Cutting the Baby in Half: American Strategy in Africa
shurkin.substack.com
The failures of American strategy in the Sahel made evident by Niger’s recent expulsion of U.S. forces points to a larger problem, that of America’s overall strategy in Africa. The problems with the strategy are manifold. A crucial one is the persistent lack of interest that prevents Washington from backing any of its policies with anything like the resources and levels of engagement they might require to succeed. Strategy, after all, often is described in terms of “ends-ways-means,” which implies that “ways” and “means” must be aligned and sufficient to achieve the desired means. If one wants to invade France in 1944, one had better do it with a gigantic force. Anything less results in, well,
Cutting the Baby in Half: American Strategy in Africa
Cutting the Baby in Half: American Strategy…
Cutting the Baby in Half: American Strategy in Africa
The failures of American strategy in the Sahel made evident by Niger’s recent expulsion of U.S. forces points to a larger problem, that of America’s overall strategy in Africa. The problems with the strategy are manifold. A crucial one is the persistent lack of interest that prevents Washington from backing any of its policies with anything like the resources and levels of engagement they might require to succeed. Strategy, after all, often is described in terms of “ends-ways-means,” which implies that “ways” and “means” must be aligned and sufficient to achieve the desired means. If one wants to invade France in 1944, one had better do it with a gigantic force. Anything less results in, well,