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Washington Post writer Craig Whitlock explained more. On October 25, he headlined "Remote US base at core of secret operations," saying:
"Around the clock, about 16 times a day, drones take off or land at" America's Djibouti-based Camp Lemonnier. It's "the combat hub for the Obama administration's counterterrorism wars in the Horn of Africa and the Middle East."
France's Foreign Legion established Lemonnier. Post-9/11 it became a US Naval Expeditionary Base. It's located at Djibouti's International Airport.
It's home to the Pentagon's Africa Command (USAFRICOM) Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF/HOA).
"Over the past two years, the U.S. military has clandestinely transformed it into the busiest Predator drone base outside the Afghan war zone"."
Extraordinary efforts are made to conceal its lawless mission. Decisions on who lives or dies are made secretly. Lemonnier's commander knows. His job is execute kill orders.
"Virtually the entire 500-acre camp is dedicated to counterterrorism" killing. It's the Pentagon's first "permanent drone war base." It won't be the last. Perhaps many more are planned globally.
Drones, of course, operate out of many other US facilities. Regional ones include Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Seychelles-based installations.
Lemonnier so far is the only Pentagon installation of its kind. Secrecy shrouds its operations. Post journalists were denied permission to visit. After one showed up unannounced, commanding General Ralph Baker agreed to an off-base interview.
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