【129,130】US May Reduce Special Operations Forces in Africa
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US May Reduce Special Operations Forces in Africa
June 10, 2018
FILE- Nigerian special forces and Chadian troops participate with U.S. advisers in the Flintlock exercise in Mao, Chad, March 7, 2015. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)
FILE - An honor guard carries the coffin of U.S. Army Sergeant La David Johnson, who was among four special forces soldiers killed in Niger, at a graveside service in Hollywood, Florida, Oct. 21, 2017.
Campbell added that the goal of Special Forces in Africa has been to train African militaries to help countries improve their own security.
"I think that type of training can and should be provided, but it doesn't have to be provided by Special Forces," he said.
Former commander against cuts
But other observers have questioned the timing and the reasoning for the decision. Former commander of Special Operations Command Africa Donald Bolduc said the attack in Niger shows why the U.S. needs to have a presence in the area.
"Anybody that knows me knows that I would disagree with any downsizing in Africa. We are probably too small there to begin with," Bolduc said. "My reasoning for that is we're in 28 different countries doing 96 different missions with 886 associatedtasks.”
He added that the military has already had a difficult time against violent extremist organizations in the Sahel.
Bolduc said the territory that extremists often occupy, usually rural with intense weather, is the "quintessential special operations force environment."
He said that only the most highly trained forces can operate there to secure the region for non-governmental organizations, the United Nations and local partners.
"Without the presence that we have there now, we're just going to increase the effectiveness of the violent extremist organizations over time, and we are going to lose trust and credibility in this area and destabilize it even further," Bolduc said.
I’m Phil Dierking.
Salem Solomon wrote this story for VOANews.com Phil Dierking adapted his story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
Do you think the US should decrease its military presence in Africa? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.
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Words in This Story
associate - v. to join or connect together
mission - n. a specific task with which a person or a group is charged
task - n. a usually assigned piece of work often to be finished within a certain time
consistently - adj. marked by harmony, regularity, or steady continuity
destabilize - v. to cause (something, such as a government) to be incapable of functioning or surviving
quintessential - adj. perfectly typical or representative of a particular kind of person or thing
region - n. a broad geographic area distinguished by similar features
type - n. a particular kind, class, or group
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In Boston’s Expanding Seaport, Water Is a Threat
June 10, 2018
In this June 4, 2018 photo, buildings under construction and finished buildings line Seaport Boulevard in Boston's Seaport District.
But the city does not require developers to follow through, noted Bradley Campbell, president of the Conservation Law Foundation, an environmental group.
Boston officials say that many newer Seaport developers are preparing for the worst.
General Electric moved its headquarters from Connecticut to temporary offices in Boston’s Seaport in 2016. The company says the first floor of its new offices will be raised nearly 1.5 meters, or enough to protect it from the higher sea levels. Electrical systems are also being put on the second floor, and emergency power supplies will be on top of the 12-floor building.
The developers of Seaport Square says its buildings stayed dry last winter because of their design.
“We believe in science,” said Yanni Tsipis of WS Development. Seaport Square is a mix of offices, apartment buildings and stores. Amazon says 2,000 of its workers will one day occupy space on the property.
But environmental activists warn much of the district simply is not ready for the rising sea levels. Many young people have moved to the area in recent years. It has become one of the city’s most pricey neighborhoods.
The weakest structures are historic buildings. It is very costly and sometimes impossible to improve them, city officials have said.
A federal report released recently found that nationally, high-tide flooding is happening at two times the rate it was just 30 years ago. The report warned that flooding records will continue to be broken for many years.
By the international airport in East Boston, the city government is investing in a 2-meter high temporary floodwall. In Charlestown, where the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought during the American Revolution, crews are raising the main street more than half a meter.
Deb Friedman, a local woman, wondered if these actions will help. A few months ago, sea water flooded her apartment building.
“Water has a mind of its own, anyway,” she said.
I’m Susan Shand. And I'm Dorothy Gundy.
The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
district – n. an area established by a government or community
peninsula – n. a piece of land that is almost entirely surrounded by water and is attached to a larger land area
splash – v. to make something wet, usually in a noisy way
boardwalk – n. a walkway along the sea or coastline
pattern – n. something designed or used as a model for making things
tide – n. the rising and falling of the surface of the ocean