Keep a very close eye on “overlooked” Canada. Canada is often taken for granted being it a very close U.S. ally, with a roughly 3500-4000 mile unprotected border with the U.S. It is probably by relative comparison the largest geographic, yet most under-populated nation in the world. It too has perhaps more collective resources – energy, water, food, minerals than any other. Clearly the Chinese have their sights on Canada as a valuable prize, not to take over militarily but to economically access and then leverage. The U.S. should be on guard and expecting this and be wary of a back door entry into North America by China.
A “Canadian SWOOP” might therefore be needed. In fact, prudent due diligence. If nothing else, it forces the U.S. to comprehensively look at the “what ifs” to see what’s (new and changing risks) not been planned for or factored and then take appropriate precautionary measures. Perhaps as a start work with the Canadians to develop a mutual and consistent Exon-Florio (FINSA 2008?) type provision.
d) South African (country) SWOOP:
Important as not only being the largest military and economic power of the African continent, but too its strategic global positioning both from a U.S. economic (mineral resources) as well as military perspective.
Worth noting the need to urgently SWOOP in on South Africa, China is already and very aggressively wooing South Africa. The June 22, 2006 Voice of America news article “CHINESE PREMIER IN SOUTH AFRICA TO 'DEEPEN' TIES” notes (China) Premier Wen says his country is seeking long-term strategic partnerships in Africa….A total of 13 agreements were signed including one on the peaceful use of atomic energy. Earlier, Premier Wen visited Angola to cement last month's agreement between China's state-owned energy company Sinopec and Sonangol, Angola's state-owned oil producer. Earlier this year, Angola became China's largest supplier of crude oil.”
Note: See comment (Harvard article quote) in the Africa SWOOP below regarding China’s “strategic relationship with South Africa (and Egypt/Nigeria)”.
e) (Continental) Africa SWOOP:
While the unique strategic significance and emphasis on a standalone SWOOP for South Africa (the country) is important, one must too be done for the rest of the continent, with China heavily targeting the African continent with its “Waging Peace” integrated strategic partner plan. This SWOOP is then designed to counter the Chinese strategy.
The earlier June 22, 2007 Harvard International Review article “An Opportunistic Ally: China’s Increasing Involvement in Africa China”, also notes “while China’s strategy in Africa plays down the importance of its quest for African natural resources to fuel its fast-growing economy, most observers believe that its desire for African energy, minerals, and timber is the single most important factor driving the relationship. One-third of China’s oil imports come from Africa, and this proportion is growing…African countries constitute well over a quarter of the United Nations’ 192 members and are thus an essential component of China’s efforts to play a more important global role….China is (also) developing broad-based strategic partnerships with key African countries such as Egypt and South Africa, and it has been looking to develop a similar relationship with Nigeria.
”Of course China’s keen interest in Nigeria being access to a huge oil supply. This is equally important to the U.S. as Nigeria is the 4th largest oil exporter to the U.S, representing approximately 10% of daily oil imports.
All that said, the good news is there may already be signs of a burgeoning, yet not collectively thought out and integrated, SWOOP in progress. Perhaps it’s more of a case that by trying to do the right thing (aid to impoverished countries), the U.S. simply stumbled onto a rather less than cohesively thought out baseline SWOOP strategy.
Of note is the fact that the U.S. has actually began and has in place what the Analyst views as the embryo underpinning of a formal Continental Africa SWOOP, with its 2004 launched Millenium Challenge Account (managed by the Millenium Challenge Corporation - MCC). This program limits U.S. development assistance only to nations that embrace democracy and free markets, fight corruption and invest in education and health. Based o conditional agreements noted, it has so far approved $5.5 billion in individual tranches, with 16 countries, nine in Africa. The program has drawn high marks from those African country leaders, and is credited with catalyzing important policy changes in Benin, Madagascar and Lesotho. Other noteworthy endorsers are Tanzania and Ghana.
Leveraging and expanding on that toehold, and another anti-poverty tool, is actually a predecessor effort, yet now getting a shot in the arm from the MCC plan. This initiative seeks to dramatically expand trade between these nations and the U.S.. It’s called the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which provides zero tariff access to the U.S. market for these countries, and has yielded a 140% boost in bi-lateral.
Further and noteworthy on the security front, is the 2007 establishment of AFRICOM to oversee security, enhance strategic cooperation, support non-military missions, and build partnerships, etc. With the increasing growth in trade and U.S. interest connection to Africa, AFRICOM stands ready to help train African forces to intervene and stabilize their own conflicts, without U.S. forces intervening and to also quickly respond to humanitarian crisis. Of course it too is burdened with ensuring secure access as needed to energy sources and preventing the spread of terrorism across Africa.
All in all, these developments in AFRICA portend a solid foundation from which to now build a formal bottom up integrated SWOOP.
f) “Food/Water (and Minerals) Blocking/Choking SWOOP”:
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
