In my own cynical opinion Dick Cheney had three goals when he came into office. He wanted to pump oil in Iraq, Iran, and Libya and he didn’t want no fussy human rights activists telling him why he couldn’t. He got Kaddafi to give up a non-existent WMD program and grant the West huge oil concessions. Sanctions gone. He invaded Iraq. Sanctions gone. He keeps agitating for the third piece of the puzzle. Iran? Gone.
Okay…so we made up with Kaddafi. That’s great. But did we seriously think he would let us base our military there?
The Pentagon’s plan to create a US military command based in Africa have hit a wall of hostility from governments in the region reluctant to associate themselves with the Bush administration’s “war on terror” and fearful of American intervention…
The Libyan and Algerian governments reportedly told [principal deputy under-secretary of defence for policy] Mr Henry that they would play no part in hosting Africom. Despite recently improved relations with the US, both said they would urge their neighbours not to do so, either. Even Morocco, considered Washington’s closest north African ally, indicated it did not welcome a permanent military presence on its soil.
“We’ve got a big image problem down there,” a state department official admitted. “Public opinion is really against getting into bed with the US. They just don’t trust the US.”
I find this hilarious. I can think of no conceivable justification for American troops to have a permanent superbase on the continent of Africa (or South America, for that matter). Give us universal health care and access to higher education and then maybe we can talk again about controlling the diamond smuggling trade with the 82nd Airborne Division.
Bush actually wanted to cut a deal with Libya. Incredible.