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U.S. military plans to build drone base in North Africa: official
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/28/u-s-military-plans-to-build-drone-base-in-north-africa-official/
$20+ million dollar MQ-1 Predator.
U.S. military plans to build drone base in North Africa: official
By Agence France-Presse
Monday, January 28, 2013 18:17 EST
The US military plans to set up a base for drones in northwest Africa to bolster surveillance of Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in the region as well as allied Islamist extremists, a US official told AFP on Monday.
The base for the robotic, unmanned aircraft would likely be located in Niger, on the eastern border of Mali, where French forces are currently waging a campaign against Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The base was first reported by the New York Times earlier Monday.
~snip~
If the plan gets the green light, up to 300 US military service members and contractors could be sent to the base to operate the drone aircraft, according to the New York Times.