Counterterrorism

The group said it carried out the assassination of what it called “one of the prominent tyrants of State Security” in response to police’s arrest of “free women.”

Jordanian military prosecutors on Wednesday charged 15 men, including students, with carrying out "terrorist acts" over clashes on a university campus that injured four people, a judicial official said.

Gen. David M. Rodriguez spoke with members of the British press at a media round table interview highlighting his commitment to working closely in support of the U.S. State Department in executing the command's mission to strengthen the defense capabilities of our African partner nations. Rodriguez emphasized that the command's activities are "led by the Department of State and undertaken in a comprehensive 'whole-of-government' approach with other U.S. government agencies." AFRICOM strengthens the defense capabilities of individual African states as well as regional organizations so that they are more capable of providing for their own security. While acknowledging "multiple challenges" in Africa, Rodriguez highlighted progress with "increasing accountable governance with a new generation of political, social and economic leaders" and "increased regional and international integration and a willingness by both African nations and African organizations...to respond to crises on the continent in places like Somalia and Mali, where African leadership is making positive change possible." See the full transcript of the interview below.

On the list of U.S. military priorities, Africa has always ranked right smack at the bottom. Now that appears to be changing. As Eric Schmitt recently reported in The New York Times, “thousands of soldiers once bound for Iraq or Afghanistan are now gearing up for missions in Africa.” Before the gearing up proceeds much further, Americans might want to ask a few questions. Chief among them are these: Why the sudden shift in priorities? What’s the aim? Who stands to benefit? What risks does the militarization of U.S. policy in Africa entail?