Mark P. Fancher's Blog/Black Agenda Report

 Mark P. Fancher's commentary on africom, click on the link below to read.

AFRICOM AIN’T THE PEACE CORPS

Military Industrial Complex
 
The term originated in a speech given by former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Farewell Address to the Nation on January
17, 1971 in which he stated:

…This conjunction of an immense military establishment
and a large arms industry is new in the American
experience. The total influence – economic, political,
even spiritual – is felt in every city, every statehouse,
every office of the federal government.

We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must
not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil,
resources and livelihood are involved; so is the very
structure of our society. In the councils of government,
we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted
influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military
industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous
rise of displaced power exists and will persist…”

Dwigth D. Eisenhower, The Military Industrial Complex: with an Introduction by Jesse Smith
(Portland: Basementia Publications, 2006)

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Kenya: Cable Cites Potential Local Link With U.S. Firm

A black water MD-530F Helicopter on-site of a car bomb explosion

Kevin J Kelley
2 December 2010

New York — The whistle- blowing website wikileaks Tuesday released a US diplomatic document, marked "confidential," that makes specific references to Kenya.

The mentions on Kenya are contained in a February 12, 2009, cable to the State Department from James Swan, the American ambassador to Djibouti, concerning a controversial US security firm's proposed anti-piracy activities in the Horn's waters.

East Africa: What Leaks? Secrecy Still Cloaks Region

5 December 2010

Nairobi — The leak of US diplomatic cables from all over the world has raised fundamental question over freedom of information and the operations of the media vis-à-vis governments.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has among others put the media in the East African region on the spot, for not doing enough to investigate corruption in government, or going along with targeted leaks by government officials with their own agenda. The Wikileaks saga proves that even the US government is scared of the new media and its capacity to track goings on in the corridors of power.

Zimbabwe: More Sanctions On the Way!

Financial Gazette (Harare)
Ken Mufuka
2 December 2010

column

While the last week of November is a thanksgiving period, and I would have normally devoted my time to that subject, I fear that there are more scary things that concern me as a Zimbabwean.
There is no hiding the fact that sanctions do a lot of harm, even though they may not actually achieve regime change in the particular target.

My information is that far from relenting, the US State Department is actually reviewing more sanctions on Zimbabwe.

Africa: IFJ Condemns United States Desperate And Dangerous; Backlash Over Wikileaks

International Federation of Journalists (Brussels)
2 December 2010

press release

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the political backlash being mounted against the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks and accused the United States of attacking free speech after it put pressure on the website's host server to shut down the site yesterday.
The website's host Amazon.com blocked access to WikiLeaks after United States officials condemned the torrent of revelations about political, business and diplomatic affairs that has given people around the world unprecedented access to detailed information from United States sources, much of it embarrassing to leading public figures.

"It is unacceptable to try to deny people the right to know," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "These revelations may be embarrassing in their detail, but they also expose corruption and double-dealing in public life that is worthy of public scrutiny. The response of the United States is desperate and dangerous because it goes against fundamental principles of free speech and democracy."

Rwanda: Reflections on Wikileaks

Government Supporting Daily
W Stuart Symington
2 December 2010

Opinion:  President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton have made it a priority to reinvigorate America's relationships around the world.

They have been working hard to strengthen our existing partnerships and build new ones to meet shared challenges, from climate change to ending the threat of nuclear weapons to fighting disease and poverty. As the United States Ambassador to Rwanda, I'm proud to be part of this effort.