I don't get what all these Arab countries are doing and why they keep wanting to have US military bases in their countries and then complain when it bombs an Arab or Muslim country for no reason (Iraq).
I sometimes feel like they try to blame Palestine/Israel on us (Egypt) and say we abandoned them and didn't fight to free them, but then they bring the American military to their neighbors door step.
They have to understand war is not a joke and not every time an Arab country dose something stupid Egypt has to come in like superman and save the day.
How many times has Egypt fought on the behalf of other Arab countries that barley helped in the war effort themselves? And how many times did they thank or repay Egypt, the only time I can think of was the Gulf war.
They complain about the Americans but they're the ones who brought them in the first place.
I just wanted to post this to show you (collective "you") I'm not "just making things up." A link won't work as the site is password protected (PWP). I'll c/p the article (Mods. if there's a problem with doing this, please just delete item; it is cited):
DoD officials debate proposal to move African Command from Europe to Morocco
WASHINGTON — Morocco has offered to host the U.S. military's new command in Africa.
The Congressional Research Service said Morocco has asked to host the new Africom, or African Command, of the U.S. military. The Defense Department envisions the Africom starting by 2009 and has been searching for a headquarters.
U.S. Marines aboard the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa command ship USS Mount Whitney enroute to the Indian Ocean. US Navy
"DoD [Department of Defense] officials are currently in consultations with African countries that have a security relationship with the United States, and have allegedly already received offers to host the command from several of them, including Botswana and Morocco," stated the report, "Africa Command: U.S. Strategic Interests and the Role of the U.S. Military in Africa."
Written by analyst Lauren Ploch, the report said Morocco is one of several African countries that have hosted U.S. operations in Africa, providing access to the kingdom's air bases and ports.
"DoD refers to these facilities as 'lily pads,' or cooperative security locations and currently has access to locations in Gabon, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia," the report said.
At the same time, the U.S. military has been debating a location for Africom, currently stationed in a U.S. base in Germany. The report, released last month, said several officials have urged that the headquarters of Africom in Europe would be more effective in Africa.
"Debate is also ongoing about the number of supporting units or sub-regional offices the command might require," the report said. "DoD suggests there are no final plans at this moment to establish any new military bases in Africa."
The Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, which would be transferred to Africom in 2008, has deployed more than 1,500 troops at Camp Lemonier in Djibouti. In 2006, the U.S. military signed a five-year lease with the Djiboutian government for Lemonier, with the option to extend the lease for two additional five-year terms.
Ploch said any African country selected for Africom must sign the so-called Status-of-Forces Agreement, which defines the legal status of U.S. personnel and property. The African country would also sign a bilateral non-surrender agreement to protect American personnel from prosecution by the International Criminal Court.
"At the forefront of DoD considerations in determining the host country will be providing for the safety and security of an estimated 500 American personnel and their families who will staff the command," the report said.
"Living standards in Africa are among the lowest in the world, and DoD would prefer a politically stable location with good access to health care and schools and relatively low levels of corruption," the report said.
Geostrategy-Direct,
www.geostrategy-direct.com, June 13, 2007
