US embassy cable - 04DJIBOUTI1127

S E C R E T DJIBOUTI 001127 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/24/2010 
TAGS: PREL, DJ, OREP 
SUBJECT: VISIT TO DJIBOUTI OF CODEL MILLER 
 
Classified By:  CDA: REGribbin for reasons 1.5 b&d 
 
 
 
1. (SBU) Summary. Representatives Jeff Miller, John Boozman, 
Tom Cole and Madeleine Bordallo spent six productive hours in 
Djibouti on August 23.  They left with a solid appreciation 
of the  situation in the country and region and of U.S. 
undertakings here. End summary. 
 
2. (SBU) The country team discussed U.S./Djibouti relations 
with the codel stressing that the current excellent state of 
ties is based on coinciding interests: that of the U.S. in 
combating terrorism in the region and of Djibouti's 
willingness - for a price - to be the platform for such a 
presence.  The representatives were pleased with the growing 
depth of cooperation on the military front, but also with the 
USG focus on economic and social issues, especially education 
and health via USAID projects. 
 
3. (SBU) The visitors toured Camp Lemonier, lunched with 
constituents, and were briefed on CJTF-HOA's mission and 
objectives in the region. The heat - about 120 degrees - 
underscored the difficulty of living and working conditions 
in the Horn of Africa. Certainly a highlight for 
Representative Bordallo was the discovery of a whole company 
of soldiers from Guam. General Helland and his staff 
discussed various community development projects relating to 
schools, wells and livestock in Yemen, Ethiopia and Kenya as 
well as Djibouti in order to make the point that such 
face-to-face encounters, done in the company of host country 
counterparts, achieved the objective of presenting the U.S. 
in a positive light. The delegation visited the primary 
school at Doudah (near the base, but unfortunately located 
near the city dump) that was renovated as part of Camp 
Lemonier's Community outreach program. 
 
4. (S) The representatives were also briefed on the nature of 
the terrorist threat in the region, U.S. efforts to identify 
it and cooperation with Djiboutian and other national 
authorities in countering it. One of the visitors asked, at 
least partially rhetorically, if such a US presence as 
exemplified by the Camp generated or mitigated the threat? In 
another comment, prior to the military briefing, another 
representative expressed curiosity as to why the U.S. troops 
were so separated from the local population. In light of 
ongoing talk in Washington about intelligence 
re-organization, Congressman Miller asked how CJTF-HOA intel 
concerns might best be served. General Helland stated that as 
a field commander he wanted to be able to task folks 
accountable to him for intelligence products. He observed 
that the existing system served that purpose well. 
 
4. (SBU) Comment: The representatives were mostly in a 
listening mode, but were clearly interested in learning more 
about this far corner of the world and U.S. interests and 
activities here. 
 
5. (U) This message was drafted after the codel's departure 
and was not cleared by them. 
GRIBBIN