NPR

Amid Aid Uncertainty, U.S. Counterterrorism Cooperation Continues In Africa

Forces from 27 countries took part last month in U.S.-led counterterrorism exercises to fight extremist violence by Boko Haram, the flow of foreign fighters and trafficking in the Lake Chad region.
Helmeted Chadian and other African police commandos, armed with dummy rifles hunt down terrorist suspects who've taken hostages in the building, during a US military led Flintlock 2017 law enforcement exercise in Ndjamena Chad, 15 March 2017.

Along the Chari and Logone rivers separating Cameroon from Chad's capital, four flat-bottomed boats, mounted with machine guns, brimming with Chadian and other special forces, round the curve as they approach the riverbank.

Forming an assault force, heavily armed soldiers leap out of the vessels and race up a slope to take up positions while backup forces have their machine guns at the ready.

It's all part of a military exercise that simulates going after a high-value target – a leader from the ISIS-affiliated Boko Haram insurgency, who's taken up residence in a huddle of huts on the far side of the riverfront, a terrorist safe haven. The assault force demonstrates crucial military steps before capturing and eliminating him.

Three weeks of U.S.-led counterterrorism exercises, known as , ended last month in Chad, which,

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR9 min read
How 'I Saw The TV Glow' Made A 'Teen Angst Classic' Soundtrack For The Ages
The newly released psychological horror film I Saw the TV Glow possesses a star-studded original soundtrack that stands on its own as a great, angsty album.
NPR2 min readCrime & Violence
How Does Trump's Trial End? It May Hinge On How Jurors Feel About Sex And Privacy
The Trump's Trials team breaks down why prosecutors have a timeline problem, what Michael Cohen's testimony so far has shown, and why it may all come down to a question of sex and privacy in the end.
NPR3 min read
Taiwan's New President Urges China To Stop Its Military Intimidation
Taiwan's new President Lai Ching-te in his inauguration speech has urged China to stop its military intimidation against the self-governed island Beijing claims as its own territory.

Related Books & Audiobooks