US African Command (AFRICOM) has seen substantial troop cuts over the past year, and that’s normally when a commander would start trying to scare Congress into an increase in spending. Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, however, took the opposite approach.
Testifying to the House Armed Services Committee, Gen. Waldhauser conceded that many of the “threats” that AFRICOM is fighting are not only not real threats to the US homeland, but not necessarily even regional threats within Africa.
The general said many of these groups just have a jihadist ideology and some link to criminal activity of some such, then “hang out a shingle and say ‘we’re with ISIS today’.” He added this would happen whether or not the group had “intent or capability” to launch attacks.
Though he conceded that the cuts would impact US operations within Africa, he said he didn’t believe it would great any “dire situation” for either the US or for local partner forces. He added there were no cuts in Libya or Somalia, the two places AFRICOM retains authority to conduct attacks.
The point of AFRICOM isn’t combating ISIS, it’s combating Chinese influence in a region set to see skyrocketing growth. Africa is the future and China put in the time investing in that “shithole” back when we were busy getting our asses kicked by rice farmers in Vietnam. That’s why China doesn’t fear Trump or any other American asshole, for that matter. They’ve got the future in their back pocket. Let’s just hope they don’t get cocky, or it’ll be them getting their asses kicked by diamond miners in the Congo. Karma’s funny that way. What goes around….
The point of AFRICOM isn’t combating ISIS, it’s combating Chinese influence in a region set to see skyrocketing growth. Africa is the future and China put in the time investing in that “shithole” back when we were busy getting our asses kicked by rice farmers in Vietnam. That’s why China doesn’t fear Trump or any other American asshole, for that matter. They’ve got the future in their back pocket. Let’s just hope they don’t get cocky, or it’ll be them getting their asses kicked by diamond miners in the Congo. Karma’s funny that way. What goes around….
Congress increases funding for the military whether they need it or not.