KENYA/MALI: U.S. GENERAL EXPLAINS STRATEGY OF CAPTURING TERRORISTS AS U.S. TROOPS CONTINUE TRAINING IN MALI.

Record ID: 352110

  • Title: KENYA/MALI: U.S. GENERAL EXPLAINS STRATEGY OF CAPTURING TERRORISTS AS U.S. TROOPS CONTINUE TRAINING IN MALI.
  • Date: 18th March 2004
  • Summary: (W6) NAIROBI, KENYA (MARCH 17, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SET UP SHOT OF BRIGADIER GENERAL MASTIN ROBESON 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRIGADIER GENERAL MASTIN ROBESON SAYING: "I think we do have a strategy that addresses both the ability for host nations to capture the terrorists, but also to establish a better foothold for economic growth and n
  • Embargoed: 2nd April 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NAIROBI, KENYA/DESERT NORTH OF TIMBUKTU, MALI
  • City:
  • Country: Mali Kenya
  • Reuters ID: LVA6YWDKVOXFJH0BI595FBULF87C
  • Story Text: American general explains military strategy of
    capturing terrorists as U.S. troops train in Mali.



    U.S. Special Forces were training Malian forces in
    the desert north of Timbuktu on Wednesday (March 17),
    working in conjunction with a U.S. State Department
    initiative to enhance security in the border areas of Mali,
    Mauritania and Chad.

    About 200 U.S. special forces were taking part in
    training units in four locations in Mali and one in
    Mauritania on Wednesday. They were conducting exercises and
    one of the exercises included an ambush simulation.

    Meanwhile, in the Horn of Africa, between 1,300 and
    1,600 task force personnel are based at Camp Lemonier, a
    former French Foreign Legion post in Djibouti. They are
    working under the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa
    (CJTF-HOA) to arrest people linked to terrorist groups.

    "I think we do have a strategy that addresses both the
    ability for host nations to capture the terrorists, but
    also to establish a better foot-hold for economic growth
    and national development in the region," said U.S.

    Brigadier General Mastin Robeson, spokesperson for the task
    force. He was speaking in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

    Washington fears that al Qaeda cells may be seeking new
    havens on the continent where weak political institutions
    coupled with poor policing of deserts and coastlines have
    made it a potentially fertile recruiting and training ground for
    milita
    nts bent on mass attacks on civilians.

    "Economic prosperity is the number one thing that you
    can have to ensure long term that you eradicate terrorism's
    opportunity to come and see the foothold in this area. And
    that's why they have come here, is because they found areas
    in the region that were impoverished and undeveloped. So
    without a doubt, that's a key integral piece to what we
    hope to accomplish - is to help host nations establish
    economic growth," said Robeson.

    The task force aims to strengthen intelligence-sharing
    in the region where rivalry for land and political
    influence has often hurt relations between neighbours.



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