Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 7 March 2018

Tillerson heads to Africa with explaining to do for Trump

By JOSH LEDERMAN Ethiopia, Somalia, South Su-
WASHINGTON (AP) — As far dan and Nigeria, but it was
as Africa's concerned, Sec- unclear exactly where the
retary of State Rex Tillerson money would come from.
and the Trump administra- For Tillerson, who did not vis-
tion have some explaining it Africa during his first year
to do. as the top U.S. diplomat, it
President Donald Trump's may be that the best way to
description of "shithole show deference to a conti-
countries" in January was nent suspicious of Trump is
greeted with a mix of hor- to listen. State Department
ror and outrage in Africa, officials said Tillerson want-
where many don't know ed to hear from leaders in
what to think about the Africa in what ways they’re
U.S. president — or what he most eager to collaborate
thinks of them. He's rarely with the United States. “It
spoken about priorities for may be a listening tour for
the continent, which gar- him, but it’s also a watch-
nered a mere seven para- ing tour” for everyone else,
graphs on the very last said Witney Schneidman,
pages of Trump's National a former Africa official at
Security Strategy. the State Department now
It falls to Tillerson to mend Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks about the relationship between the U.S. and countries in at the Brookings Institution.
the damage as he travels Africa, at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., Tuesday, March 6, 2018. “When do we get to see
to the continent on Tues- (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) the outlines of what the
day, becoming the most Trump Africa policy is?”
senior U.S. official to set foot situation is brought under lic, forcing humiliated U.S. Trump hasn’t announced The U.S. planned to direct
there since Trump took of- control. ambassadors to apologize a signature initiative to $128 million to help Nigeria
fice more than a year ago. "My firm belief is that there and Trump to send a letter help the continent, such and the Lake Chad region
Tillerson, in a speech lay- is ample opportunity on the to African leaders affirming as the PEPFAR program for nations.
ing out the administration's continent for economic his respect. HIV/AIDS that George W. Though he has yet to visit as
Africa policy, said the con- growth, for greater pros- Making Tillerson's job hard- Bush started, and many diplomat, Tillerson is not a
tinent's rapid economic perity, and for respond- er, he's showing up on the of his sweeping budget stranger to Africa, which he
growth and fast-rising ing to global challenges continent with few con- cuts affect overseas pro- visited frequently in search
populations mean its fu- through mutually respectful crete goals or new actions grams that disproportion- of deals in his previous job
ture is increasingly linked to partnerships," Tillerson said. to announce. As one senior ately help Africa. Tillerson as CEO of Exxon Mobil. The
America's. He said the U.S. It's a starkly different mes- State Department official did announce Tuesday an energy behemoth has sig-
was committed to help- sage from the one Trump briefing reporters on con- additional $533 million in nificant business dealings in
ing, but that prosperity and delivered in a meeting with dition of anonymity put it: humanitarian assistance sub-Saharan Africa, includ-
basic stability would be im- U.S. lawmakers this year "There's really no deliver- to help with famine and ing in Chad, Nigeria and
possible until the security that soon became pub- ables." conflict-related needs in Equatorial Guinea.q

Dutch intel agency: Volume, complexity of cyberattacks rises

By MIKE CORDER and espionage, the Dutch making processes." in mid-2014 and watched In its annual report, the
THE HAGUE, Netherlands General Intelligence and It added that the agency them for at least a year, agency said online spying is
(AP) — Attempts at digital Security Service said in its also has seen similar at- even managing to catch also being used to infiltrate
espionage and online po- 2017 report a growing num- tempts by China. the hackers on camera. European multinationals,
litical manipulation in Eu- ber of foreign powers are The intelligence agency, Daily newspaper De Volksk- research institutes as well as
rope are on the rise both in using cyber espionage "to known by its Dutch acro- rant and television current the energy, high-tech and
number and in complexity, acquire information that nym AIVD, is known for its affairs show Nieuwsuur said chemicals sectors.
the Netherlands' main intel- they use for (geo) political tracking of online threats. Dutch spies used their ac- "Terabytes of confidential
ligence agency said Tues- gain." Dutch media reported in cess to help oust Cozy Bear information with a sub-
day in its annual report. It highlighted Russia, which January that AIVD hackers from U.S. State Department stantial economic value
Adding its voice to fears it said is "extremely driven in penetrated the computers computers in late 2014. were stolen in these digi-
around the world of a rise the covert digital influenc- used by a Russian hacking The AIVD declined com- tal breaches," the report
in covert digital influence ing of (political) decision group known as Cozy Bear ment on the reports. said.q