( Kirsty Wigglesworth / The Associated Press )But now the CIA is broadening its drone operations, moving aircraft to northeastern Niger to hunt Islamist militants in southern Libya. The Dirkou base was already up and running by the time Pompeo stepped down as head of the CIA in April to become Trump’s secretary of state. Article Continued BelowThe Pentagon’s Africa Command has carried out five drone strikes against Al Qaeda and Daesh militants in Libya this year, including one two weeks ago. Even so, security analysts said, it is not clear why the U.S. needs both military and CIA drone operations in the same general vicinity to combat insurgents in Libya. In this part of Niger, the CIA is also providing training and sharing intelligence, according to a Nigerien military intelligence document reviewed by The Times.

Source: thestar September 09, 2018 21:00 UTC