Confused Eagle

New Legislation and the Return of an Old Argument
Delegation to Rwanda and other concerns Developing Story: AFRICOM Team to Assess Situation in the DRC!!! New Concerns About Nigeria The Visit by the SECSTATE The Sudan Hearings What to Do With Somalia? How It Ends!! Two Amendments that were Suprising Reason For Optimism Two other Problem Spots Some Other News That You Might Be Interested In..... A Nigerian Trial in New York New Legislation and the Return of an Old Argument A Briefing in Farmville and A Call for Washington The More Things Change........ General Ward Visits Africa The Paradox Known as Zimbabwe Saving Captain Phillips Next Stop For APS: Cameroon Restoration of Badly Needed Funds Restoration of Badly Needed Funds US Air Force: No Plans for No Fly Zone over Darfur Yet.......... A New Undersecretary of State for Africa is nominated. Operation Objective Voice Another Movement Organizes in the United States Enter the Boxer Rising Tensions and Hopes for Peace A Good Day in Danville,Virginia Report: AFRICOM helped plan Operation Lightning Thunder An Envoy is Needed in Darfur Right Away The First Strategies of the Administration The African Policy of President Obama A Policy Reccomendation that Makes Sense Darfur and Piracy Report: US Special Envoy to Sudan Asked for Military Force A New Policy For the Horn? Outgoing and Incoming Epidemic = Endgame? Updating Somali Disappearance Story Problems Beyond Somalia and Zimbabwe Africa Partnership Station 09 Report: Somalis Missing from Minneapolis MARFORAF is Now Formed Ospreys Over Africa What will President Obama Do for Africa? Breaking News: Secretary Frazier Goes to Kinshasa !!! US Envoy: More Peacekeepers for Darfur by the End of The YEAR!!! Concern over Women Should Extend Further than the DRC Why is the US Silent Regarding the DRC? The US and Malawi The US Relationship With Malawi AFRICOM No Missions in Somalia but Trains Cameroonian and EG Soldiers New African Advocacy Group Launches in USA What will McCain and Obama do for Africa? General Nkunda Angers Washington What Will McCain and Obama do for Africa? A New Strategy towards Angola? Of Pirates and Despots that Washington has to deal with..... The State Department Religious Freedom Report 08 Developing Story: US to Increase Aid to Somaliland West Africa: Forgotten Front in the War on Drugs? A "Crucial Window of Opportunity" Somali Protests at the Republican National Committee Why Passing H Res 765 is an excellent Idea What is the Status of IVAW? IVAW Where is the Congress on This? Feds End Refugee Program Due to Fraud How Much will the DOD and STATE Spend in Africa the Next Fiscal Year? Small Arms in Africa Breaking News: US to Extend TPS to Sudan!!!!!!!! Senator Durbin Speaks Up in Support of Press Freedom!!! We Abstain US Increases Sanctions Against Zimbabwe Tyrants v Rule of Law Active Month for the US at the UN Zim Campaign begins with a new threat against the US Ambassador Why H Res. 1227 is a Great Idea Another Secession Movement Approaches Washington Other Areas that the US should be concerned about US Aims to stop Chinese Arms from reaching Zimbabwe... Finally! Hypocrisy over Child Soldiers? Americans Held in Zimbabwe and Presidential Runoff Created Congo Lobby Day in Washington State Department Report on Human Rights has been released Islamists on the March in Somalia? Kenyans Angry with Hillary Clinton A Tale of Two Peaces MEND asks for US Mediation: Should the Administration do it? Will Somaliland Independence Bill Get Any Support on Capitol Hill? President Bush: Africa Has been a Priority New African Legislation being Discussed in Washington Child Soldiers being used by US Allies???? President Bush to ignore Key Allies in African Trip Terrorists Moving Around West Africa At will? US and Europe Criticized over Zimbabwe Again..... This is not a recording US to recgonize Somaliland??? US Military Trains Ugandans in Somalia and in Uganda !!!!!! Election Results leave Kenya in Turmoil!!!! Has Congress Dropped the Ball for Africa Also??? New Era in US-Nigerian Relations?? Gambia: Is this a Crisis Under the Radar?? Rally for Southern Cameroon in New York A New Turn in US-Zimbabwe Relations? Drug War going to West Africa? Is Ethiopia Jamming the VOA? Africa, The US and Iran: Could a US Strike provoke a War? Darfur: Can the US Save the UN Mission? US to support Nigerian Efforts in the Delta Rally for HR 2003 in Oklahoma!!! Central Africa Ethiopia & Eritrea Tensions could this become a US Proxy War? Assault on the Zimbabwean Church? AFRICOM what is its real Mission? Contact the Eagle Article Page Contact Me Archives

