Defense Unified Combat Command For Africa

The role of President Bush's Defense Unified Combat Command for Africa - AFRICOM, established in October 2007 - which includes conducting military operations in that country, was debated by a panel of experts Monday at the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. The experts, including Charles Minor III, an ambassador from Liberia, downplayed the combatant aspect of the command and agreed that the initiative would help strengthen U.S.-African relations. But an expert from the libertarian Cato Institute told Cybercast New Service that AFRICOM has faced stiff opposition throughout Africa, adding that there is conflict in the U.S. government over what kind of role military operations would play in the program.