[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 12, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S2009]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S2009]]
                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 480--RECOGNIZING THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF THE 
 AFRICAN CONTINENT AND WELCOMING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AFRICOM, AND FOR 
                             OTHER PURPOSES

  Mr. INHOFE (for himself, Mr. Martinez, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Hagel, Mr. 
Allard, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Warner, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Hatch, Mrs. Dole, 
and Mr. Chambliss) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 480

       Whereas the United States provides nearly $9 billion in 
     assistance to Africa each year, with programs ranging from 
     providing humanitarian relief to strengthening health and 
     education systems, breaking down trade barriers and promoting 
     economic development, combating corruption and other illicit 
     activities, and promoting critical democratic, judicial, and 
     human rights reforms;
       Whereas the United States also provides significant 
     resources to promote security on the African continent, 
     particularly through programs such as the Global Peace 
     Operations Initiative (GPOI), the African Contingency 
     Operations Training and Assistance (ACOTA) program, the 
     Trans-Sahara Counter-Terrorism Partnership (TSCTP), Anti-
     Terrorism Assistance (ATA), International Military Education 
     and Training (IMET) and Enhanced International Military and 
     Training (E-IMET) programs, Foreign Military Financing (FMF), 
     Contributions to International Peacekeeping (CIPA), 
     International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement programs, 
     and Non-Proliferation Anti-terrorism, Demining, and related 
     programs;
       Whereas United States military and security assistance 
     programs in Africa represent approximately 3 percent of the 
     United States' total $9 billion aid and development package 
     for Africa;
       Whereas in 2003, the Armed Forces of the United States were 
     instrumental in helping to bring stability to war-torn 
     Liberia;
       Whereas roughly 2,000 members of the United States Armed 
     Forces currently are stationed at Camp Lemonier in Djibouti 
     as part of the Combined Joint Task Force--Horn of Africa 
     (CJTF-HOA) to promote regional stability and prevent conflict 
     in the region;
       Whereas the African continent faces unique development and 
     security challenges requiring unique United States policy 
     approaches;
       Whereas development and prosperity in Africa are 
     inextricably linked to peace and stability;
       Whereas the Department of Defense historically has divided 
     Africa among three separate combatant commands: the U.S. 
     European Command, the U.S. Central Command and the U.S. 
     Pacific Command;
       Whereas in February 2007, the President announced his 
     decision to create a unified command for Africa, the U.S. 
     Africa Command, or ``AFRICOM'', to provide a more holistic 
     approach toward United States military relations, programs, 
     and activities on the continent under a single headquarters 
     staff;
       Whereas the stated purpose of AFRICOM is to ``promote U.S. 
     National Security objectives by working with African states 
     and regional organizations to help strengthen stability and 
     security,'' while simultaneously streamlining United States 
     security assistance programs and eliminating bureaucratic 
     divisions;
       Whereas pursuant to that objective, AFRICOM will seek to 
     ``[build] partnership capacities, [conduct] theater security 
     cooperation, [build] important counter-terrorism skills and, 
     as appropriate, [support] U.S. Government agencies in 
     implementing other programs that promote regional 
     stability'';
       Whereas unlike other commands, AFRICOM's structure will 
     include a military commander and a civilian deputy, and is 
     expected to include civilian personnel from a variety of 
     Federal departments and agencies, including staff detailed 
     from the Department of State and the United States Agency for 
     International Development (USAID) to contribute to the 
     command's planning and to ensure that its activities are 
     ``compatible and integrated'' with other United States 
     Government efforts;
       Whereas AFRICOM is expected to support, not shape, United 
     States foreign policy in Africa;
       Whereas AFRICOM serves as an important acknowledgment of 
     the strategic importance of the African continent, as well as 
     an opportunity to help African nations and regional 
     institutions build a safe and secure environment in which 
     they can prosper;
       Whereas communicating the purposes of AFRICOM to African 
     governments and citizens is an important challenge;
       Whereas AFRICOM was formally established in Stuttgart, 
     Germany, on October 1, 2007; and
       Whereas AFRICOM is expected to reach full operating 
     capacity by October 1, 2008: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the strategic importance of the African 
     continent and welcomes the establishment of the U.S. Africa 
     Command (AFRICOM) in Stuttgart, Germany, on October 1, 2007, 
     toward that end;
       (2) urges the Department of Defense, the Department of 
     State, and USAID to work collaboratively and consult with 
     African partners to address any concerns regarding conception 
     or implementation of AFRICOM's mandate, including through 
     rigorous public diplomacy; and
       (3) encourages African nations to take advantage of the 
     opportunity which AFRICOM represents to collaborate in 
     promoting peace and stability on the continent.

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