The U.S. has been quietly (thanks to the press) involving itself in a number of oil-related activities in Africa. But The AP reports that the U.S. Deputy Commander of the European Command for Europe and Africa offered American help today in “monitoring the waters off the Gulf of Guinea.”1

The proposed African Coastal Security Program is “to block pirates, smugglers and other criminals in the Gulf of Guinea and around Africa.” There’s an oil boomlet going on in West Africa, especially Nigeria, but the Nigerians have been plagued by “militants—many seeking a share of the country’s oil wealth.”

The U.S. gets 15% of its oil from the region, but with things as they are in the Middle East, who knows when we may need to turn up the African spigot.

Asked whether the United States was willing to help stem attacks against Nigeria's oil industry, Wald said, "Wherever there's evil, we want to get there and fight it."