Hey But Wasn't Live-8 Gonna Fix Everything?

WSJ.com - Recolonizing Africa

By DAVID MCCORMACK August 31, 2005

"African Islam's historically moderate traditions have been undermined in recent decades by the introduction of Islamist influences from foreign sources. The usual suspects -- led by Saudi Arabia, Iran and Libya -- have, over the last 40 years, gained a great deal of control over the Islamic message reaching sub-Saharan Muslim populations. A volatile mix of Wahhabism, Khomeinism and pan-Islamism has subsequently corroded African Islam's temperance.

With Saudi Arabia leading the way, tens of billions of dollars have been poured into the region in support of Islamist activities. This money, among other things, funds mosques and madrassas that one Ethiopian journalist, Alem-Zelalem, in a 2003 article termed "jihad factories." It also trains African clerics in extremism and even directly finances terrorism.

What's more, Islamism's advance often functions through nominally nongovernmental organizations. Saudi Arabia's first attempt at continent-wide Islamist coordination, interestingly enough, took place in 1976 in Mauritania's capital of Nouakachott under the auspices of the Riyadh-controlled Muslim World League. Saudi and other foreign-sponsored Islamist groups have since continued to operate in the country and throughout Africa.

An environment permeated with radical Islamic thought has, not surprisingly, created legions of terrorists and provided them a hospitable base of operations. In Mauritania alone, prominent international terror groups such as al Qaeda have established training camps, while lesser-known but nevertheless dangerous groups such as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat have emerged to wage jihad. In fact, al Qaeda along with other terrorist outfits such as Hezbollah have a continent-wide footprint -- from Liberia to Eritrea to Tanzania -- often linking up with local extremist groups such as al-Ittihaad al-Islami, which has terrorized the Horn of Africa, or Qibla, which operates in South Africa.

The U.S. and other Western governments can check Islamism's designs on the region only by acknowledging that Africa is an important piece of the global security architecture. For its part, Washington could take a practical first step by establishing a separate military command for sub-Saharan Africa, as suggested by Gen. James Jones, currently charged with the military's oversight of most of the subcontinent as the Supreme Allied Commander for Europe.

To its credit, the U.S. has begun to deploy troops in several African countries to train African forces to combat terrorism -- including Mauritania, under what is known as the Pan-Sahel initiative (though it would be surprising if this exercise withstands the coup). Given America's other priorities, however, it can scarcely afford a stronger military presence in Africa -- a reality reveled in by militant Islamists. Fortunately, much can be done to demonstrate the strategic importance the West attaches to Africa without putting boots on the ground."

Boots we can ill afford to spare right now, and Mr. McCormack is correct in presuming that pressure to the SOURCE of the terrorism is a far better strategy than waiting until the baby beast matures into a raging monster. The devil remains in the details however, and pressuring fundamental Islam requires a knowledge of the threat, an understanding of the enemy, and a willingness to devote the resources necessary to win, not just pass the problem along to the next generation. Listening, Bubba?

Sadly enough, the good thing to arise from the London bombings was a throttling wake-up call to ALL of Eurabia. Such destruction CAN and WILL happen wherever moslems are allowed to gather in strength and preach their holy war to disenchanted young men and women. It took murder to open the eyes of the British, but the beast they confront is nothing compared to an empassioned Africa that is ready, willing, oh so near and soon to be oh so able of attacking European countries that have long since disarmed themselves, their people, and are incapable of fighting back. Nukes aren't much of an offense when there's no place to drop 'em, no one or two cities to demolish with the clear message that this will be but a beginning should a conflict continue. Radical Islam is a disease that will require skill to destroy. Skill, guts, and NOT just a too-little, too-late kneejerk retort that sends a clear message to Brazilian electricians the world over.