Auntie Jabou and the rest,

US arms sales to the continent of Africa is almost non-existent apart
from the traditional IMETT programs to a few select countries. There
are stringent laws in the US that control and monitor all arms
transfers to any other country.  The Pentagon has the ultimate
mandate  to approve/disapprove any military hardware acquisitions
from any US Company by another country.  It is countries like South
Africa, China, Belgium, France and the former Soviet republics that
dominate the arms and mercenary markets in Africa; and NOT the US.

The Clinton administration had a plan in place to train and equip few
African armies from fledgling democracies like Senegal, Ghana, and
Nigeria to provide a rapid deployment African Defense Force in the
case of civil wars, ethnic conflicts or peace-keeping operations.
Unfortunately 9-11 created a strategic shift in international
security  and the new Bush administration has to re-orient US
national security interests i.e. closing down NATO bases in Europe
and relocating resources around the world to fight the war on terror.


Africa is certainly the last place on earth that US will commit
military resources to secure some "interests" like overthrowing a
paranoid fascist like Mugabe.


Ebou

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