Small Wars Journal

Lax Security Left U.S. Troops Unprepared for Deadly Terror Attack in Kenya, General Says

Fri, 01/31/2020 - 12:10pm

Lax Security Left US Troops Unprepared for Deadly Terror Attack in Kenya, General Says by Richard Sisk - Military.com

Poor attention to base security left U.S. troops in Kenya vulnerable when the militant group al-Shabaab attacked, killing three Americans and destroying six aircraft, Army Gen. Stephen Townsend said Thursday.

"I think it's self-obvious we were not as prepared there at Manda Bay as we needed to be," said Townsend, commander of U.S. Africa Command.

On Jan. 5, the Somalia-based fighters managed to maneuver to their target about 150 miles south of the Kenya-Somalia border and "penetrate onto that airfield," Townsend said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing…

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