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| Africa: North |
| U.S. Forces Begin Military Training in Northern Africa |
| 2005-06-08 |
| DAKAR, Senegal (AP) - U.S. forces began military training exercises with allies across northern Africa this week, part of a stepped up campaign against terrorism on the continent, a spokeswoman said Wednesday. The two-week training initiative began Monday in Chad, Mauritania, Mali, Niger and, for the first time, Algeria. The exercises in Algeria took on added urgency after Islamic insurgents linked to the al-Qaida network launched a weekend raid into Mauritania that left 24 dead. Algeria's Salafist Group for Call and Combat, which has been linked to al-Qaida and is listed by the U.S. as a terrorist organization, claimed responsibility for Saturday's attack on a remote Mauritanian army outpost that left 15 troops and nine insurgents dead - just the kind of violence officials are hoping to avert. "This is the reason they understand that they have to work together now," Maj. Holly Silkman said of the countries involved in the exercises. Silkman is a spokeswoman for the Germany-based U.S. European Command, which is responsible for U.S. military operations in most of Africa. "They're a threat to stability and security in this region," Silkman said of the Salafist Group for Call and Combat. "And the Africans are well aware of that." In the claim, posted Tuesday on a Web site in Arabic, the terror group said the assault was a "hit against the Flintlock plan put in place by the enemy of God, America, and its agents in the region." Flintlock is the name of U.S.-led, joint military exercises conducted by the U.S. European Command every two years - this time in northern Africa with about 1,000 U.S. troops, mostly special operations forces, training about 3,000 elite African soldiers. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #1 What ever happened to that *empty* amphibious fleet? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-06-08 16:10 |