Eric Schmitt
Rising from a barren stretch of African scrubland, a half-finished drone base of operations represents the newest forepart line of piece of work inwards America’s global shadow war. At its center, hundreds of Air Force personnel are feverishly working to consummate a $110 1000000 airfield that, when finished inwards the coming months, volition survive used to stem or strike extremists deep into West in addition to North Africa, a percentage where most Americans cause got no thought the province is fighting. Near the nascent runway, Army Green Berets are grooming Nigerien forces to carry out counterterrorism raids or fend off an enemy ambush — similar the 1 that killed 4 American soldiers nigh the Republic of Mali border final fall.
Taken together, these parallel missions reverberate a largely undeclared American military machine buildup exterior the battlefields of Republic of Iraq in addition to Afghanistan, frequently amongst murky authorities in addition to lilliputian populace attention, unfolding inwards remote places similar Yemen, Somalia and, increasingly, West Africa.
In Niger alone, the Pentagon inwards the yesteryear few years has doubled the seat out of USA troops, to virtually 800 — non to bear unilateral combat missions, but to battle an increasingly unsafe Al Qaeda, the Islamic State in addition to fifty-fifty loosely associated extremist groups amongst proxy forces in addition to drone strikes. The military’s missions inwards Niger are expected to come upwards nether scrutiny inwards a long-awaited Defense Department investigation into the deadly Oct. 4 ambush that is nearing release.
“The base, in addition to the to a greater extent than frequent flights that its opening volition allow, volition give us far to a greater extent than situational awareness in addition to tidings on a percentage that has been a hub of illicit in addition to extremist activity,” said P.W. Singer, a strategist at New America inwards Washington who has written extensively virtually drones. “But it volition also farther involve us inwards yet to a greater extent than operations in addition to fights that few Americans are fifty-fifty aware our military machine is in.”
Questions virtually whether the American military, nether the Trump administration, is seeking to obscure the expanding ambit of operations inwards Africa surfaced final calendar month when it was revealed that the United States had carried out 4 airstrikes inwards Libya betwixt September in addition to Jan that the military’s Africa Command had failed to expose at the time.
Soon after, the military machine acknowledged for the get-go time that Green Berets working amongst Nigerien forces had killed eleven Islamic State militants inwards a multiday firefight inwards December. No American or Nigerien forces were harmed inwards the Dec gun battle.
But the combat — along amongst at to the lowest degree 10 other previously unreported attacks on American troops inwards West Africa betwixt 2015 in addition to 2017 — underscored the fact that the deadly ambush inwards Niger was non an isolated episode. Nigerien forces in addition to their American advisers are preparing other major operations to clear out militants, military machine officials say.
“It’s essential that the American populace is aware of, engaged in, in addition to decides whether or non to back upwards American military machine operations inwards countries some the world, including Niger,” said Senator Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware, who visited Niger amongst 4 other senators this month.
Six months after the fatal attack, which took house exterior the hamlet of Tongo Tongo nigh the Republic of Mali border, the Trump direction stands at a critical crossroad inwards the military’s global counterterrorism campaign.
One path would force ahead amongst President Trump’s crusade vow to defeat the Islamic State in addition to other tearing extremist organizations, non but inwards Republic of Iraq in addition to Syria, but worldwide. The other would survive to describe out in addition to exit to a greater extent than of the fighting to allies, equally Mr. Trump said he wants to create inwards Syria, maybe ceding hard-fought Blue Planet to militants.
During a counterterrorism practice this yesteryear calendar week inwards north-central Niger that drew nearly 2,000 military machine personnel from xx African in addition to Western countries, many officers voiced concerns that America’s commitment inwards West Africa could autumn victim to the latter impulse.
“It’s of import to nevertheless cause got back upwards from the U.S. to assist develop my men, to assist amongst our shortfalls,” said Col. Maj. Moussa Salaou Barmou, commander of Niger’s 2,000 Special Operations forces, who trained at Fort Benning, Ga., in addition to the National Defense University inwards Washington.
In an interview on the sidelines of the exercise, Maj. Gen. J. Marcus Hicks, the caput of American Special Operations forces inwards Africa, seat it this way: “This is an insurance policy that’s rattling inexpensive, in addition to I intend nosotros need to proceed paying into it.”
