These following notes, written by Daniel Volman, are based on the Conference on "Transforming National Security: Africom--An Emerging Command" Organized which was organized by the Center for Technology and National Security Policy of the National Defense University in Virginia from 19-20 February 2008.
Although the conference was open to the public, it was immediately clear that it was very much an "in group" affair explicitly held to bring together people from all the different agencies and African governments that will have to coordinate their activities to make Africom work. Thus, the conference itself was part of the process of organizing Africom. Technically, the conference was held under the NDU rules of "non-attribution," i.e. participants can quote statements made at the conference, but are not supposed to identify speakers. I've complied with the rule in this memo, but just let me know if you want to know who said what.
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