May 16,2009
 
There is a specific reason why I chose this title. There are two distinct actions that have been taken this week in Washington regarding Issues in Africa.
 
The First Part is New Legislation was Introduced in the US Senate that Deals with an Important but Highly Underreported Root of the Crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
 
The Second Part is a Statement by the New Undersecretary of State For African Affairs Johnny Carson. Lets say it appears that it is once Again 2006 in Somalia.

First of All is the Congo Conflict Minerals Act.
 
This is a Bi-Partisan Introduced Legislation that seeks to Address One of the Root Causes for All that ills the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
 
The Sponsors Include Sam Brownback Republican from Kansas, Russ Feingold a Democrat from Wisconsin and who is the Chairman of the African Subcommitee on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Charles Schumer a Democrat from New York.
 
What is the reason why this Legislation is currently needed? Key Components for Electronic Devices are made from Raw Materials Extracted from the Conflict Prone Eastern Part of the DRC. In Essence it is alledged that Multi-National Coporations are Profitting from the Suffering of their Fellow Human Beings.
 
What Materials will be Covered? According to the Legislation the Origin of the Country where purchases of Gold, Coltan, Casserite (Tin Ore) and Wolframite are Made From. The Legislation will require such information be disclosed to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
 
It is believed that the sales of these Minerals are funding various Warlords and Militia Groups that literally Run Affairs in the Eastern DRC.
 
At this time the Consumer Electronics Industry has had a tepid response to this Legislation but have indicated that they will work on this issue.
 

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US Officals will have a Lot on their Agenda in the Near Future when it Comes to Crisis Spots in Africa!!!

Now to the Return of the Old Argument:
 
In 2006 Ethiopian Forces entered Somalia to Prop up a Weak Western-Backed Government against an Islamic Insurgency. As Much as anything this may have been a key factor in the spike in the Acts of Piracy that Began in 2008.
 
When the Incursion began in December 2006 the US State Department reported that it had Evidence that Eritrea had been providing Logisitical Support and even Ground Forces to the UIC (Union of Islamic Courts.)
 
Fast Forward to 2009. Ethiopian Forces have left Somalia but a number of them remain along the Border in case that they have to return. A small contingent of AU Peacekeepers are in Mogadishu under a limited Mandate. A New Islamist Militia Al-Shabbab which some People maintain has close  links to Al-Qaida has Power in the Southern Part of the Country. They have also threatened to Invade Kenya as well.
 
Recently in an Interview with the BBC US Undersecretary of State for African Affairs Johnny Carson reiterated the Claim that Eritrea has been supporting the Islamist Militias in Somalia. He stated that the US and the UN have "credible" Evidence of Eritrean Involvement in Somalia.
 
This is one of the reason for the Tensions between the United States and Eritrea. Other Reasons are the Situation along the Border with Ethiopia and the Human Rights Record within Eritrea.
 
There has been an increase in the Fighting In and Around Mogadishu and an Offer by the Government for a Ceasefire was rejected by the Islamists.
 
For its part the Eritrean Government has denied any involvement in Somalia once Again
 
This situation can best be described as TO BE CONTINUED......

This situation will be Monitored by the Confused Eagle.

Feedback, ideas or requests for articles email me @ confusedeagleusa@yahoo.com