and canadian ground forces arran see powell descending upon mauritania the fictional president of the us then promises that it will be a well planned rapid and efficient operation that would conclude in just a three is time but lo and behold two years down the line and by the pentagon's own simulated war game violence in mauritania and also in mali where this war is now spread to as well has increased by ninety percent the civilian population that is suffering that's despite the presence of a seventy thousand u.s. troops in the region so things according to this planned well to this simulated war game things have gone from bad to worse and when it comes to the end of this stated three year window that's been allowed for this conflict the war game throws another painfully familiar spanner into the works on march the eighth twenty twenty six a fictional general sense. a fictional communique saying that this general recommends delaying pulling out the troops for a minimum of twelve months in fact the general recommends sending more troops to the region and he says that the mission is at

in west africa, manager, mauritania. this entire region.he idea was to make this region a bulwark against terrorism. the thinking just after 9/11 was that weak states, fragile governments, these were places that terror groups could proliferate. at the time, the united states did not recognize any transnational terror groups in the region. after all of this u.s. activity, after running one special ops mission after another year after year, now there are proliferation groups acrosthem,, including the islamic state in the greater sahara, which is proof that reportedly conducted this ambush that killed the quite to american green berets. amy: not all of them were green berets, but they were special forces. on that issue of the special forces, 800 soldiers in niger? what is the drone base? why was it being built there? >> in 2013, the u.s. began drone operations there. 100 u.s. personnel dispatched to the capital of niger. the base was designed for ,roviding what they call isr intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, over the niger and gr

revealed that there was another case of abuse of rape by un peacekeeping troops from countries from mauritania now an investigation has been launched mauritanian investigators are here in baghdad to try to find a solution or try to find a. what exactly happened if you try to prosecute those that are involved but so far no one has been charged you know we have to bear in mind is that you increase in troops operating in central african republic have immunity so it's up to the countries that are contributing their soldiers to and and and prosecute those that are involved and tell you the jurors said that he has zero tolerance when it comes to sexual abuse and many people here are waiting that he put his word through many thanks nicholas there with a very disturbing picture in central african republic. egypt's president has met his french counterpart in paris where the two pledged to strengthen economic and military ties emanuel macron has faced calls from rights groups to raise allegations of torture and political repression in egypt on insisted it isn't his place to lecture and of a leader david

there is a ninety percent increase in violence in mauritania and mali where the war has quietly spread to as well and that's despite the fact that there's seventy thousand u.s. and canadian troops in the region. now three years later just as the troops are meant to be pulling out according to the president's timeline the war game throws another painfully familiar spanner into the works and that is a fictional general sending a fictional communique saying that he recommends delaying pulling out the troops by one year at least in fact he recommends sending more troops to the region in order to avoid the mission failing entirely so the word quagmire sent you springs to mind it is all pretty reminiscent of the us is other real forays abroad for example in afghanistan but the whole point of this war game is to help prime the future generals of the us it was being simulated in the most elite military training academies across the us and it's interesting that the action plays out on the african continent bear in mind the. already one and a half thousand u.s. troops in africa already is this a

said he would ease social media restrictions but he has yet to live up to that promise you can add mauritania to the list of governments that have suddenly accused critical media outlets of failing to pay their taxes and shutting them down on october seventeenth the country's broadcasting authority ordered five privately owned t.v. channels to close for failing to fulfill their financial agreements somehow t.v. ching go it out of what the nia and more rabbit tune were all ordered to close leaving just one channel the state owned t.v. am on the air. all of this happens in the aftermath of a contentious referendum held two months ago which president muhammad ruled abdel-aziz called to expand the powers of the presidency. several journalists including al-jazeera correspondent bob but would have been harassed or arrested while reporting on political unrest. in the weinstein story was suppressed by hollywood using its legal and financial muscle to keep a lid on it but there are also power centers in the u.s. government that can dictate to hollywood the pentagon and the cia we've examined the u.s.

five so i'll nations that's mauritania mali. and chad joining to fight groups didn't want to get is it james base has more. the u.n. already has a peacekeeping force in mali but it often faces attacks from the north lightly organized outside the country's borders the so hale is a vast desert region where armed groups can roam with considerable freedom a new force known as the g five mission is now being set up this is its headquarters but it lacks the necessary logistical support and funding of over four hundred ninety million u.s. dollars that's why the security council's been meeting everyone around the table acknowledges the force is needed but they disagree on what help and money the u.n. should give up is that artists on the field are smart enough what in addition to the issue of financing the joint force will also require support in spheres such as infrastructure information and communication technology and ziad technology training medical training and many vet passerby as well as supporting terms of both air and land a tr

