Pearl Harbor Japanese Tourists

The fight against terrorism of the Italian Cooperation e USA in Africa

di Antonio Mazzeo

Delegazione di altissimo livello quella giunta a Gaò, Mali, per la cerimonia conclusiva dell’inedita “missione umanitaria” Ridare la luce 2009 , organizzata dall’Associazione Fatebenefratelli per i Malati Lontani (AFMAL) congiuntamente al Ministero Affari Esteri (MAE), all’Istituto Superiore of Health, the Italian Army and Air Force, and the sponsorship of Alenia Aeronautica (Finmeccanica group), a manufacturer of fighter jets and military transport aircraft. Among the participants there are in fact the Chief of Defence Staff, General Vincenzo Camporini, the head of the Directorate General for Development Cooperation Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Elisabetta Belloni, the Air Force Chief of Staff, General Daniele Tei and Chief of Medical Corps of the AMI, General Ottavio Sarlo. Almost a consecration of the new model of "development cooperation" that the Italian Government intends to implement over the next years, substantial cuts to public funds, use of contributions from employers and private industries, NGOs and voluntary associations replaced by universities and research institutes; fewer projects in the medium-and long-term priority for emergency interventions in geographical areas interest for the national economy. All possible direct, coordinated and implemented by task force of soldiers and civilians, playing on a smaller scale than the United States of America are developing in Africa through a partnership between AFRICOM (the command of the armed forces for operations in Africa) and USAID, the Agency for Development Assistance.

and Director General for Cooperation in the hospital wanted to meet Gao military doctors and nurses in public hospitals and private clinics and Italians who "have performed about 600 operations of cataract and other surgeries, making also "specific courses for local physicians on the techniques of emergency cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and use of new surgical techniques in abdominal and laparoscopic surgery." As explained dall'addetto release of the Ministry of Defence, is part of the training "was directed particularly to the young Italian military doctors, they go to the advanced course in medicina aeronautica e spaziale, sulle patologie tipiche delle zone altamente disagiate e tropicali”.

“C’è il progetto di rendere permanente questa attività equipaggiando l’ospedale di Gaò in modo da formare una leva di personale maliano”, ha annunciato la dottoressa Elisabetta Belloni. “ La Cooperazione Italiana vuole investire su questa iniziativa e spero che attorno ad essa possano nascere altre attività di sviluppo, come centri per la fornitura di energia o acqua”. “Si tratta di una missione molto apprezzata, portata avanti con efficienza straordinaria e particolare gradimento della popolazione locale”, ha invece dichiarato il generale Vincenzo Camporini. L’alto ufficiale ha poi precisato le reali finalità della massiccia presenza militare nella missione Ridare la luce . “Considero questo genere di attività parte integrante dello scopo di una forza armata perchè ridurre il disagio sociale nelle zone dove può radicarsi il terrorismo è funzionale alla prevenzione di conflitti”. Vecchio assunto teorico-strategico quello di Camporini, al centro dei manuali anti-guerriglia delle truppe francesi in Algeria, dei berretti verdi in Vietnam, degli agenti CIA e dei “consiglieri militari” statunitensi presenti in America latina negli anni ’60, ’70 e ’80. Today is the theme of in-depth courses for officers from Africa Command AFRICOM organization with more frequency across the continent.

"The common goal of cooperation between our armed forces and those of the United States of America is to fight terrorism," said Gen. Gabriel Poudiougou, Air Force Chief of Staff of Mali , during his recent visit to Bamako Mike Callan, vice-commander of U.S. Air Force Africa. "A closer relationship will allow us to build a better policy framework to combat terrorism at all levels, local and international," he Poudiougou added. Two months ago the Department of Defense, AFRICOM and Malian armed forces have given to tactical aircraft, terrain, communications equipment and various weapons. "They have a value of $ 5 million and allow the security forces of Mali to move, run transport and communicate in the most rugged and desert," said the spokesman of the U.S. Embassy in Bamako. "Washington is always ready to meet the needs of our Malian friends and all our allies in West Africa in the fight against the armed militias, including al Qaeda, which are active in the northern regions.

After attack armed organization Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) the border between Mali and Niger in July, in which 28 soldiers have died Mali, the local government has declared "total war" with radical Islamic organizations. In an "anti-terrorist" was also the attempted rapprochement with the Tuareg rebel groups fighting for recognition of the autonomy and cultural identity. In this effort to regain the territory and popular support in the regions of sub-Saharan Africa, Bamako has assistance unconditionally Washington. It was started, in particular, to an infrastructure plan funded by USAID and coordinated and Command AFRICOM in Stuttgart and he sees the men on the field work of the U.S. Army Engineers. Are currently being implemented 44 projects in remote regions of Mali and Niger: This is the construction of 32 water wells, seven schools, two health posts and two small "seed banks", the total cost of 1.7 million dollars. "These projects will benefit the inhabitants, the nomadic Tuareg and Wodaabe," said Darrell Cullins, project manager in the Europe Africa District U.S. Army Corps of Engineering. To "promote economic freedom and invest in human capital, Mali has been incorporated by the State Department between the countries of so-called "Millennium Challenge Account", the plan for "reducing poverty and promoting economic growth," launched in 2004. There will be presentations for 461 million dollars, aimed in particular irrigation of an area of \u200b\u200b15,000 hectares for rice production and installation of equipment in the international airport in Bamako for the transfer of goods to market esters. Alongside the development of monocultures for export, USAID is encouraging "policy easing in the economy, promoting the privatization programs of services and the dismantling of many large State-owned enterprises.

Washington's intervention will not stop, however, to sub-Saharan regions. "For the future work on the continent - added Darrell Cullin - the U.S. Army signed a enginners Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) comprising design and construction works and maintenance of infrastructure and services to the people Africa, which is expected to spend 14.8 million dollars by September 2011. The MATOC will operate mainly in Niger, Chad, Mali, Senegal, Morocco, Mauritania, Tunisia, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria and Liberia, with the cooperation of military personnel in the Horn of Africa and the U.S. Navy. " Cooperation, therefore, increasingly armed and militarized.