THE crackle of machinegun fire chased the vultures from the desert sky. A dozen Chadian soldiers, some wearing turbans, others purple berets or floppy hats, leapt off a Land Cruiser and sprayed AK47 fire at figures in the small sand dunes. Two other platoons, yelling: “Avance!”, veered right and peppered the targets with bullets. “Good job, guys,” Master- Sergeant Jim, a rangy US Special Forces soldier, yelled, walking away from the plastic “terrorists”. “Now let’s do it again.” The global war on terrorism has come to the Sahel. In a controversial new project that costs $100 million (£57 million) a year, the United States is training local anti-terror battalions in nine countries in and around the arid corridor that separates the deserts of North Africa from the sub-Saharan South. Full Story
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