'Dangerous' Misconception that Africa Does Not Matter - Report

The persistent misconception that Africa is largely irrelevant to U.S.national security is dangerous, according to a report issued by the Atlantic Council Africa Center in Washington, DC. The author, former Obama administration national security director for Africa, Grant Harris, cites three reasons: transnational threats; economic and political interests; and pressures that result from conflict, humanitarian crisis, and mass atrocities in Africa. "Serious engagement in Africa is needed, even if one's view of US national security imperatives is limited to countering transnational threats," the report says.