Building a novel base of operations inwards this remote, landlocked province nearly twice the size of Texas marks the latest chapter inwards the military’s contentious history of drone operations some the world.
It comes equally American drone strikes are on the ascension again, after tapering off somewhat inwards places similar Pakistan. The seat out of American strikes against Islamist militants final twelvemonth tripled inwards Republic of Yemen in addition to doubled inwards Somalia from the figure a twelvemonth before.
Last month, an armed drone flown from a minute base of operations inwards Niger killed a Qaeda leader inwards southern Libya for the get-go time, signaling a possible expansion of strikes there.
Where American in addition to Nigerien officials come across enhanced safety inwards drone operations — for surveillance, strikes or protecting Special Forces patrols — others fearfulness a potentially destabilizing touching on that could manus valuable recruiting propaganda to an array of groups aligned amongst Al Qaeda in addition to the Islamic State, in addition to that could increase the militants’ menace.
“Eliminating jihadi military machine leaders through drone operations could temporarily disorganize insurgent groups,” said Jean-Hervé Jezequel, deputy manager of the International Crisis Group’s West Africa projection inwards Dakar, Senegal. “But eventually the void could also atomic number 82 to the ascension of novel in addition to younger leaders who are probable to engage into to a greater extent than tearing in addition to spectacular operations to assert their leadership.”
A rare see this calendar month to Air Base 201, the largest structure projection that Air Force engineers cause got always undertaken alone, revealed several challenges.
Commanders grapple amongst swirling dust storms, scorching temperatures in addition to lengthy spare-part deliveries to ready broken equipment. All cause got conspired to seat the projection to a greater extent than than a twelvemonth behind schedule in addition to $22 1000000 over its master copy budget.
American officials cause got sought to allay fears of local residents that the base, but 2 miles exterior the metropolis of Agadez, could survive a target for terrorist attacks — non a guardian against them. Rumors circulated that the dozens of dump trucks rumbling inwards in addition to out of the heavily defended forepart gates each solar daytime were secretly stealing valuable uranium, for which the percentage is renowned.
“We had to overcome some suspicion in addition to distrust,” said Lt. Col. Brad Harbaugh, commander of the 724th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron, the senior officeholder here.
For centuries, Agadez has been an of import way-stop for smugglers, migrants in addition to camel caravans traversing the Sahara. The metropolis of 125,000 people is to a greater extent than than 450 miles from Tongo Tongo, where the American soldiers in addition to Nigerien troops were attacked final fall, but militants cause got also targeted this percentage inwards recent years.
In May 2013, Islamist militants staged coordinated attacks, using suicide motorcar bombs to strike a Nigerien military machine chemical compound inwards Agadez in addition to a French-operated uranium companionship inwards the nearby town of Arlit. Two groups claimed credit for the bombings, which Nigerien authorities said killed at to the lowest degree 24 soldiers in addition to 1 civilian, equally good equally eleven militants.
President Barack Obama ordered the get-go 100 American troops to Niger inwards Feb 2013 to assist gear upwards unarmed surveillance drone operations inwards Niamey, Niger’s capital, to back upwards a French-led performance combating Qaeda in addition to affiliated fighters inwards neighboring Mali.
Even equally those troops deployed, military machine officials said thus that they ultimately wanted to motility the drone operations to exterior Agadez, closer to Saharan smuggling routes that Islamist militants role to carry arms in addition to fighters from Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to northern Mali. Runway structure broke Blue Planet inwards the summertime of 2016.
Niger’s authorities approved Air Base 201 inwards 2014. Last November, a calendar month after the deadly ambush, the authorities of Niger gave the Defense Department permission to wing armed drones out of Niamey, a major expansion of the American military’s firepower inwards Africa. American in addition to Nigerien officers hither refused to speak over armed operations. But a Defense Department official acknowledged that the military machine inwards Jan started flying armed missions from Niamey, 500 miles southwest of the base, including the deadly strike inwards southern Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya final month.
MQ-9 Reaper drones, made yesteryear General Atomics, volition survive moved to Air Base 201 1 time its runway in addition to hangars are completed yesteryear early on side yesteryear side year, equally volition several hundred American troops. Roughly one-half of the 800 American forces inwards Niger — the second-largest American troop presence inwards Africa, minute only to the 4,000 military machine personnel at a permanent base of operations inwards Republic of Djibouti — operate hither now.
