Operation Enduring Freedom – Trans Sahara

Operation Enduring Freedom - Trans Sahara Part of the War on Terrorism Date February 6, 2007 - ongoing Location Sahara Desert Result Conflict ongoing Belligerents United States United Kingdom Algeria Chad Morocco Niger Mauritania Mali Senegal 24px al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb Commanders and leaders Barack Obama George W. Bush Idriss Deby Ahmed Ouyahia 24px Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud Strength 480 Americans; 250 Algerians; 200 Chadians; 20 Moroccans; 5 Nigerien; 3 Mauritanians; 1 Malian; 25 Senegalese medical doctors Total: 959 troops and 25 medical doctors >500 (al-Qaeda claim) Casualties and losses 1 US Army Special Forces operator in Mali, 1 aircraft damaged 100+ militants, 263 non-combat fatalities, 2 military jeeps destroyed

Operation Enduring Freedom - Trans Sahara (OEF-TS) is the name of the military operation conducted by the United States and partner nations in the Sahara/Sahel region of Africa, consisting of counterterrorism efforts and policing of arms and drug trafficking across central Africa. It is part of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT).

Joint Task Force Aztec Silence (JTF Aztec Silence) is the combined arms organization assigned to implement the missions and meet the goals of OEF-TS. The JTF has been part of United States European Command (EUCOM). As of September 2007, with the announcement of the new United States Africa Command, the mission will fall under the responsibility of Africa Command.

The Congress approved $500 million for the Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative (TSCTI) over six years to support countries involved in counterterrorism against alleged threats of Al Qaeda operating in African countries, primarily Algeria, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Nigeria, and Morocco. This program builds upon the former Pan Sahel Initiative (PSI), which concluded in December 2004 and focused on weapon and drug trafficking, as well as counterterrorism. TSCTI has both military and non-military components to it. OEF-TS is the military component of the program. Civil affairs elements include USAID educational efforts, airport security, Department of the Treasury, and State Department efforts.

On September 12th while delivering food to Malian troops a US C-130 cargo plane was struck by machine gun rounds from suspected Tuareg rebels, no one was injured and the plane made it safely to its destination. So far, over 100 al-Qaeda militants have been killed by the hostile conditions of the Sahara Desert. On September 20, 2007 two military jeeps believed to be the miliants' were destroyed by Chadian troops near the Algerian border.

References

it:Operation Enduring Freedom - Trans Sahara ru:Операция «Несокрушимая свобода» — Западная Сахара