America’s Secret African Drone War Against the Islamic State

by Nick Turse On October 7th, at an “undisclosed location” somewhere in “Southwest Asia,” men wearing different types of camouflage and dun-colored boots gathered before a black backdrop adorned with Arabic script.  They were attending a ceremony that mixed solemnity… Continue Reading

America’s Empire of African Bases

by Nick Turse In the shadows of what was once called the “dark continent,” a scramble has come and gone. If you heard nothing about it, that was by design. But look hard enough and — north to south, east… Continue Reading

U.S. Military Aid to Presidential Guards a Risky Venture

by Alexis Kedo and Colby Goodman “We have seen what has happened, that the people were not in favor of it [coup d’état]. That is why we gave it up.” This was Gen. Gilbert Diendéré’s ad-libbed apology for the coup… Continue Reading

A Secret War in 135 Countries

by Nick Turse You can find them in dusty, sunbaked badlands, moist tropical forests, and the salty spray of third-world littorals. Standing in judgement, buffeted by the rotor wash of a helicopter or sweltering beneath the relentless desert sun, they instruct,… Continue Reading

U.S. Special Ops Missions in Africa Fail to Stem Rising Tide of Terror

by Nick Turse “Africa is a challenging place today and one that, if left unattended, is likely to be the birthplace of many more challenges in the future,” Army Secretary John McHugh said recently. Since 9/11, in fact, the continent… Continue Reading