An article published by Scott Johnson of Newsweek International highlights the U.S. Government’s recognition of humanitarian aid as a preventative form of counterterrorism. As for the “Peace Corps with a weapon” concept, The Neutral Development Project makes no comment. Nonetheless, an interesting article:

Taking the war on terror to Africa

The United States is planning a new strategic command to take the global War on Terror to the Horn of Africa

Sept. 17, 2007 issue – America is quietly expanding its fight against terror on the African front. Two years ago the United States set up the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership with nine countries in central and western Africa. There is no permanent presence, but the hope is to generate support and suppress radicalism by both sharing U.S. weapons and tactics with friendly regimes and winning friends through a vast humanitarian program assembled by USAID, including well building and vocational training. In places like Chad, American Special Forces train and arm police or border guards using what it calls a “holistic approach to counterterrorism.” Sgt. Chris Rourke, a U.S. Army reservist in a 12-man American Civil Affairs unit living in Dire Dawa, in eastern Ethiopia, says it comes down to this: “It’s the Peace Corps with a weapon.”

Read on at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20657234/site/newsweek/