WASHINGTON, July 7 (UPI) -- The U.S. military is increasing operations in Africa's Gulf of Guinea to provide increased security in the strategic and resource-rich region.
U.S. European Command's naval surface combatant warships commander Capt. Tom Rowden said that deployments there had increased from almost no activity in 2004 to 130 "ship days" in 2005 with even more planned ship days for 2006.
Rowden, commander of Task Force 65, said, that the U.S. military's intention is to build long-term relationships that promote greater regional security and stability.
Among regional problems are narcotics trafficking from South America, smuggling of illegal aliens into Europe, illegal maritime poaching estimated to cost about $1 billion annually and pollution.
Rowden said, "We're looking at building the capacity and capability of the nations down there to secure the maritime domain to address these destabilizing activities. Our goal is to ensure a more stable maritime environment to ensure their ability to get those resources to market."
The American Forces Press Service reported on July 5 that Africa now provides almost 15 percent of the United States' energy imports.
The submarine tender USS Emory S. Land recently completed a three-month regional deployment, which included port visits to Senegal, Sao Tome and Principe, Gabon, Ghana, Angola, and the Republic of the Congo.
U.S. Navy teams assisted their West African counterparts in improving their damage control and ship maintenance abilities and provided survey teams to develop more accurate navigational charts.
Two months ago U.S. Navy leaders met with senior navy leaders from more than 20 African countries in Nigeria during the May Seapower for Africa Symposium to encourage them to work cooperatively to promote regional security. Naval Forces Europe commander Adm. Henry G. Ulrich III told symposium participants, "No single country can do it alone, including my own. One of the important things we need to realize about operating in Africa is that the personal relationships are absolutely vital in order to be able to begin to understand how we can best assist them in building that maritime capacity and capability. There's no better ambassador for the United States of America than the sailor of the United States Navy. I was absolutely blown away by their ability to go out and make friends and the willingness on their part to give."
Australian tourist visits to Indonesia have slumped in the wake of the second bombing in Bali last year. More than 200 people were killed in the October 2002 attacks on Bali's nightclubs, and 23 people, including three suicide bombers, were killed in the Oct. 1, 2005, Bali attack.
In 2006 the number of Australians visiting Indonesia has slumped by half, with many Australians opting to go to Thailand or Singapore instead.
The Age reported on July 7 that since 2001, tourist arrivals in Australia have risen only 7 percent, while 38 per cent more Australians are holidaying abroad.
Until the October 2005 bombing, many Australian tourists continued to visit Indonesia. Despite repeated government warnings against traveling to Indonesia because of the threat of terrorism, the first Bali bombing in October 2002 had only a marginal impact on Australian tourism to Bali, which rebounded to near-record levels.
Following last October's Bali attacks Australian tourist visits to Thailand have risen by 35,000, a 56 percent increased over 2005, while Australian tourist visits to Italy increased 25 percent, Singapore 22 percent, India 17 percent and Africa 16 percent.
Since 2001 more Australians have visited New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Europe, China and Fiji, while Australian visits to Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Japan have risen more than 50 percent.
Active-duty Royal Thai Army soldiers are training villagers in Narathiwat's Sungai Kolok district to repel insurgent attacks.
TNA news agency reported on July 6 that the military training began Wednesday at Narathiwat's Kwanpracha temple as soldiers instructed villagers in weapons handling.
The initiative for the civil defense project came from Queen Sirikit to establish a self-defense force of local village civil volunteers to protect themselves and thwart potential insurgent attacks on innocent people.
The country's Muslim majority provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat have seen more than 1,300 people killed in sectarian violence since January 2004. The armed struggle for a separate Muslim state in the three southern provinces first began in the 1980s, led by the Pattani United Liberation Organization and Barisan Revolusi Nasional. The central authorities blame the rising disturbances on Muslim separatists, criminals and corruption. Last November the Pattani United Liberation Organization issued a statement declaring that the conflict between security forces and Muslims could degenerate into a religious war unless Bangkok grants the region the right to self-government.
The project will eventually expand from the community level to districts and provinces.
The volunteer force will also cooperate directly with the government's intelligence agencies.
Slovakia's new government has confirmed it would withdraw its troops from Iraq.
Foreign Minister Jan Kubis said in the capital Bratislava, "There is a political desire to withdraw our soldiers from Iraq. This wish is based on the wishes of the Slovak citizens. We will consult with our allies in Iraq, as well as with the new Iraqi government, on the procedure, and we will seek a way to withdraw the soldiers without harming democracy-building and the stabilization of the situation in Iraq."
The News International reported on July 6 that Kubis, appointed on Tuesday along with the rest of Prime Minister Robert Fico's cabinet, said that no firm timetable had been drawn up for the departure.
In 2003 Slovakia sent a 100-soldier contingent to Iraq following the U.S.-led invasion. The contingent consists of 80 engineers in a de-mining squad and 20 Special Forces troops who protect the engineers..
Fico, regarded as a leftist, campaigned on a pledge to leave Iraq and has described the Slovak deployment as a bid by his center-right predecessor to curry favor with U.S. President George W. Bush.
