U.S. Reaches Out In Africa Al Qaeda Fight

(CBS)  In a Ugandan army training video, Ugandan soldiers advance towards a suspicious bunker. Suddenly they come under fire. For many of the young soldiers, it's the first time they have worked together.

"Put two rounds in him," an American soldier says. "Bang, bang!"

This time the rounds are blanks. But they won't always be. American soldiers are training the Ugandans to combat terrorism, CBS News correspondent Allen Pizzey reports, preparing them to go to Somalia to fight Islamic insurgents so the U.S. doesn't have to.

"If we help this country to stabilize now, we teach them how to combat extremism and terrorism now, we won't have to worry about a further escalation of problems in the future," U.S. Army trainer Sgt. Daniel LeGeer says.

Al Qaeda and other militants have expanded their operations to Africa. Across the top of the entire continent, rebel groups and discontented youth make ideal recruits-a situation made all the more dangerous by growing American dependence on African oil. It's something the U.S. cannot ignore.

"You don't even have to go back as far as Afghanistan to see what ungoverned spaces left alone can have an effect on the United States," Lt. Colonel Greg Joachim says.

The U.S. counterpunch is a new military command called Africom. The man in charge is four-star General William Ward.

He has been crisscrossing Africa trying to convince skeptical Africans that Washington wants partners-not new military bases. It's been a tough sell.

The hardest job facing Africom is image-making. In the words of a senior American official, "It's open season on U.S. foreign policy. We have to convince people that this is not some diabolical George Bush plot."

At a remote camp, General Ward watches U.S. soldiers vaccinating cattle-a month-long project to help farmers displaced by a vicious civil war rebuild their lives.

"When our uniformed folks are working with the uniformed folks of these nations, the people can also see that their militaries are here trying to help them, as opposed to not," General Ward says. "And those are all very good messages."

"That's soft power at work," General Ward says.

To make Africom succeed, the general has to spend as much time being a diplomat as a soldier. If he does it well enough, the enemy gathering in Africa won't be America's alone.

[formrusmcsgt]

We have to convince people that this is not some diabolical George Bush plot."
----
And just why do people need convincing that Dubya''s not diabolical?

Maybe because like other tyrants throughout history, he invades other countries solely to effect regime change...

[ubrew12]

By assassinating such people, our OWN Air Force acts against our safety, and our peace. OUR OWN AIR FORCE, creates the conditions that can lead to American deaths in the future. And THAT is NOT patriotism, however it paints itself.

[blackwater66-2009]

A just cause for Americans to be proud of, as freedom will prevail for all those oppressed.

DE OPPRESSO LIBER !!

[ubrew12]

The U.S. yesterday assassinated a Somalian for advocating change in HIS government. He had never attacked Americans. He HAD conducted bombings and other terror attacks, SOME against westerners. But, in Somalia, he simply wanted CHANGE in HIS government.

Maybe this person was a terrorist. Maybe he was ''affiliated with Al-Qaida''. Or, MAYBE, like George Washington, he was simply a freedom-fighter, fighting for control of his country. A PATRIOT.

I don''t know. But, more importantly, NEITHER does the U.S. AIR FORCE WHO KILLED HIM FROM 3000 FEET IN THE AIR via a drone aircraft (along with 10 others who happened to be in the area).

I understand that we need to fight Al-Qaida. But, when we''re killing Somalians who ''may'' be associated with Al-Qaida, HOW different from A-Qaida have we become? I don''t care HOW smart you think you are. An AMERICAN CANNOT understand the politics of Somalia like a Somalian can, because we JUST DONT CARE ABOUT SOMALIA. But... here''s the reality:

By assassinating people around the world who may just be the ''George Washingtons'' of their country, the Air Force risks a 9-11-style attack from the outraged compadres of those we''ve assassinated. If this guy was a Somali terrorist: let the Somali''s deal with him. AND... IF THEY CANT. Maybe he actually represents the desires and wishes of HIS OWN PEOPLE, people we work against at our own eventual peril.

[beckyib]

Thanks again for bringing us a story that no one else is reporting. Katie and Company are the best in the business.

[j-whitman]

libagenda-singinrick,,,,, McCain just verified what I told you about it not being about EVIL

He just said, "We need to drill more Oil wells & we''ll never have to go to War in the Middle East again"

[j-whitman]

libagenda-singinrick,,,, I see you are still getting the War on Terror wrong ---- I was hoping you where the Texas kid who just got busted for trying to cash a $360 Billion dollar check in Crowley.

[j-whitman]

libagenda-singinrick,,,,, Get over it, It''s NOT A WAR OF GOOD VS EVIL

[ramos937]

He has been crisscrossing Africa trying to convince skeptical Africans that Washington wants partners-not new military bases. It''s been a tough sell.
------------------
The Africans are right to be suspicious. We never intended to build bases in Iraq originally but that is just what we are doing now.

[middleman8]

It won''t be long before the US devides
Africa into a north and south country as they do in all other countries, a hang over from their civil war.