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Boozman to talk defense in Africa trip Tuesday, Mar 25, 2008 By Aaron Sadler Stephens Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - Rep. John Boozman, R-Rogers , left Monday for a week-long visit to Africa that he said will focus on military and defense issues. African nations play a pivotal role in the war on terror, because terrorist groups thrive in underdeveloped countries on the continent, he said. A congressional delegation that includes Boozman and Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., will meet with heads of state and representatives of the African Union, a loose-knit political group comprised of African nations. Boozman said some terrorist groups work outside the government's reach in isolated regions. It's up African governments to control their activity. "We depend on the local governments to work with us, to give us information and to be supportive," Boozman said. "It's not to their advantage to have these types of lawless people operating within their borders." This trip marks the fourth time in five years Boozman has visited Africa. Like in his previous two trips, Inhofe joined him. Two other members of Congress were tentatively scheduled to be on the trip. The itinerary includes stops in the Ivory Coast, Tanzania and Zambia. A visit to American installations in Germany is also on the schedule. Boozman is on the Africa subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs committee. Boozman would not say whether he plans a side trip to Iraq, a country he has visited six times since the war began in 2003. Lawmakers rarely announce publicly a trip to Iraq in advance of the visit because of security concerns. Boozman did say, however, that his time in Africa will be spent discussing the role of NATO, the U.S. military's operation in Africa and U.S. missile defense. He said the delegation will review humanitarian efforts on the continent, particularly as it relates AIDS prevention and the civil war in the Darfur region of Sudan. Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese have died in the conflict. "Sadly, I think Africa was neglected for many years," Boozman said. "The good thing is that now, because of the United States' leadership, it's being helped a lot more than in the past ... I think the United States is becoming much more interested and is really trying to be helpful." The Bush administration has asked Congress for $30 billion over the next five years to fight AIDS in 15 countries, including a dozen in Africa. |
