WASHINGTON (Halbeeg News) – US military mission in Africa known AFRICOM has been pushing proposal to expand war on Somalia based al-Shabaab fighters after al-Shabaab fighters raided US base Kenya early this year.
According to New York Times, US Africa Command (AFRICOM) is seeking authorization to expand its undeclared drone war against al-Shabaab.
Citing sources, sources privy to the development, the paper reported that the cross-border raid by al-Shabaab against Camp Simba’s Manda Bay airstrip stirred up panic at AFRICOM headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, about its inability to respond with air attacks to another incursion.
The January 5 raid was carried out by fewer than 20 militants, but they killed three Americans – one soldier and two security contractors – and destroyed several aircraft, including a De Havilland Canada Dash 8 surveillance aircraft and two helicopters, plus three other aircraft.
AFRICOM spokesperson Col. Christopher P. Karns did not comment directly on the proposal, but he told the Times the command “certainly recognizes the need to apply consistent international pressure on al-Shabaab and to monitor their activity, presence, and actively confront them in order to prevent their spread. This can take several forms.”
According to the anonymous officials who spoke to the paper, the draft guidelines would authorize not just defensive strikes in Kenya, but also offensive attacks if justified as preemptive.
The sources say the authorization would be limited to the border counties of Garissa and Lamu – where Manda Bay is located – and any strikes would require the explicit approval of Nairobi.
The US delivered the first six of a dozen MD-530F Cayuse Warrior light attack helicopters to the Kenyan Armed Forces in late January.
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