Nigerien Armed Forces conduct a convoy movement, key leader engagement and ambush exercise during Flintlock 18 in Niger, Africa on April 15, 2018. Flintlock is U.S. Africa Command's premier and largest annual Special Operations Forces exercise. (Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Runser/Army)
Military Times: With limited resources, US military shifts strategy from degrading militants in West Africa to containment
Violence by militant groups in West Africa has spiked 250 percent over the last two years but constrained resources and manpower has pushed the U.S. military to switch strategies from degrading terror groups to containment, according to a recent inspector general report.
Resources for the thinly spread American troops across U.S. Africa Command may be further constrained should the Pentagon decide to curtail the counterterror mission in the region following a defense-wide posture review that is still pending.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told reporters in January that U.S. troops were not withdrawing from AFRICOM entirely, but he suggested the U.S. might pull back on the counterterror mission in Africa to address great power competition, namely Russia and China.
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WNU Editor: This is not America's war. There is also no public support in America to dramatically escalate the US military role in combating these militant groups in West Africa.
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