locks]

34. How can this be?

I try to follow the news from Africa; it is so depressing that we never know what our government is doing in our name. It's not just the media; where are our representatives? Why are we told by this administration that the US does not do "nation building"? Training the military, selling or giving arms to those nations which have been ravaged by war for so long is not humanitarianism. It is continuing the colonialism which ravaged that beautiful continent and its people for centuries.

[jwirr]

35. What countries? I am especially interested in Tanzania. Our family supports a young boy there.

[AnalystInParadise]

37. Giving away the actual countries

would be a violation. But AFRICOM covers a large portion of Africa, so one can figure it out.

[jwirr]

49. I understand. He lives in the largest city in Tanzania and is in a very poor district. Fortunately

for him he and his family work for a church and get to live on the property of the church. With our support money he has a chance. But only a small chance.

[Maedhros]

47. This is also informative:

from http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175823/tomgram%3A_nick_turse%2C_america%27s_non-stop_ops_in_africa/

[KoKo]

48. recommend...

[jwirr]

50. Thank you. This confirms my worst fears. Our white world has destroyed most of AFrica and now we

are going to finish the job. Due to the level of poverty in this continent the death rate of innocents will be staggering from hunger and disease that always accompanies war. And I hate to say it but I suspect that is exactly what we want.

May God forgive us because no one else will.

[AnalystInParadise]

51. FY2015

is the one where things really start to get crazy with our military involvement there.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

52. Spreading democracy.....again?