from LAOLU AKANDE, in Washington DC

New details have emerged on why the US President George W. Bush decided to invite Nigeria's President Umaru Yar'Adua to the White House after the US government had described his election as "deeply flawed" and drew back in its relationship with the Yar'Adua administration because of the election.

There are now clear indications that that the rising opposition to the US idea of AFRICOM, a US military command in Africa was akey issue for which President Bush brought the Nigerian president to the White House last Thursday.

Ahead of the meeting, a senior Bush administration official had told Empowered Newswirethat the issue of AFRICOM would certainly come up. Asked before the meeting whether both presidents would discuss the issue, the official who spoke on conditions of anonymity explained that President Bush “will use the opportunity to explain to President Yar’Adua our thinking.” The official said AFRICOM has been misunderstood and that the US president will clarify on what AFRICOM is and is not.

To nail in a positive response from Yar’Adua a source added that the Americans recalled how the US has helped trained some Nigerian military officers, especially among over 25,000 peacekeepers that the US has trained in Africa.

Besides, it was gathered from White House sources that the US government built the camps in Darfur where Nigerian troops have been based and also maintained it until recently when plans are being implemented to handover to the United Nations.

Said a source the US thinks that “a country like Nigeria which has benefited from us training the military,” should be made to understand the right concept of AFRICOM. The source added that Nigerians and many Africans think of the US Military Command as meaning US troops however the Command would be more of a capacity building command that will allow the US government to do more of what they have been doing already for African military troops in the discharge of peacekeeping roles in the continent and outside.

The US govt believes it has spent a lot of money supporting and training African militaries and do not understand why such a country like Nigeria will not support AFRICOM, which according to US officials would help the US do more for African militaries.

A US Military Command’s presence in Africa allows us to do that better, says the top Bush administration official who spoke to The Guardian.

Also a week before Yar’Adua arrived the Deputy Commander in charge of Civil-Military Activities of the US Africa Command, Ambassador Mary Carlin Yates spoke in New York with the foreign press, especially African journalists and disclosed that the US Africa Command is not intended to have garrison troops would be based on African soil.

Yates, a senior US Diplomat said of the AFRICOM idea “I want to state for the record that there is no intention to have Garrison troops on the continent. There is no intention to have base with Garrison troops. This is to be a headquarters as the joint headquarters that does the planning.”

According to her there certainly a desire by the US to have some presence on the continent because “we believe that we can be more value added to the African militaries who want to interface with us if there is some presence. But we will not go anywhere that we’re not invited, and we will not go anywhere where it will cause harm, disrupt ongoing stability and programs.”

She further explained that what the US envisioned, if, when invited and AFRICOM moves to the continent “would be to have some sort of regional hub or offices so that we could more effectively with the militaries, whether it’s by a region or connected to organizations. This is what is under discussion and under construction this year specifically.”

However this does not completely rule out the presence of US troops in some form, but nothing new Yates said.

Her words: “When there are exercises, certainly troops will go, as they have been doing for the last decade. We send a group of people into Niger; they work with the Niger military. They’re there for a month or however long and then they leave and go back to their bases in Europe primarily.”

In answer to a question Yates had also hinted that the AFRICOM issue would feature in the Bush-Yar’Adua talks of Thursday at the White House. Although she said she did not know this for a fact however she stated that talking about AFRICOM “would seem logical as a follow-on to our visit (to Nigeria.).

During US AFRICOM’s visit to Nigeria, Yates said they “met with the Foreign Minister. We met with the Chief of Defense Staff, General Azazi. We met with the National Security Advisor when we were there.”

It is believed that the AFRICOM issue was what clearly swayed the hands of the US government to invite Yar’Adua to White after previous attempts by the Yar’Adua administration to be invited failed.

For instance the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the past Obasanjo administration supporters and friends with links in the Bush administration tried making a White House trip earlier. Even a White House source confirmed that then there wasn’t much to discuss so the US government held back.

A State Department official last week even stated publicly that "there was a pause in our close relationship," referring to US-Nigeria relations. The U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Todd J. Moss, who made the statement last week, said this was because of the elections of April 2007, which brought Yar'Adua into office. He restated that the elections were "deeply flawed," and "gave us some serious pause as to how close we could be. We expressed our concerns with the Nigerians ... and we set some very clear expectations. I am happy to say that, so far, those expectations have been met."

While the diplomatic pause in intensity of the US-Nigeria relations was going onthe US government was running into serious problems regarding its plan to secure African support for it US Military Command for Africa, and then the Americans started reconsidering its stance on having the Nigerian President visit the White House.

President Yar’Adua came out of the White House meeting on Thursday declaring Nigeria and even implied African support for AFRICOM.

