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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| US to get Africa command centre | US to get Africa command centre |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| President George W Bush has approved a Pentagon plan for a command centre for Africa to oversee US military activities on the continent. | President George W Bush has approved a Pentagon plan for a command centre for Africa to oversee US military activities on the continent. |
| US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the new Africa Command would allow the US to better co-ordinate action and counter potential threats. | |
| Mr Gates said the Pentagon would consult the US Congress and others about the plans. | Mr Gates said the Pentagon would consult the US Congress and others about the plans. |
| Africa Command would be the fifth regional operations base for the US. | |
| Responsibility for Africa operations is currently divided among three regional commands. | |
| It was unclear whether the new command centre would be located in Africa or the United States - along with the US Central Command, the Southern Command, and the Pacific Command. | |
| 'Outdated arrangement' | |
| Mr Gates was addressing the Senate Armed Services Committee on the defence spending President Bush proposed in his 2008 budget, submitted to Congress on Monday. | |
| "This command will enable us to have a more effective and integrated approach than the current arrangement... an outdated arrangement left over from the Cold War," Mr Gates said. | |
| He said Africa Command would "oversee security, co-operation, building partnership capability, defence support to non-military missions, and, if directed, military operations". | |
| US officials say Africa is of growing strategic importance to the United States because of increased efforts by China to gain influence on the continent. | |
| Also, the Pentagon has voiced concern over potential threats, including terrorist threats that could emerge in war-torn areas, such as Somalia. |