WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said Friday that his country has deployed about 100 military personnel to the West African country of Niger.
Obama said the deployment "will provide support for intelligence collection and will also facilitate intelligence sharing with French forces conducting operations in Mali and with other partners in the region."
In a letter to the Congress, Obama said the last element of the deployment was completed on Wednesday, and the deployment was with the consent of the government of Niger.
The president added the U.S. troops are equipped with weapons for their protection and security.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military is planning to set up a drone base in northwestern Africa in order to combat the local affiliate of Al Qaeda and other Islamist extremist groups which pose a growing menace to the region, local media said Tuesday.
This is an indication that Africa has become a priority for the U.S. counterterrorism efforts, the New York Times reported in a front-page news report. Full story
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