haven’t had time to really follow the coverage of the coup in mauritania
the story appears to be that general aziz pretty much ran the country, putting the now-deposed prez, abdallahi, in charge (/w u.s. help?) to give the govt a civilian face, but recently the puppet was trying to cut the strings & get rid of aziz & his cadre, so he stepped out from behind the curtain & put abdallahi & other props into storage
despite some hecklers in the back rows, most of the audience applauded the program change, though some of the foreign sponsors (master puppeteer) don’t seem too pleased
i haven’t come upon any indications that other stagehands were involved
stars and stripes has an article up on it saturday (outta stuttgart) that sorta sounds like a limited hangout, but so far nobody has turned up a unabridged copy of the program
Aziz had role in Africa training

STUTTGART, Germany — The leader of a military coup that overthrew Mauritania’s elected president has worked with U.S. forces that train in the African country.
As one of the nation’s top military leaders, Gen. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz “is a senior official and we have a bilateral relationship with him as we coordinate our security cooperation programs,” a spokesman for the U.S. European Command said.
Aziz, who also assisted in a 2005 coup that overthrew a longtime ruler, on Wednesday led a group that arrested President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, his prime minister and interior minister.
Abdallahi’s election in March 2007 in the coup-plagued country was considered a democratic breakthrough, the kind the U.S. military hopes to foster in Africa through its Stuttgart-based European and Africa commands. That one of their training partners, Aziz, would lead a coup against a democratically elected president was called bad news by U.S. military leaders.
“When we talk about good governance and military involvement, one of the first things we talk about — and it’s a large takeaway of what we try to impart — is ‘civilian control of the military,’ ” said Lt. Col. John Dorrian, the European Command spokesman.
Dorrian did not specify the nature of the military’s work with Aziz, other than to say it was part of regular relations.
…
U.S. troops operating in Mauritania — fewer than 60, Dorrian said — suspended their activities on Wednesday and were safe and accounted for. Dorrian said he did not know how or where the troops were being used at the time of Wednesday’s coup in Nouakchott, Mauritania’s capital.
…
The coup marked a problem for the newly formed U.S. Africa Command, which is consolidating U.S. military involvement on the continent.

Posted by: b real | Aug 9 2008 3:36 utc | 104

reuters’ analysis piece on mauritania coup mentions some things which could indicate subplots taking place outside of the current field of vision
Mauritania junta to curb Islamists

DAKAR, Aug 8 (Reuters) – Mauritania’s new military rulers will take a harder line on both al Qaeda militants and more moderate Islamist politicians than their civilian predecessors who were ousted in a coup this week.
The army had been unhappy with the softer stance taken by the African nation’s first freely elected president, who was deposed on Wednesday.
By hunting down militants in a country hit by several Islamist attacks in the past year, the junta could also try to ease global criticism of the takeover, particularly from the United States. It has already cut military aid in protest.
“The military’s most recent coup … may strengthen the government’s response to Mauritania’s fledgling Islamist terrorist organisations,” said Geoff Porter, an analyst at the Eurasia Group.
Despite promises of elections and respect for democracy, analysts say coup leader Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is also likely to marginalise Islamist moderates who won positions in the weak government of the overthrown president.
Having been barred for years, Islamists were allowed to set up a political party last year after Mauritania, which sits in both black and Arab Africa, elected its first democratic leader in President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.
But some criticised the lifting of the Islamist ban, especially when al Qaeda militants later killed several French tourists last December and clashed with the Mauritanian security services in early 2008.
The attacks, which led to the cancellation of the famous Dakar motor rally, strengthened fears that al Qaeda’s north African wing could spread to the already fragile states of West Africa.
The Islamist attacks were certainly not the main reason for Wednesday’s coup. A social crisis caused by rising food prices and followed a power struggle between the president and both the army and his legislators were more immediate triggers.
But the raids soured relations between the army and Abdallahi.
“The military embraced an ‘eradicationist’ approach similar to that prevalent among the Algerian military, whereas Abdallahi preferred a more institutional approach — arresting terrorists, trying them in court and releasing them if charges would not stick,” Porter said.
Abdallahi’s election last year was widely welcomed by the international community as a step towards democracy and, especially for the United States, as bringing a new possible partner to fight terrorism.
Washington is also happy to protect Mauritania’s longstanding ties with Israel. It is one of few Arab states to have them.
…
The lifting of their ban last year boosted Abdallahi’s democratic credentials.
Then, when faced by mounting political and social crises this year, the embattled president gave Islamists several jobs in the new government in an attempt to broaden his support base.
“After the (militant) attacks, people were worried that this wasn’t the right idea,” said Atil, adding that the move was particularly unpopular amongst the military now in charge.
“I don’t know how far they will go,” Antil said, when asked what measures the junta might take against Islamist politicians.
“I’m not sure if they will go as far as banning them (but) they (the Islamists) certainly won’t have a role to play.”

Posted by: b real | Aug 9 2008 4:34 utc | 106

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