remote area new shares border with mali the region that also includes neighboring countries of chad mauritania and burkina faso is facing an ongoing challenge against armed groups to help with the fight the u.s. has around a thousand troops in the up from one hundred in two thousand thirteen they share intelligence and help train local forces the incident in the jerry has caused political ramifications as well the widow of sergeant led david johnson said president donald trump was insensitive when he called to offer condolences to president. gore but it hurts anyway. and now as it made me cry because i was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he thought he could remember my husband something the president disputes i had a very respectful conversation with the widow of sergeant like david johnson and spoke his name from the beginning without hesitation from tweeted the pentagon has also come under increased criticism from prominent lawmakers over the death of the u.s. soldiers and overall transparency of u.s. operations in africa this is an endless war without band ballenger is no limita

warned the sahal is descending into all out violence troops from booking a fast so charred mali mauritania and li share will be involved. hundred schools in the north and central region are closed because of security threats that means out of the fifty thousand children are out of school so that's an important sign that this election is held hostage to the conflict and some don't. we have some breaking news coming out of afghanistan at least fifteen people are being killed an explosion at a mosque in the capital kabul officials say a suicide bomber detonated explosives inside this year last a gunman opened fire there the exact number of casualties is still unknown there's also been a separate explosion at another mosque in the central gore province up to ten people have been killed well jennifer glass is our correspondent in kabul to specific events happening as we speak what more do we know at the moment jennifer. as you say there has been a market. well we seem to have lost jennifer on the phone we will try and get back to our correspondent in kabul for an update on those two explosions

cases of sexual abuse from peace peacekeepers in fact recently amnesty said that there was one mauritania and that was accused of raping a young girl in the region of bunbury mauritanian investigators as we speak are on the ground talking to the victim of abuse these are more judges women that are talking to the victims of abuse here so that you're not really trying to do something about it until you get tara's has said since he's come into his new post that there will be as zero tolerance towards abuse because you n.p. . keeping is so important to this country but so far no one has been charged and no one has been prosecuted for all these alleged cases of sexual abuse julie nicholas hoult there live from bungay nicholas. egypt's president has met his french counterpart in paris where the two have pledged to strengthen economic and military ties abdel fattah el-sisi and emanuel mccall also discussed escalating violence in libya as well as security in the middle east their meetings been heavily criticized by activists groups with protests being held forces with the book without borders are

the oil reserves on the continent the eldorado of the science the tao dany basin which extends to mauritania to algeria across north mali. listen this is a source resource but in the vast vast area probably bigger than the whole of texas or. the two thirds of europe for instance so you can imagine very few wells in this vast area not enough to test the realities it would take a long time to put the space into for testing. despite a recent decline in the importers gas and african oil to the united states the interests of major u.s. energy companies in africa has not decreased the needs of asia and europe will not stop growing nearly two trillion dollars of investments in african oil and gas are expected in the next two decades. to school the. next year when there was hospital yeah. there are no good all in sudan uganda saw. they tell you that fico. or field isn't the. president of. the us. in may two thousand and fourteen president obama announced that he would allocate an additional five billion dollars to the fight against global terrorism. but as we move to train and advise mission in afgh

is the purpose of -- is to allow the military forces of the five countries concerned -- niger, mauritania, mali, to take into account their own security. that is what we are doing in dakar with the support of the u.s. and others, germany and spain. succeed in implementing a powerful and efficient military force from the region, then we will not be efficient. assignments of thishe force is also to control the borders. allowed to go be back and forth across borders to make sure that we can track efficiently trafficking and terrorists. of course, it is huge work. and for sure, even with very strong support from allies, we will never succeed. a localitely need initiative. that is why i underline that much. we need your support as a community, just to help juststand this is not isey poured in the sense, it something that will happen. the operation that is prepared in the coming days will be a first training to demonstrate that this is possible. heather: the g5 will be such a critical test of some new initiatives. last question before we turn to the audience. one thing you and secretary mattis

forces of the five countries concerned, mali, burkina faso, chad, niemichael jacksoner -- niger and mauritania to take into account their own security. that's what we're doing with the support of the u.s. and others and germany and spain and others but but if we don't succeed in implementing a powerful and efficient military force s forc we will not be efficient and one of the assignments of this joint force is also to control and they will allowed to go back and forth the borders so we can traffic efficiently traffics and terrorist terrorists for sure france would benefit from allies, or we will never succeed. so we definitely need a local initiative and that's why i underline that match that we need your support as a community just to help understand that this is a strong -- this is not just money poured, it is something that will happen. and the operations that is prepared in the coming days now will be a first training to demonstra demonstrate. >> it seems it's going to be such a critical test of new initiatives. very exciting. last question before we turn to the audience. one thing you an

