won't they EVER learn?

time after time after time, our armed forces decide to 'train' forces in other countries (outwardly at times, covertly at other times) with some sort of notion it will help the us somewhere along the line. time after time after time, it backfires and bites us in the azz (look at south and central america and iran contra for example).

N'DJAMENA, Chad - The U.S. military is embarking on a long-term push into
Africa to counter what it considers growing inroads of al Qaeda and other
terrorist networks in poor, lawless and predominantly Muslim expanses of the
continent............

The Pentagon plans to train thousands of African troops in battalions equipped for extended desert and border operations, and to link the militaries of different countries with secure satellite communications. The initiative, with proposed funding of $500 million over seven years, covers Algeria, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Nigeria, Morocco and Tunisia -- with the U.S. military eager to add Libya if relations improve...............http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8705654/

500 million???????????? why the hell don't we use that money to help those nations farm. turn those swords into plowshares, huh? why why why why why. it will hurt us less (or even themselves) if they turn on us (inevitable) and attack us with guavas instead of guns