West Africa and U.S. Strategy
.
By Harry Hoshovsky
June 24, 2020
A recent terror attack in Mali killed two dozen soldiers with the incident following French claims that its military forces – supported by American intelligence and surveillance aircraft – successfully neutralized Abdelmalek Droukdel, the leader of al-Qaeda’s West African affiliate.
This successful counterterrorism operation highlights the invaluable role that the United States currently plays in helping its allies in West Africa battle al-Qaeda and the Islamic State’s fierce terrorist campaign that last year alone killed over 4,000 civilians and soldiers.
Earlier this year, however, there were reports that the Department of Defense was weighing the possibility of either downsizing its force presence in Africa or withdrawing completely so that it could shift focus towards confronting Russia and China.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2020/06/24/west_africa_and_us_strategy_115408.html
