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Intel: Congress piles on the Pentagon over possible North Africa drawdown

The leaders of the House and Senate foreign affairs panels today expressed concern over a possible Pentagon plan to draw down US troops in Africa, which could impact plans to fight terror in Tunisia and Morocco.
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 16: Chairman James Risch speaks  to Brian Hook State department Special Representative for Iran as he testifies during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Holds Hearing On US-Iran Policy on October 16, 2019 in Washington, DC.  (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

The top Republicans on the House and Senate foreign affairs committees today expressed concern over a possible Pentagon plan to draw down US troops in Africa, which could impact plans to fight terror in Tunisia and Morocco.

“Partner militaries are underfunded and ill-equipped to respond to this drastic increase in violence,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch of Idaho and the ranking minority member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul of Texas, said in a letter sent to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. “That is why our limited, yet focused presence across Africa, is so important. US forces train and advise partner nations and support improved intelligence collection, building their capacity to ultimately defend their own countries.”

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