Comments on: IG Reports U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia Overwhelmed by DOD http://carllevan.com/2010/06/ig-reports-u-s-embassy-in-ethiopia-overwhelmed-by-dod/ Development, Security, African Politics Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:00:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Edward Marks http://carllevan.com/2010/06/ig-reports-u-s-embassy-in-ethiopia-overwhelmed-by-dod/comment-page-1/#comment-66 Edward Marks Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:26:58 +0000 http://carllevan.com/?p=229#comment-66 This situation in Embassy Addis illustrates another problem - aside from excessive presence, personnel and resources - with military involvement in Africa. This is the military belief, it borders on obession, that engagement with any and local militaries in any and all situations is desirable. DoD has elaborate explanations involving contribution to nation-building and democracization as well as to US national security objectives, but this attitude is essentially devoid of any discrimination or political judgement. In cases where such engagement has been prohibited (Indonesia) or limited (Columbia) the military have constantly complained of lost opportunities. However they have never satisfactorily explained why the extensive mil-mil relations which preceded the prohibitions did not produce significant USG influence. This problem is especially important in Africa, where the local military are almost universally part of the problem, and providing them with additional support will only exacerbate their role and influence. Military assistance programs need to be brought under meaningful political guidance, and not left to military program directors who have never seen a foreign soldier who did not deserve assistance. This situation in Embassy Addis illustrates another problem – aside from excessive presence, personnel and resources – with military involvement in Africa. This is the military belief, it borders on obession, that engagement with any and local militaries in any and all situations is desirable. DoD has elaborate explanations involving contribution to nation-building and democracization as well as to US national security objectives, but this attitude is essentially devoid of any discrimination or political judgement. In cases where such engagement has been prohibited (Indonesia) or limited (Columbia) the military have constantly complained of lost opportunities. However they have never satisfactorily explained why the extensive mil-mil relations which preceded the prohibitions did not produce significant USG influence.

This problem is especially important in Africa, where the local military are almost universally part of the problem, and providing them with additional support will only exacerbate their role and influence.

Military assistance programs need to be brought under meaningful political guidance, and not left to military program directors who have never seen a foreign soldier who did not deserve assistance.

]]> By: Dr. Carl LeVan's Homepage » IG Reports U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia … | Breakings New http://carllevan.com/2010/06/ig-reports-u-s-embassy-in-ethiopia-overwhelmed-by-dod/comment-page-1/#comment-65 Dr. Carl LeVan's Homepage » IG Reports U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia … | Breakings New Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:42:15 +0000 http://carllevan.com/?p=229#comment-65 [...] more here:  Dr. Carl LeVan's Homepage » IG Reports U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia … Share and [...] [...] more here:  Dr. Carl LeVan's Homepage » IG Reports U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia … Share and [...]

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