Said he “we shall partner with AFRICOM to assist not only Nigeria, but also the African continent to actualize its peace and security… initiative, which is an initiative to help standby forces of
brigade-size in each of the regional economic groupings within the African continent.”

This was in spite of the fact that the National Council of State had raised objections to the idea only few weeks ago.

Foreign Affairs Minister Ojo Maduekwe in a Washington DC interview at the US National Press Club building earlier this year also spoke to US based African journalists including the Voice of America saying Nigeria will never allow or support the US Africa Command. After the White House visit where President Yar'Adua annouced that Nigeria would now partner with the US on AFRICOM, the President and his Foreign Affairs Minister Ojo Maduekwe have been seeking to clarify that Nigeria would not support the stationing of troops in Africa, although US officials also continue to insist that there was no time they intended via AFRICOM to station a military base in Africa in the form of Garrsion troops.

Robot  Villager

# 1 var sbtitle9629=encodeURIComponent(Rising Oppo...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 16.12.2007 22:23

Zanubia Wolf  Villager

# 2 We Do not want American Troops on African Soil in any Shape or Form. The reason they are stepping up there interest in Africa is to Check mate China, Spy on African Governments and Implement wicked divide and rule TRICKS!! Please let African decide for them Selves for once!!! Posted by Zanubia Wolf| 17.12.2007 09:57

Celticologist  Villager

# 3 =Zanubia Wolf;4294973265>We Do not want American Troops on African Soil in any Shape or Form. The reason they are stepping up there interest in Africa is to Check mate China, Spy on African Governments and Implement wicked divide and rule TRICKS!! Please let African decide for them Selves for once!!! 1. If it's about China...I tell you what, you don't want China in Africa either. 2. Spying doesn't require travelling all the way to Africa. These days it is easily done from the comfort of an average NSA office cubicle in Fort Meade or somewhere off a highway between Hyatsville and Baltimore. All done while sipping coffee. Are these fear of Africom based on facts or paranoia?. Did you include Liberia in the "we don't want it" crowd?. By the way, only the "governments" are talking for now, not the people. Posted by Celticologist| 17.12.2007 10:43

Zanubia Wolf  Villager

# 4 But for what reason should America even contemplate setting up a garrison /base of any kind in anywhere in Africa? Can Africans set up a military base in America? And what makes you think that China will NOT be a better benefit for Africa? are you anti Chinese? or is it due to their involvement in the the Trans-Atlantic slave trade?:biggrin: Did you watched the speech Yar'adua gave with Bush in the white House? it was worrying? Why the Sudden interest the Push for a Military Garison/ Base? What about Hospitals or Pharmaceutical Industry that will manufacture drugs so Africans can get access to vaccines? Why Must it be a Military Assistants ???? Posted by Zanubia Wolf| 17.12.2007 11:15

hellofadude  Villager

# 5 @ Zanubia Wolf - You'd be pretty naive to think Yaradua is as naive or dogmatic idealistic as you... (I was..) The fact of the matter is the man is playing his politics quietly but with deadly accurate precision.. It confirms my earlier pronouncement (in another thread) that this man appears weak, now it has been confirmed that he is indeed weak because his mandate is weak. however, i may have been mistaken when i thought his weakness was born of a weak character... I remember images of him bowing down shamelessly to OBJ during campaign as if he lacked a spine. A closer look at this episode has thought me otherwise... To understand what i mean you have to first understand the power dynamics of the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; It is an office a true dogmatic idealist can not survive in for too long without compromising his ideal... Yaradua picked the ideal time launch his offensive.. after 6 months of relative stability, the country has not been torn apart because of his fraudulent election despite all of Americas' bleakest forecasts.. He has a firm grip of power, he understands very clearly what is going on... It was time to make his move, so he calls a Council of State and gets their reluctance for American military Presence blown out of all hype... What other response do you expect from a comitee of ex-presidents and state chief execs.. The common man on the street will not refuse an American base nearby with all the benefits in work, trade, and technology that would shoot out. He calculated and quite rightly that if this meant enough to the Amiricans they will want to accomodate him.. Guess what, it means a lot to them.. It is like the years between the 'cold war' and end of world war 2 all over again.. when America claimed to be fighting communism accross the world. Only this time, they are fighting Terrorism.. Nigerian being strategic in its position in Africa and as an oil producing state, with its peculiar mix of christains and moslems.. America does not want a terrorist backed state to emerge so it will fight with its huge array of resources - and will prob win, seeing that their foe (Terrorist) has no state, but is rather at this stage driven by ideology.. i.e there is no state backed terrorism going on in this day and age.. at least not openly. Yaradua knows that only a fool or an ideologist will refuse America with all the resources it could bring both material and technological... Nigerian could leap at least 10 years in 5 years time with their help... Many people dont realise it, but most technology we enjoy today was and is driving by American military research.. take the internet for example... Yaradua is no fool, he enjoys power and privilege like most human beings; you can even argue he is beginning to feel he can really make a difference.. If he was an idealist in that way, he certainly is not now.. So whats he do... stir trouble and in return for his support, legitimacy, recognition by the most powerful country on Earth. If he had a firm grp on power before he left, he has a firmer gip on it now.. The only unknown at this point is.. "whats he going to do with it"? Posted by hellofadude| 17.12.2007 11:15