Bill Roggio, editor of the Long War Journal, a website run yesteryear the Foundation for Defense of Democracies that tracks military machine strikes against militant groups, said that moving the drone operations to Agadez had 2 chief advantages.
First, he said, the base of operations volition survive to a greater extent than centrally located to bear operations throughout the Sahel, a vast expanse on the southern flank of the Sahara that stretches from Senegal to Sudan in addition to has been seized yesteryear a growing moving ridge of terrorism in addition to armed conflict.
Second, Agadez is to a greater extent than isolated than Niamey. That volition assist proceed the operations to a greater extent than low-key in addition to away from prying eyes.
“The Agadez base of operations has the potential to larn the most active counterterrorism hub inwards Africa,” Mr. Roggio said.
The Niger deployment is only the minute fourth dimension that armed drones cause got been stationed in addition to used inwards Africa.
Drones at 1 time based inwards Republic of Djibouti are used inwards Republic of Yemen in addition to Somalia, where at that spot were virtually xxx strikes final twelvemonth against Shabab in addition to Islamic State targets — twice the seat out inwards 2016. Drones used against targets inwards Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya cause got flown from Sicily, but amongst a hit of virtually 1,100 miles, the Reapers could non achieve militant hide-outs inwards southern Libya.
The USA also flies unarmed surveillance drones from bases inwards Tunisia in addition to Cameroon.
At Air Base 201, edifice a runway to a greater extent than than 6,800 feet long in addition to 150 feet broad poses severe logistical hurdles. Rock from local quarries is crushed into gravel for the runway’s underlying support. But the stone crushers cause got broken down, forcing workers at to the lowest degree 1 time to role couriers to hand-deliver spare parts from Paris to avoid weekslong transportation delays.
“There’s no Home Depot downtown here,” said Colonel Harbaugh, 40, an Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan state of war veteran from Pittsburgh.
Runway structure also requires choreographed precision.
Dump trucks disgorge piles of moisture gravel. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 giant grader equipped amongst a GPS-controlled blade spreads the stone to an exact depth. Steamrollers footstep dorsum in addition to forth behind the grader to compact the gravel. To settle properly, the moistened rocks must non dry out also quickly, thus much of this operate is done at nighttime to avoid daytime temperatures that this yesteryear calendar week soared to 107 degrees.
Later this summer, workers volition lay v inches of asphalt atop the stone bed. In all, commanders tell they volition pave some 39 acres of airfield. While built mainly for the Reaper drones, the runway in addition to adjoining taxiways in addition to ramps must survive able to take away maintain much heavier C-17 cargo planes. Three huge hangars capped inwards a tan stuff roofing sprout-like giant mushrooms, visible from miles away. Each tin jibe 1 or to a greater extent than drones.
Eventually, the conception is to plough Air Base 201 completely over to the Nigerien military. American in addition to Nigerien safety forces at 1 time jointly patrol the 2,200-acre site. The base of operations cafeteria employs fourscore local workers, in addition to the Americans cause got spent tens of millions of dollars on local rock, concrete, steel, woods in addition to other supplies. Civic leaders in addition to local journalists were late invited to tour the base.
A four-man civil affairs squad led yesteryear Capt. Andrew Dacey, a one-time Army infantry platoon leader inwards Iraq, has worked closely amongst civic, religious in addition to educational leaders inwards Agadez to assist address the high unemployment in addition to ill-equipped schools — shortcomings that Islamist extremists tin exploit.
The squad is helping local schools start a metallic in addition to woods craftsman apprenticeship that teaches teenage students novel skills in addition to supplies classrooms amongst refurbished desks.
“The base of operations has been rattling helpful for our safety in addition to our economy,” said Mahaman Ali, an inspector for primary schools inwards the area, pointing to piles of broken desks that volition survive repaired.
And yet doubts nevertheless linger virtually the base’s enduring legacy.
“The deployment of armed drones is non going to brand a strategic difference,” said E.J. Hogendoorn, the International Crisis Group’s deputy Africa computer programme manager inwards Washington, “and may fifty-fifty increase local hostility to the U.S. in addition to the cardinal authorities inwards distant Niamey.”
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