The CIA is once again ready to carry out secret attacks in Africa against al Qaeda and ISIS militants with drones deployed at an air base in the Sahara, the New York Times reports.
According to the paper, Trump has taken up a program that had been scrapped by his predecessor Barack Obama. The intelligence agency in particular is reportedly moving many of its vehicles to north-east Niger crack down on terrorists in southern Libya.
The Obama administration had decided to shut down the secret program of the CIA and entrust drone management to the Pentagon to ensure more transparency after a series of attacks that had struck civilians. The US had refused to take responsibility for the attacks.
Now Trump has reportedly given the green light for the resumption of programs in the Sahara.
The CIA is already carrying out limited programs in eastern Afghanistan to strike Pakistan and in southern Saudi Arabia to hit Yemen.
NYT sources said drones from Niger have not been used so far in deadly actions but only for surveillance flights. However, according to the paper, they will soon be used to attack Islamic militants with the Trump administration strongly concerned over the deteriorating condition in southern Libya
