A United States Special Forces trainer instructed a group of soldiers from Chad as they conducted a mock raid in March. Credit Bryan Denton for The New York Times
New York Times: U.S. Military Offers Support, but Not Troops, to Aid France in Africa
NDJAMENA, Chad — In an unusual joint counterterrorism operation recently, troops from Mali, Mauritania and France seized a large cache of weapons and ammunition from a suspected Qaeda camp in a forested area along the border of the two African countries.
The raid provided a glimpse of an expanding and often violent multifront campaign that France has joined here in the Sahel, a vast area on the southern flank of the Sahara that stretches from Senegal to Sudan. Over the past several years, French troops have battled Al Qaeda’s North Africa affiliate and other Islamist extremists in Mali and have helped African troops thwart Boko Haram, a violent militancy that has spilled from Nigeria to attack Chad, Niger and Cameroon. The Islamic State is also a looming threat.
In the latest sign of an emerging regional collaboration, five countries within the Sahel — Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad — announced recently that they would create three border areas for military patrols and operations. French troops are advising and assisting these units.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: From what I am reading I am getting the impression that the French are being strained with their overseas deployments. They should ask their European allies for help in Africa .... but I suspect the French already know what the answer will be, hence the request for more support from Washington. As for the U.S. they already have a lot on their plate, especially if this new deployment occurs .... Pentagon Open To Sending More US Troops To Somalia, Mattis Says (Task & Purpose).