Auspicious  Villager

# 6 =hellofadude;4294973299>@ Zanubia Wolf - You'd be pretty naive to think Yaradua is as naive or dogmatic idealistic as you... What a generous opener to enlightening another..! :D:rolleyes::D Auspicious. Posted by Auspicious| 17.12.2007 11:35

Zanubia Wolf  Villager

# 7 Dear hellofadude, Call me a simplistic Idealist if you may but from what life has taught me, If something walks like a duck! Quacks like a Duck! looks like a duck, then Please its a DUCK!!! What President Yar'adua has done is nothing more than a SELL OUT!! and if you think he is applying some stoop to conquer tactics!! That will bear fruit in the near future.... Your shocking!! and you call me a Simplistic Idealist? :lol: My only hope is that you are not one of his advisor's Posted by Zanubia Wolf| 17.12.2007 11:44

superego  Villager

# 8 I do not hate Africom, I only ask- Is the US unconsulted decision to implant Africom in just any willing of the selected Nations the best next offer the US can make to Africa? (Liberia the ex war torn, ex-US colony Nation headed by ex-US Harvard graduate, saved by African headed ECOMOG will sensibly not be put in great perspect in this discourse, I believe.) If anyone can prove that this is the most important next best gift we should get from aMerica, those of us who say we rather do without it may agree. What is the summary of the reasons aMerica wants to give us Africom. Let's objectively analyse this. A list would be in order and we can then reply with other available alternatives and then see if a US military base is the overall best solution for these. While making such list, here already are some of our responses. 1. In terms of African economy- US lobbying to enable free trade in the African continent will create the biggest jump for our economy. Africa loses about 300 billion dollars to that. (ref 1 and 2) 2. In terms of security, terrorism and wars. the US seizing to be the only Nation that continously vetos to block the unanimous UN decisions to ban illegal arms trade into Africa, may be the best next step. (ref 1 and 3) Maybe after we see policy changes made we can invite Africom. Forgive me for not being a man who believes the gun is the best voice and diplomatic tool. More to come when we see the list from supporters. References 1... http://africaagainstafricom.org/article.php?story=free_trade 2... http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_050621trade.shtml 3... http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0622-08.htm Posted by superego| 17.12.2007 11:53

Celticologist  Villager

# 9 =Zanubia Wolf;4294973298> And what makes you think that China will NOT be a better benefit for Africa? are you anti Chinese? or is it due to their involvement in the the Trans-Atlantic slave trade?:biggrin: I will only respond to this one as it doesn't appear that you truly understand what the entire event is all about. No, you don't want China in Africa....You don't want China and everything that graces her presence wherever she settles. Give it a little while and you'll be suprised the kind of things that will flood your markets and daily life. Other than bringing Africa further down, that country has nothing significantly uplifting to offer. Out you go in search of accurate maps that says "the west" on it's front cover. Posted by Celticologist| 17.12.2007 11:55

ocnus  Villager

# 10 I don't know where the story came that Yar'Adua agreed to host AFRICOM. Yar'Adua did a very creditable job in Washington. He went without an ambassador (the DCM at the Embassy did a giood job) and a relatively small delegation. Most importantly, the Nigerian delegation, for the first time in history, arrived on time to every meeeting. This was very impressive to the American hosts. In a meeting before his meeting with Bush Yar'Adua made it clear that the Nigerian position was against hosting AFRICOM. When he met with Bush he stated his position very clearly and Bush said nothing. When Bush left the meeting he met with Condoleeza Rice and Jendai Frazer who waffled about how the Nigerians would co-operate. They gave a story to the press that Yar'Adua had agreed on the AFRICOM issue. Nigeria will co-operate with the AFRICOM and will received substantial assistance for the protection of the Delta but AFRICOM will be located in Accra, Ghana. This will be announced in the New Year. The visit to the US was a big success and Yar'Adua was viewed as a serious politician with whom business could be done. The hangers'on (Andy Young, Carl Masters, J.C. Watts, Riva Levinson) who made their fortunes with Obasanjo were virtually ignored during the visit. It was a very good start Posted by ocnus| 17.12.2007 12:09

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