Friday March 22 Drone base
in Niger gives U.S. a strategic foothold in West Africa by Craig Whitlock March 21, 2013 http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/drone-base-in-niger-gives-us-a-strategic-foothold-in-west-africa/2013/03/21/700ee8d0-9170-11e2-9c4d-798c073d7ec8_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines
[Excerpted] The U.S. Air Force began flying a handful of unarmed Predator drones from here last month [in Niger]....
The harsh terrain of North and West Africa is rapidly emerging as yet another front in the United States’ long-running war against terrorist networks, a conflict that has fueled a revolution in drone warfare.
Since taking office in 2009, President Obama has relied heavily on drones for operations, both declared and covert, in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya and Somalia. U.S. drones also fly from allied bases in Turkey, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Philippines.
Now, they are becoming a fixture in Africa. The U.S. military has built a major drone hub in Djibouti, on the Horn of Africa, and flies unarmed Reaper drones from Ethiopia. Until recently, it conducted reconnaissance flights over East Africa from the island nation of the Seychelles.
The Predator drones in Niger, a landlocked and dirt-poor country, give the Pentagon a strategic foothold in West Africa….
… the rules of engagement are blurry. Intelligence gathered by the Predators could indirectly help the French fix targets for airstrikes or prompt Nigerien security forces to take action on their territory. Moreover, U.S. officials have acknowledged that they could use lethal force under certain circumstances….[end]
Majia here: The extension of US surveillance and missile assaults throughout the world is so fundamentally anti-democratic that I really have no words to express the depth of my dismay and horror.
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Everyone wants a drones nowadays. It is the new fancy toy for adults. They are perceived as a
ReplyDeletemilitary weapon but now they are made available to everyone. You might see people flying them around
just for mere fun, or even film enthusiast working on capturing... http://www.thebestdroneshop.com
I dont understand why thay must be police everywhere. Why dont let African people to fix their own situation...
ReplyDelete