Outsourcing the Fight Against Terrorism -- James Kitfield, National Journal
The United States is using local soldiers to fight al-Qaida allies in East Africa.
MANDA BAY NAVAL BASE, Kenya—The C-12 twin-engine turboprop drops through a break in the clouds, and Kenya’s tropical Lamu Archipelago, surrounded by coral-green waters, emerges like a lost continent. Cuticles of virgin white beach line a jungle that stretches back into the country’s interior. Banking, the pilot spots a short airstrip cut out of the foliage. The station below is one of the remotest outposts in an expanding U.S. network of staging bases in Africa. The clouds close when the rainy season arrives in mid-March, and Manda Bay can go for weeks, even months, without so much as a mail drop. The C-12 touches down on an unlit runway and stops.
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My Comment: Historically speaking this is nothing new .... the Romans used local armies to fight their battles and to enforce their empire. The U.S. does not have an empire in East Africa, but there are Al Qaeda affiliated threats located in the region that can easily metastasized into something that can become a serious problem in the future. What better way to contend with them than by using local soldiers who are familiar with the culture and geography and will not be constrained by U.S. rules of engagement. The only drawback .... these local soldiers may operate under rules of engagement that are totally unacceptable to the U.S..
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