said he would ease social media restrictions but he has yet to live up to that promise you can add mauritania to the list of governments that have suddenly accused critical media outlets of failing to pay their taxes and shutting them down on october seventeenth the country's broadcasting authority ordered five privately owned t.v. channels to close for failing to fulfill their financial agreements somehow t.v. chin go it out of what the nia and more rabid tune were all ordered to close leaving just one channel the state owned t.v. am on the air. all of this happens in the aftermath of a contentious referendum held two months ago which president muhammad would abdel-aziz called to expand the powers of the presidency. several journalists including al-jazeera correspondent bob but would have been harassed or arrested while reporting on political unrest. in the weinstein story was suppressed by hollywood using its legal and financial muscle to keep a lid on it but there are also power centers in the u.s. government that can dictate to hollywood the pentagon and the cia we've examined the u.s. mi

topped oil reserves on the continent the eldorado of the science the tao dany basin which extends to mauritania to algeria across north mali. listen this is a sort of resource but in the vast vast area probably bigger than the whole of texas or. the two thirds of europe for instance so you can imagine very few wells in this vast area not enough to test the realities it what took a long time to put the space into for testing. despite a recent decline in the importance gas and african oil to the united states the interests of major u.s. energy companies in africa has not decreased the needs of asia and europe will not stop growing nearly two trillion dollars of investments in african oil and gas are expected in the next two decades. to school the. next year when there was hospital yeah i know. there are no good all in sudan uganda saw. they tell you the freak vava. field is and they. don't disappear. in may two thousand and fourteen president obama announced that he would allocate an additional five billion dollars to the fight against global terrorism. but as we move to train and advise mission

new force to patrol the south western sahara desert the so-called five cycle nations that's mali mauritania became a fast. chad a combining to fight armed groups in the area diplomatic it is the james base reports. the u.n. already has a peacekeeping force in mali but it often faces attacks from the north lightly organized outside the country's borders the so hale is a vast desert region where armed groups can roam with considerable freedom a new force known as the g five mission is now being set up this is its headquarters but it lacks the necessary logistical support and funding of over four hundred ninety million u.s. dollars that's why the security council's been meeting everyone around the table acknowledges the force is needed but they disagree on what help and money the u.n. should give up is that artists on the females monophonic in addition to the issue of financing the joint force will also require support in spheres such as infrastructure information and communication technology and ziad technology training medical training and many vet passerby as well as supporting terms of bot

the multinational force made up of soldiers from mali mauritania bikini fast and chad all former french colonies soldiers are teaming up to fight armed groups linked to al qaeda leader's office let me see additional. they've chosen mali as a right place to evaluate the security situation and develop plans for a military collaboration. a rebellion a no the mahdi by the twenty people five years ago thought to create a new state called as allied with the uprising was hijacked by al qaeda linked fighters who seized major towns in northern mali and. established islamic law and. french troops drove them out again later but they continue to do much attacks from desert hideouts and have spread into areas once considered safe five hundred schools in the north and central region are closed because of security threats that means out of the fifty thousand children are out of school so that's an important sign that the election is held hostage by the conflict and. the u.n. says so far the multinational forces only received a quarter of its annual five hundred million dollars budget analysts say even

of new jersey border with mali the region which also includes the neighboring countries of chad mauritania and booking a faso is facing an ongoing challenge against armed groups to help with this fight the u.s. has about one thousand troops in easy there up from one hundred in two thousand and thirteen they mostly share intelligence and help trained local forces the incident in asia has caused political ramifications as well the widow of sergeant johnson's that president from was insensitive when he called to offer condolences to president. found for body hers anyway. and now was it made me cry because i was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said he couldn't remember my herds when a something the president disputes he wrote i had a very respectful conversation with the widow of sergeant david johnson and spoke his name from beginning without hesitation now the pentagon has come under increased criticism from prominent lawmakers over the deaths of the u.s. soldiers and overall transparency of u.s. operations in asia where this is an endless war without band boundaries no limita

is the purpose of -- is to allow the military forces of the five countries concerned -- niger, mauritania, mali, to take into account their own security. that is what we are doing in dakar with the support of the u.s. and others, germany and spain. succeed in implementing a powerful and efficient military force from the region, then we will not be efficient. assignments of thishe force is also to control the borders. allowed to go be back and forth across borders to make sure that we can track efficiently trafficking and terrorists. of course, it is huge work. and for sure, even with very strong support from allies, we will never succeed. a localitely need initiative. that is why i underline that much. we need your support as a community, just to help juststand this is not isey poured in the sense, it something that will happen. the operation that is prepared in the coming days will be a first training to demonstrate that this is possible. heather: the g5 will be such a critical test of some new initiatives. last question before we turn to the audience. one thing you and secretary mattis