Stars and Stripes: US Africom chief discusses military intervention in Mali

[boutons_deux]

I don't think Africom exists for oil, but only to go after Muslims, and to keep them from over running weak countries

(but really, it's nothing but wealth-sucking make-work for the MIC).

[RandomGuy]

I don't think Africom exist for oil, but only to go after Muslims, and to keep them from overrrunning weak countries

(but really, it's nothing but wealth-sucking make-work for the MIC).

Pentagon's New Map

[BobaFett1]

Like it or not Africa's oil makes Africa's problems... ours too.

Don't like it? Quit using oil.

If you aren't willing to do that, pony up the money for Africom to bulk up.


Renewables you libs cry about them but the technolgy is not 100% there to make the economy run. If someone can up with better technolgy and no scams like Solyndra than you can go for it,.

Spend it one way, spend it another.

Renewables that don't require us to use oil are the only real answer that makes any economic sense.

[BobaFett1]

Renewable technology is not there yet to make economy go.

[BobaFett1]

I'm from Missouri, show me. There's a lot of time between 1300 years ago and now.

true that

[RandomGuy]

Renewables you libs cry about them but the technolgy is not 100% there to make the economy run. If someone can up with better technolgy and no scams like Solyndra than you can go for it.

Solyndra represented a rather small % of the overall money spent. Look it up, and don't take my word for it. If your metric is to never have any company ever go under that might accept a research grant, you will act to hinder the market rather than encourage it.

We don't need some "100%" solution, and no one is really advocating that in the short term.

Even a modest renewable target for electricity and a slowly declining dependency on oil would be enough to start us on the road of insulating ourselves from the price shocks that come with dependence on depletable finite commodities like oil, which was ultimately my point.

It might surprise you, but renewable costs have been coming down, and look to continue that trend. The overall costs are approaching market costs for hydrocarbons. Asia and Africa moving up the energy damand scale will make hydrocarbons more and more expensive over time as 3,000,000,000 human beings suddenly find themselves able to bid against you for each new gallon of gas.

[Winehole23]

According to intelligence analyst Stratfor, “with this agreement, the U.N. is . . . cir venting its own mandate and rules of engagement by allowing the French to conduct combat operations without [adhering] to the same limitations and constraints of . . . African forces. This unconventional approach likely stems from the fact that the peacekeepers are facing a more complex militant threat than in most . . . operations, compelling them to employ the French to project firepower that U.N. forces . . . cannot [under their mandate].”


France has withdrawn some of the 4,000 troops it deployed to Mali at the height of Operation Serval in February but is maintaining troop strength at 3,200 until all parties accept results from the presidential elections. U.N. forces are responsible for security during stabilization. However, only half of the 11,200 troops that could be deployed are in country.


Stratfor estimates that “at this level, the troops are capable of continuing to secure population centers.” Moreover, attacks by militants in the cities or against security forces throughout the country have not occurred in recent months, the analyst notes, even though tensions between the Malian military and northern Mali's Arab and Tuareg populations pose security threats and jihadists retain an offensive capability.

http://www.aviationweek.com/Article....605715.xml&p=1