Various news reports quote departing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld as declaring that the Administration would create an Africa Command within a couple of months. He made the remark during an awards ceremony in which he praised Theresa Whelan, deputy assistant for African affairs, for her work on the implementation planning group.
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
