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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

      From: Akka Homestead <akkabhomestead AT yahoo.com
      Subject: Africa
      To: "Homestead List" <homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
      Date: Thursday, October 2, 2008, 3:35 PM

      Of course, we all took geography at some point in our lives, and 
we all
      learned the African countries, but if you are as old as me or better,
      you probably learned the colonial names.  Since those days, when 
Europe
      pulled out and left a power vacuum, Africa, for the most part, 
has been
      in turmoil.  Arab influence in Africa predates European interests
      there.  We all know this.
         Africa knew Islam hundreds of years before Columbus ever said Bon
      voyage.  In today's world, fundamentalism is sweeping African 
countries
      just as it is sweeping SE Asia.  While the civilized West looks the
      other way, fundamentalist Islam is growing, and in it's wake there is
      violence and civil unrest.  Political instability abounds.



      The following is a list of major countries in Africa.  I omitted 
small
      island countries like the Seychelles, but I wanted to see how
      receptive African countries might be to Americans, whether or not I
      would be safe if I visited, or what kind of danger I would face.
      Would it be rape, murder, kidnapping, terrorism, civil
      disobedience...what would it be like?

      Those with 3 stars have travel warnings due to the fact that 
travel to
      that country would be dangerous to Americans(lack of embassy, 
etc.)One
      star in front indicates Muslim country, either by decree or by 
majority
      population.  The source is 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_by_country
      Wiki, so take it for what it is worth.

      *Algeria***, warning due to terrorism potential;
      Angola,the civil war is apparently over,  but there is unrest.
      *Benin, crime
      Botswana, ok
      *Burkina Faso, crime
      Burundi***, civil war over, but instability remains
      *Cameroon, refugees from neighboring countries' wars, but ok
      Central African Rep.***, politically unstable
      *Chad***, politically unstable
      Congo (Brazzaville), danger due to war in neighboring countries.
      Congo (DRC, Zaire)***, politically unstable, UN peacekeeping force
      Cote d'Ivoire***, political unstable-civil war
      *Djibouti, politically stable, ok
      *Egypt, terrorism potential, but ok
      Equatorial Guinea, ok
      Eritrea***, politically unstable
      Ethiopia, generally stable, but border problems near Somalia and 
Eritrea
      Gabon, terrorism potential, but generally ok
      *Gambia, ok
      Ghana, crime
      *Guinea, some civil unrest but ok
      *Guinea-Bissau, civil war, but presently stable
      Kenya***, very high terrorism potential
      Lesotho, some instability, but ok
      Liberia, civil war over, but instability remains
      *Libya, high terrorism potential but ok
      Malawi, generally ok
      *Mali, terrorists in Northern Mali, but ok otherwise
      *Mauritania, high terrorism potential
      *Morocco, high terrorism potential
      *Mozambique, generally ok
      Namibia, crime, but ok
      *Niger, isolated unrest, but ok
      *Nigeria***, political instability, high crime
      Rwanda, stabilizing government, generally ok
      *Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic/Western Sahara, politically 
unstable,
      but stabilizing
      *Senegal, some unrest, but ok
      *Sierra Leone, stabilizing after civil war
      *Somalia***widespread war
      South Africa, generally ok
      *Sudan***, civil war in Darfur region
      Swaziland, generally ok
      Tanzania, terrorism potential
      Togo, some political unrest and crime
      *Tunisia, generally ok, but has open border with Algeria
      *Uganda, unstable as it borders warring countries
      Zambia, unrest in northern areas near DRC
      Zimbabwe, politically unstable


      Much of north Africa is Muslim.  Islam is growing in Africa, and as
      Islam spreads, so does Fundamentalism. Already, the fundamentalist
      regimes are undermining stability in East Africa in countries like
      Somalia and Sudan.  Al Qaida is active and becomes stronger
      everyday.  If we are to survive another 100 years, we have to stop
      the spread of fundamentalist Islam.  They don't negotiate.  They
      won't talk to infidels.  They are right and there is no discussion.
      In some African countries, you can be imprisoned or possibly killed
      for proselytizing or trying to convert Muslims to another faith.


       From Ontheissues, here is a partial list of Obama's points under
      Foreign
      relations:
      (http://www.ontheissues.org/Barack_Obama.htm)

          * Moral obligation to intervene in Darfur  (7/2008)
          * China is a competitor but not an enemy. (Dec 2007)
          * Wrote 2006 law stabilizing Congo with $52M. (Oct 2007)
          * $50B annually to strengthen states at risk of collapse. 
(8/2007)
          * At college, protested for divestment from South Africa. 
(Aug 2007)
          * Increased aid to Republic of Congo. (Aug 2007)
          * Visited largest slum in Africa, to publicize its plight. 
(8/2007)
          * No-fly zone in Darfur; but pay attention more in Africa. 
(6/2007)
          * U.S. funds for humanitarian aid to Darfur. (Mar 2007)
          * Focus on corruption to improve African development. (10/2006)
          * Visited Africa in 2006; encouraged HIV testing. (10/2006)
          * Sponsored aid bill to avert crisis in Congo. (12/2005)
          * Sanction Mugabe until Zimbabwe transitions to democracy. 
(4/2008)


      There are quite a lot of ambitions there, and much of it involves
      sending more money to Africa.  Why should we do that in light of 
recent
      bailouts and economic woes?  Simple. This would be diplomacy in the
      modern world.  Diplomacy equates to money.  For Africa, talk is
      cheap. They have so many problems there that they need more than
      talk.  President Obama WILL get us more involved in African issues.
      If our goodwill to various African countries and causes helps us
      fight fundamental Islam, then so be it.  It will be money well
      spent, at least as effective as the billions we are spending
      'fighting terror' in Asia.  Perhaps it is not too late for us to win
      'hearts and minds' in Africa.

      Have y'all given any thought to any of this?  How do you feel about
      the billions more we will spend in Africa?  Better get used to 
hearing
      that word.

      Bev, who just today 9/7, saw an article about how things are 
improving in Africa.


--
"What Luck for Rulers that Men do not Think"             Adolf Hitler
erthnsky AT bellsouth.net