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Mission to get allies into united state for Long War

This text omits that the ‘long war’ has, in addition, the pentagon preparing for war with China, or a lengthy world war that includes combat with China. #msg-10051566

-Am

Mission to get allies into united state for Long War

uploaded 13 Apr 2006


By Alec Russell

(Filed: 10/04/2006)

In their mobile buildings in the beach-front car park at Central Command, the headquarters of the US-led fight against terrorism, representatives of America's allies are preparing for two significant changes.

The first is a welcome move from their untidy coalition village of trailer homes, each with a national flag fluttering overhead in the sultry Florida breeze, to more spacious quarters.

The prefabricated offices were never intended for the long haul and the space between them is shrinking now that 63 nations have liaison teams at Centcom.

The second change, deciding how to work with the United States as it plans a revamped long-term campaign against terrorism, requires more reflection.

With its balmy surroundings of palm trees, Tampa's beaches and golf courses, the Centcom HQ, MacDill Air Force Base, looks more like a holiday camp than a military camp.

The only obvious reminders of the base's role in the Middle East, South Asia and Africa are the desert fatigues worn by many of the soldiers.

But in this idyllic setting America is not only overseeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and dusting off plans in the event of action again Iran, it is also planning the "Long War," as the fight against terrorism has been renamed.

Founded in 1983, Centcom is now the nerve centre of the war against terrorism and by far the most important of the five US regional military commands.

As Centcom tries to steer events in Iraq, it is also plotting a very different approach to terrorism, relying on "soft power" - diplomacy, finance and trade - to defeat al-Qa'eda and its affiliates. Centcom is keen to learn from arguments over Iraq and set up a broad coalition for the Long War.

But allies are unsure what influence coalition members will have. A representative of one European ally said: "They [the Americans] listen. They always listen. Do they act on the advice? That's a different story."

According to an American general working with the coalition, the aim is to refashion the loose-knit arrangement that emerged after September 2001 rather than form a new one.

"We want to make it a lasting organisation," he said. "We don't want it to dissolve like it did after Desert Shield and Desert Storm."

But America's awkward post-September 11 relationship with some allies suggests that this is a challenge. Its "coalition of the willing" for the war in Iraq had a far less illustrious roll call than the coalition for the Gulf War.

Adding to the complexity of the task, there is an a la carte feel to the Centcom coalition. France and Germany, for example, are involved in the campaign in Afghanistan but not in Iraq.

Rear Adml Jacques Mazars, the French representative at Centcom, said that on the ground French and American forces have co-operated more successfully than their politicians.

But, he said, running a coalition for a sustained period will be hard.

"On the conceptual level we can agree," he said. "There will be a long war to be won. But on the practical level it will be harder."

A regular source of tension among allies is over the sharing of intelligence and access to US information. "There are some things you wouldn't share with a neighbour and even an ally," one senior US officer said.

Another key issue for allies is whether their advice will be heeded.

Col Mark Bibbey, the chief of staff of the British mission at Centcom, said that Gen John Abizaid, the Centcom commander, regularly courted dissenting opinions.

"[But] you are still going to be in the business of national perspectives," he said.

"I can't see there ever being a completely homogenous coalition dealing with worldwide terror. The 63 nations are not signed up to the same view on anything."

He added: "You've got, however, to start somewhere. You have to plan ahead. You have to be driving in a particular direction.

"If we don't start driving now or soon we'll be behind the curve."

Source: telegraph.co.uk

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