Sounds like USAJobs.gov will be posting for a new AFRICOM Liason position soon!
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/127415.pdf
Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates championed a rebalancing of foreign policy funding away from the military, arguing that the United States should pool soldiers' and diplomats' shared resources to better manage projects in warzones. Now, after his departure, the first true test of that idea is going into effect.
Gates, who famously warned in 2008 of the "creeping militarization" of U.S. foreign policy, was talking about his idea for a new $2 billion pooled fund that State and Defense would share for security capacity building, stabilization, and conflict prevention in dangerous areas of the world, where both the military and the diplomatic core operate, until his departure this year.
The Obama administration acted on that idea this year by proposing a $50 million starter fund in its fiscal 2012 budget request which it called the Global Security Contingency Fund (GSCF), meant for responding to "urgent and emergent challenges." The idea is that approval to spend the money would require the approval of both secretaries, but the State Department would be more or less in charge.
"Secretary Gates called for pooled funding and this is the direct result of that and the first test of whether State and DOD can really work together on this kind of thing," a senior State Department official said in an interview with The Cable. "This is really an example of how State and DOD, rather than engage in bureaucratic gamesmanship, have decided to work together to solve these problems."
"For us, GSCF is the new model," the official said. "This is the model we think makes the most sense, particularly in budget-constrained times."
The new GSCF office will have a State Department official as a director, a Pentagon official as a deputy director, and will be located at the State Department, the official said. Nobody has been selected for the positions yet. The rough model for the office is the interagency "Pakistan cell," which manages various aspects of Pakistan funding now.
There's only one hitch: Congress. In the fiscal 2012 budget bill passed by Congress last week and signed by President Barack Obama, the $50 million to start GCSF was omitted. But Congress did give the administration the authority to start the project using funding from other accounts, including money earmarked for the Pakistani military.
Accordingly, GSCF will be funded this year by money appropriated to Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and what's called the Pakistani Counterinsurgency Capability Fund (PCCF), a pool of cash that is used to reimburse the Pakistani military for money it spends helping the United States fight Islamic extremists.
The PCCF program, meanwhile, is another ongoing saga in the jostling between State and DOD for control over money and power in countries where they both operate.
Originally housed at the Pentagon as the Pakistani Counterinsurgency Fund (PCF), the program was originally supposed to be transferred over to State in 2009. But at that time, State didn't have the capacity to manage it, so the transfer was delayed. In 2010, State finally took over the program, only to lose it again in 2011 during the last-minute budget slashing that accompanied the April 2011 deal to raise the debt ceiling. Now for 2012, the program is back at State again.
State will receive $850 million for PCCF in fiscal 2012, and this year State put the funding in its Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) account. By placing the program in the OCO account, the money is not counted as part of State's regular budget and therefore is more protected from the budget-cutting knives on Capitol Hill. The Pentagon is still heavily involved: In order to get the money to the Pakistani military, State actually passes the funds through the Pentagon, which implements the program on the ground by doling out the cash to the Pakistani army.
Passing the PCCF funds though the Pentagon this year will subject them to new policy restrictions in the fiscal 2012 defense authorization bill that require the administration to certify that Pakistan is using the money to fight extremists, rather than to build up conventional forces opposite India.
"The administration did have concerns that [these new restrictions] would hinder the flexibility of the program, but the Congress, obviously concerned about the nature of our relationship with Pakistan, insisted on these requirements," the State Department official said.
But how do you certify the Pakistanis are spending the money as intended? "That's going to be the issue," the official said.
Roger J Pociask
Managing Director
African Affairs Advisory Group
Telephone: (336) 937-0611
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Windhoek, Namibia
http://africanaffairsadvisorygroup.web.officelive.com/default.aspx
http://www.twitter.com/roger_pociask
http://rogerpociask.posterous.com
http://www.namtranslations.iway.na/naanona_two.html
http://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerpociask
NOTE: This e-mail is from a consulting firm, The African Affairs Advisory Group (AAAG), and is intended solely for the use of the individual(s) to whom it is addressed. If you believe you received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately, delete the e-mail from your computer and do not copy or disclose it to anyone else. If you are not an existing client of AAAG, do not construe anything in this e-mail to make you a client unless it contains a specific statement to that effect and do not disclose anything to AAAG in reply that you expect it to hold in confidence. If you properly received this e-mail as a client, co-counsel or retained expert of AAAG, you should maintain its contents in confidence in order to preserve the work product privilege that may be available to protect confidentiality.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made remarks today in Liberia:
“I was pleased to be here for the second inauguration of President Sirleaf, because I’ve known Ellen for a long time. I have a great deal of admiration and appreciation for the work she is doing, along with her other colleagues in government. And as she did at the end of the ceremony today, in recognizing in her speech and in the invitation to the opposition leaders to come forward, there has to be a recognition that in elections sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. I happen to know that for a fact. (Laughter.) I have done both of them, and I think it’s important that the lessons that we have learned over more than 235 years of trying to perfect our union be understood by other democracies and countries that are really making such strides.
