Comments on: Counterterror Efforts Stumble in North Africa http://www.dodbuzz.com/2008/08/07/counterterror-efforts-stumble-in-north-africa/ Online Defense and Acquisition Journal Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:28:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: LEON HOUSTONhttp://www.dodbuzz.com/2008/08/07/counterterror-efforts-stumble-in-north-africa/#comment-818 LEON HOUSTON Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:49:06 +0000 http://www.dodbuzz.com/?p=499#comment-818 Liason with the credentials,comms and action teams. This is a critical effort at hedging undue enemy influence. If the Liason cannot do a GO/NOGO then, it might as well be the UN. Embassies are the logical point of control as Mr.Cryer has stated, but normal OPS out of a embassy are anything but timely. Where best are our efforts effective? I will bet that a proactive plan best utilizes our available resources,"ahead of the curve."Long term stategy assessment might simply be, cooperation with African mililtary units to better facilitate understanding, trust and a unique ability to work together under short term notice in joint OPS.Gentlemen, we must put our heads into this new century. What opportunities await us to develop altruistic alliances. An example of what should not happen is in Iraq. We fight and Europe gets the alliances for oil? We cannot afford to view this as a sideline issue. This horse is about to gallop and only likes the rider who trained it. Did you ever see a race horse throw a rider in practice and gallop back to the barn? Liason with the credentials,comms and action teams. This is a critical effort at hedging undue enemy influence. If the Liason cannot do
a GO/NOGO then, it might as well be the UN. Embassies are the logical point of control as Mr.Cryer has stated, but normal OPS out of a embassy are anything but timely.
Where best are our efforts effective? I will bet that a proactive plan best utilizes our available resources,“ahead of the curve.”

Long term stategy assessment might simply be,
cooperation with African mililtary units to better facilitate understanding, trust and a unique ability to work together under short term notice in joint OPS.

Gentlemen, we must put our heads into this new century. What opportunities await us to develop altruistic alliances. An example of what should not happen is in Iraq. We fight and Europe gets the alliances for oil? We cannot afford to view this as a sideline issue. This horse is about to gallop and only likes the rider who trained it. Did you ever see a race horse throw a rider in practice and gallop back to the barn?

]]> By: Joseph B. Cryerhttp://www.dodbuzz.com/2008/08/07/counterterror-efforts-stumble-in-north-africa/#comment-797 Joseph B. Cryer Fri, 08 Aug 2008 23:34:27 +0000 http://www.dodbuzz.com/?p=499#comment-797 That was a very good report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) covering defeating Terrorism in Sub Sahara Africa.I would like to add some thoughts.To address the issue of no Long Term Strategic Plan maybe we should research having a third party (to be announced) organization develops the Long Term Strategic Plan for the Region.I agree with the State Department that Embassies within the respected Countries seem logical to have them as the Command Center/Point of Contact.I would also recommend that (within the plan) we create a position working out of the Embassy (example: Director of State Department – DOD liaison).The role of this entity will be to work between (facilitator) the State Department and the Department of Defense to assist with implementing our strategies, etc.Other then that I think it is very manageable since we are slightly ahead of the curve and we can collectively pull from lessons already learned from history. That was a very good report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) covering defeating Terrorism in Sub Sahara Africa.

I would like to add some thoughts.

To address the issue of no Long Term Strategic Plan maybe we should research having a third party (to be announced) organization develops the Long Term Strategic Plan for the Region.

I agree with the State Department that Embassies within the respected Countries seem logical to have them as the Command Center/Point of Contact.

I would also recommend that (within the plan) we create a position working out of the Embassy (example: Director of State Department – DOD liaison).

The role of this entity will be to work between (facilitator) the State Department and the Department of Defense to assist with implementing our strategies, etc.

Other then that I think it is very manageable since we are slightly ahead of the curve and we can collectively pull from lessons already learned from history.

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