Ebou Jallow wrote: "....... . This hungry neighborhood can barely feed itself more-or-less wage an offensive military campaign. Neither country, Senegal nor Bissau will never be able to carry out a sustained military offense whilst the Gambia maintains a sufficient defensive armed forces. It is absolutely foolish for leaders in the sub-region to even think about invading a neighbor. Both Senegal and Bissau are far better off mantaining a cordial relationship with The Gambia. Both countries have too much to loose...especially Senegal, the heartland of the separatist resistance. I would advice President Jammeh to expand his defensive weapon system acquisition, especially low range anti-aircraft weapons to defray any threats from the rudimendary Senegalese airforce. " Well Mr. Jallow even though you say you are not advocating war, you seem to want to advice president Jammeh to prepare not just for one but two wars - one with Guinea-Bissau and another with Senegal. The entire premise for contemplating such an eventuality rests partly on threats of invasion from a delusional Kumba Yalla in Bissau, and partly on your claim that ".. Gen. Mansur Seck has been making a purile systematic lobbying to acquire weapons from the US..." I am not a pacifist at all but going by your standards, statecraft must indeed be very serious business since even when you are not contemplating war you seem to think it quite necessary to encourage an arms race in the region. Yes, we both want the same thing for the Gambia but our methods would certainly bring different results to Gambia. Instead of spending unavailable money on low-range anti-aircraft weapons, I should suggest that the government imports cheap generic drugs to help Gambian mothers infected with HIV/AIDS and equip the university library, while using all available diplomatic channels to put pressure on Kumba Yalla to withdraw his threat. In general relations between Gambia and Senegal have remained very cordial throughout the post independence era. Except for a couple of cross border skirmishes in the sixties, the result of Senegal's attempt to forcefully stop smuggling, Senegalese military involvement in Gambia has been in response to Gambian instigation (1981). Senegal's military has always been better-equipped and better trained than what ever armed institution that obtains in Gambia. Even if we assume as you do, that Senegal wants a puppet regime in Gambia, we are forced to conclude that the reason(s) it has not tried to impose such a regime is not contingent on Gambia's defensive military capabilites! President Jammeh must make sure that those fighting for an independent Casamance are not allowed to set up bases on Gambian soil, not because Gambia should not be sympathetic to their demands, but because Gambia must reject seccession. Gambia must use whatever influence it has to encourage dialog and a political settlement of the conflict. A stable, peaceful and prosperous Gambia that encourages, pursues, and strengthens economic and cultural ties with neighbours in the entire subregion is her best line of defense. If President Jammeh should acquire low range anti-aircraft missiles on the bases of threats from a mentally unstable President Yalla, half a country away, and whose own opposition believes him to be mad, then both presidents must see a decent psychiatrist. As they say here, that is my D1.00 opinion. Sidibeh, Stockholm/Kartong ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~