I often am struck by how unusual people think it is that after I ran so hard against President Obama and he won he then asked me to serve with him. And people all over the world say, “Well, how did that happen? Why did he ask you? Why did you say yes?” And I said, “Well, because we both love our country.” And I think what you saw in President Sirleaf’s speech today – (applause) – is that same set of values. What does it mean to be a patriot? Well, it doesn’t mean that you always win. It means that you put the common good in front of your own personal and political interests. And yes, it is important to continue to express opposing opinions. We do that quite vigorously back home. But at the end of the day you have to agree upon certain values and then work together to fulfill them.”
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2012/01/180808.htm
U.S. Africa Command and the continent of Africa are hopefully and with wisdom beginning to understand the depth and substance of the remarks expressed here!
Roger J Pociask
Managing Director
African Affairs Advisory Group
Telephone: (336) 937-0611
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Windhoek, Namibia
http://africanaffairsadvisorygroup.web.officelive.com/default.aspx
http://www.twitter.com/roger_pociask
http://rogerpociask.posterous.com
http://www.namtranslations.iway.na/naanona_two.html
http://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerpociask
NOTE: This e-mail is from a consulting firm, The African Affairs Advisory Group (AAAG), and is intended solely for the use of the individual(s) to whom it is addressed. If you believe you received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately, delete the e-mail from your computer and do not copy or disclose it to anyone else. If you are not an existing client of AAAG, do not construe anything in this e-mail to make you a client unless it contains a specific statement to that effect and do not disclose anything to AAAG in reply that you expect it to hold in confidence. If you properly received this e-mail as a client, co-counsel or retained expert of AAAG, you should maintain its contents in confidence in order to preserve the work product privilege that may be available to protect confidentiality.
16 January 2012
http://www.miningreview.com/node/20382
The Namibian Competition Commission has cleared a Chinese nuclear company to take over an Australian mining firm with rights to the world's fourth-largest uranium deposit.
The go-ahead will allow Taurus Mineral ‒ a subsidiary of state-owned China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Company (CGNPC) and the China-Africa Development Fund ‒ to buy a controlling share in Australian-based Extract Resources, which holds exploration licences for the massive Husab uranium deposit in west-central Namibia.
“Extract has been informed that the Namibian Competition Commission has approved without conditions the possible acquisition of control of Extract by Taurus,” Extract said on its website.
Taurus would not, however, make a formal bid for Extract prior to receiving acceptances from the majority of Kalahari Minerals’ shareholders for its offer of US$979 for the company. The offer would expire on February 2. Kalahari owns 42.74% of Extract, and Taurus said in December it would make a A$8.65/share offer for Extract should it be successful in its bid for Kalahari.
Extract holds the exploration rights for the Husab deposit through its wholly-owned Namibian subsidiary Swakop Uranium. The deposit has 280Mt of uranium reserves and will cost an estimated US$1.5 billion to develop.
Extract Resources had been waiting on the approval of the mining right to start raising funds for the development of the mine, but would now have to wait on how the potential bid by Taurus plays out.
Spokesperson Tom Ferreira told Miningmx in December that Extract wouldn’t expect to have clarity on its future before the end of March. In the meantime, it would start doing small but significant developments, such as the construction of a road towards the main route to Walvis Bay. The team would also carry on with continued exploration.
Earlier this month, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi visited Namibia and met with top officials to discuss trade, cooperation and mining, he told reporters, without giving further details.
Roger J Pociask
Managing Director
African Affairs Advisory Group
Telephone: (336) 937-0611
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Windhoek, Namibia
http://africanaffairsadvisorygroup.web.officelive.com/default.aspx
http://www.twitter.com/roger_pociask
http://rogerpociask.posterous.com
http://www.namtranslations.iway.na/naanona_two.html
http://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerpociask
NOTE: This e-mail is from a consulting firm, The African Affairs Advisory Group (AAAG), and is intended solely for the use of the individual(s) to whom it is addressed. If you believe you received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately, delete the e-mail from your computer and do not copy or disclose it to anyone else. If you are not an existing client of AAAG, do not construe anything in this e-mail to make you a client unless it contains a specific statement to that effect and do not disclose anything to AAAG in reply that you expect it to hold in confidence. If you properly received this e-mail as a client, co-counsel or retained expert of AAAG, you should maintain its contents in confidence in order to preserve the work product privilege that may be available to protect confidentiality.
NAIROBI, Kenya — The United States government is increasingly concerned about the Twitter account of the Shabab militant group of Somalia, with American officials saying Monday that they were “looking closely” at the militants’ use of Twitter and the possible measures to take in response.
American officials would not disclose what action they were considering. But some American officials said the government was exploring legal options to shut down the Shabab’s new Twitter account, potentially opening a debate over the line between free speech and support for terrorism.
Over the past two weeks, the Shabab, brutal Islamists known for chopping off hands and starving the famine-stricken populace, have been firing off pithy Twitter messages referring to their attacks and taunting the Kenyan military, which sent troops into Somalia in October to battle the Shabab.
“Your inexperienced boys flee from confrontation & flinch in the face of death,” said a Shabab post addressed to the Kenyan Army.
