Foreign Affairs
Related: About this forumUS and Spain to sign deal making Morón main base for Africa operations (AFRICOM rellocation)
http://elpais.com/elpais/2015/05/27/inenglish/1432717066_321157.htmlThe agreement includes a pledge to invest $24 million on the Andalusian airbase
US and Spain to sign deal making Morón main base for Africa operations
Miguel González Madrid
27 MAY 2015 - 14:13 CEST
Washington and Madrid are putting the finishing touches on a deal to make the Morón de la Frontera air base in Seville province the main springboard for US military operations in Africa.
Authorities hope that the amendment to the 1988 bilateral defense agreement will be signed during US State Secretary John Kerrys planned visit to Spain on Sunday and Monday.
The agreement will increase Spains role as a privileged partner of the United States on security issues.
Under the new deal, Morón will became the main base for USAFRICOM, the United States Africa Command, which handles military operations and relations with African countries.
jakeXT
(10,575 posts)Kerry regrets not being able to make the rest of his scheduled stops, Kirby said. The top US diplomat had planned to travel later on Sunday to Madrid for meetings with Spains king and prime minister, before spending two days in Paris for an international gathering to combat Isis.
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/31/john-kerry-injured-cycling-accident-france
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)jakeXT
(10,575 posts)U.S. Africa Command has approximately 2,000 assigned personnel, including military, U.S. federal civilian employees, and U.S. contractor employees. About 1,500 work at the command's headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. Others are assigned to AFRICOM units at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, and RAF Molesworth, England. The command's programs in Africa are coordinated through Offices of Security Cooperation and Defense Attaché Offices in approximately 38 nations. The command also has liaison officers at key African posts, including the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping and Training Centre in Ghana.
http://www.africom.mil/about-the-command
KoKo
(84,711 posts)PIVOT..wherever the opportunity for War takes us...... Or, as they would say: "Allied Peace Coordination."
What the hell are we GIVING THEM IN RETURN? Missiles, Tanks, Satellites, WMD to Protect themselves from ISIS/ISIL/DAESH or whatever it is...the Flavor or the Month?
KoKo
(84,711 posts)in SPAIN?
Does something about "Morón" taken with the American Pronunciation ignoring the"accent strike" pronunciation in Spanish bother anyone else as BIZARRE? And in SPAIN? Why the hell would Spain Invite us to do this?
I probably need a break from DU. Seeing Irony where there IS NONE.