Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative

The Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative (TSCTI) is an interagency plan by the United States government, combining efforts by both civil and military agencies, "to combat terrorism in Trans-Saharan Africa. The military component of TSCTI comprises the U.S. efforts of Operation Enduring Freedom - Trans Sahara. The goal of TSCTI is to counter terrorist influences in the region and assist governments to better control their territory and to prevent huge tracts of largely deserted African territory from becoming a safe haven for terrorist groups." In 2005, willing partner nations in the program included Algeria, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, Nigeria and Tunisia. Libya was also considered to possibly follow later. The goal was not to fight in hot spots, but to provide preventative training and engagement with governments to help prevent the growth of terrorist organizations in the partner countries.cite web
title=Statement of General James L. Jones, USMC, Commander, United States European Command, Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on 28 September 2005
url=http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/testimony/2005/JonesTestimony050928.pdf
date=2005-09-28
publisher=Senate Foreign Relations Committee
accessdate=2007-02-07] Exercise Flintlock 2005, held in June 2005cite news
title=New Counterterrorism Initiative to Focus on Saharan Africa
url=http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2005/20050516_1126.html
date=2005-05-16
publisher=American Forces Press Service
accessdate=2007-02-07] , was the first military exercise as part of the new program.cite web
title=Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Initiative [TSCTI]
url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/tscti.htm
publisher=GlobalSecurity.org
accessdate=2007-02-07 ]

The Congress approved $500 million for the TSCTI over six years to support countries involved in counterterrorism against alleged threats of Al Qaeda operating in central African countries. In February 2007, President George W. Bush also authorized the creation of a new Africa Command to be established by September 2007, under which future African continental operations would be conducted.cite news
title=Africa to Get Its Own US Military Command
url=http://www.antiwar.com/lobe/?articleid=10443
publisher=Antiwar.com
date=2007-02-01
accessdate=2007-02-06 ] TSCTI followed the Pan Sahel Initiative (PSI), which began in 2002 by training soldiers from Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Chad and concluded operations in December 2004.cite web
title=Statement of General James L. Jones, USMC, Commander, United States European Command, Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on 28 September 2005
url=http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/testimony/2005/JonesTestimony050928.pdf
date=2005-09-28
publisher=Senate Foreign Relations Committee
accessdate=2007-02-07]

Criticism of the plan includes a questioning of the extent and presence of Islamic terrorists in the region, whether U.S. involvement in the region will simply breed negative sentiments towards the U.S., as well as the questionable actions of some of the partner governments, who may be using the program to gain training, equipment and funds, and may repress domestic opponents and insurgency movements not inherently tied to international terrorism.cite web
title=Desert Faux: The Sahara’s Mirage of Terrorism
url=http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/3136
date=2006-03-02
publisher=Foreign Policy in Focus (FPIF)
accessdate=2007-02-07] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4749357.stm "US targets Sahara 'terrorist haven' "] by Catherine Fellows, Mauritania. British Broadcasting Corporation, Monday, 8 August 2005. Retrieved 23 July 2007.] [ [http://ishtirak.org/files/Islam_Mali_GWOT_gutelius.pdf "Islam in Northern Mali and the War on Terror"] by David Gutelius. Journal for Contemporary African Studies, January 2007.] Similar questions were raised about the TSCTI's predecessor, the Pan Sahel Initiative. [ [http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0711/p11s01-coop.html "US creates African enemies where none were before"] by David Gutelius, Mali. Christian Science Monitor, July 9, 2003] [ [http://www.isim.nl/files/Review_17/Review_17-38.pdf "War on Terror and Social Networks in Mali"] by David Gutelius. ISIM Review, Spring 2006.]

Transfer to Africom

On October 1, 2008, responsibility was transferred from the United States Central Command to the United States Africa Command also known as Africomas it assumed authority over the african theater of operations.cite news
title=Africans Fear Hidden U.S. Agenda in New Approach to Africom
url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,430564,00.html
publisher=Associated Press
date=2008-09-30
accessdate=2008-09-30 ]

References