Most of the Shabab’s Twitter messages are in English, not Somali, and are clearly meant for an outside audience. American officials said they were worried that the Shabab might be using Twitter to reach potential recruits in the West.
Officials across the American government, from the State Department to local law enforcement, have said one of the top terrorism threats to the United States is the potential for American militants to travel to Somalia to fight with the Shabab and then return home to wreak havoc.
Already, several Americans have killed themselves as suicide bombers in Somalia working for the Shabab, who have claimed hundreds of victims with such attacks. The group has been fighting Somalia’s transitional federal government, which is the internationally recognized authority and a recipient of millions of dollars from the United States government.
American officials say they may have the legal authority to demand that Twitter close the Shabab’s account, @HSMPress, which had more than 4,600 followers as of Monday night.
Twitter, based in San Francisco, has about 100 million users. A company spokesman, Matt Graves, said on Monday, “I appreciate your offer for Twitter to provide perspective for the story, but we are declining comment on this one.”
The Shabab have pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda, and in 2008 the State Department listed the group as a “specially designated global terrorist” and said it posed a significant risk of committing “acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy or economy of the United States.”
A State Department spokesman said, “We are looking closely at the facts of this situation to determine what the appropriate next steps might be.”
The Shabab have imposed a draconian version of Islam in the areas of southern Somalia that they control, yanking out gold teeth, beheading shopkeepers, sawing off arms and stoning adulterers. Yet, at the same time, they have shown technologically savvy, showcasing their work through slick propaganda videos, Web sites and electronic chat rooms.
The State Department said federal law enforcement agencies had taken action in the past against individuals using “Web hosting and related services.”
Roger J Pociask
Managing Director
African Affairs Advisory Group
Telephone: (336) 937-0611
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
Windhoek, Namibia
http://africanaffairsadvisorygroup.web.officelive.com/default.aspx
http://www.twitter.com/roger_pociask
http://rogerpociask.posterous.com
http://www.namtranslations.iway.na/naanona_two.html
http://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerpociask
NOTE: This e-mail is from a consulting firm, The African Affairs Advisory Group (AAAG), and is intended solely for the use of the individual(s) to whom it is addressed. If you believe you received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately, delete the e-mail from your computer and do not copy or disclose it to anyone else. If you are not an existing client of AAAG, do not construe anything in this e-mail to make you a client unless it contains a specific statement to that effect and do not disclose anything to AAAG in reply that you expect it to hold in confidence. If you properly received this e-mail as a client, co-counsel or retained expert of AAAG, you should maintain its contents in confidence in order to preserve the work product privilege that may be available to protect confidentiality.
CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti - U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta addresses service members stationed at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, December 13, 2011. Panetta said the role U.S. service members play in supporting their nation is securing the future for the children of generations to come. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Marc I. Lane)
CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti, Dec 13, 2011 — - The sound of thunderous applause from more than 500 service members welcomed U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, December 13, 2011.
Panetta extended his best wishes and heartfelt gratitude to all service members deployed to the Horn of Africa and discussed the impact troops' efforts have had in the region, as well as Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan."I can't tell you how proud I am as the Secretary of Defense to be able to visit with you, see the sacrifices that are made -- the dedication that is involved in the service, to thank you, on behalf of a grateful nation," he said. "Service to our country is something I deeply believe in."He said this belief was rooted in the influences of his family. As the son of Italian immigrants, Panetta said his parents came to America with no money in their pockets, skills or understanding of the English language. However, they did have a great deal of hope in the American dream, he said."I used to ask my father why he traveled all that distance to come to a strange country," Panetta explained. "My father said the reason he did it is, 'Because your mother and I believed we could give our children a better life.' I think that's the American dream."Panetta said service members are securing the future for the children of generations to come. And after 10 years of war, the United States is seeing definitive progress in its fight against terrorism. "Djibouti is a central location for continuing the effort against terrorism," he said. "We have made a lot of progress in confronting terrorism. We have helped make this region safer, but more importantly, we have made the world safer by virtue of our efforts to decimate al-Qaida."He continued by saying Al Qaeda began this conflict by attacking Americans on American soil."We made a commitment that we will track these guys wherever they go and make sure they have no place to hide," Panetta said. "That's what the effort here is all about -- to make sure they have no place to hide, whether it's in Yemen, Somalia or any place else."He also discussed the successes in Iraq, which led to service members returning home after establishing a stable ally in the region. "The reality is that Iraq has developed better security. They have an Army that can respond to threats," he said. "It doesn't mean it's going to be easy or that it isn't going to be challenging. We're going to face challenges, but we have given them the opportunity to be able to succeed – and that's what it's all about."In addition to the successes in Iraq, Panetta mentioned the continuing successes in Afghanistan. Service members are moving ahead, weakening the Taliban, creating better security and involving the Afghan Army in operations, he said. "Almost 50 percent of the population in Afghanistan is now transitioned to Afghan governors and Afghan security," he said. "More needs to be done. It will be challenging over these next few years."He said one of the challenges was to find places to reduce the Department of Defense budget by $450 billion. He is working with the service chiefs, the secretaries and top Pentagon officials to find an acceptable solution in trimming the budget.Holy Shit It's Christmas!
