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| Europe |
| Spain Negotiates Permanent U.S. Marines Africa Force |
| 2015-01-24 |
| [AnNahar] Spain said Friday it was starting negotiations with Washington to host a permanent U.S. Marines intervention force for deployment on missions to Africa. The Spanish government said it was ready to permanently extend an agreement under which the force has been based at Moron de la Frontera, near Seville in southern Spain. The government approved negotiations to amend the two countries' 1988 defense accord, Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said after a cabinet meeting. Spain's foreign and defense ministers will negotiate the amendment, as requested by the United States last month, "with a view to hosting the deployment for an indefinite time", she told a news conference. The US force was first stationed at Moron in April 2013 in the wake of a deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya the previous year. Its temporary status was renewed last year. Its duties in Africa include protecting embassies, rescuing military personnel and evacuating civilians or intervening in conflicts and humanitarian crises. The force is made up of 800 Marines plus air support, including MV-22 Osprey vertical take-off transport planes. The contingent aims to strengthen vigilance in "an area that is a top security priority for our partners and neighbors but also for Spain", Saenz said. Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that the new agreement could increase the strength of the contingent to 3,000 personnel if needed. The force operates under the orders of the U.S. military's Africa command, based in Germany. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #9 Rota land unit. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2015-01-24 17:24 |
| #8 Buffer zone - trip wire for the coning Islamic reconquista? |
| Posted by: borgboy 2015-01-24 16:58 |
| #7 I think the beer is better in Germany, Steve. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2015-01-24 16:55 |
| #6 Why is the command in Germany and not in Seville? As to hosting a permanent command in Africa, it is indeed curious -- we couldn't get Djibouti or Sierra Leone to give us a hand? |
| Posted by: Steve White 2015-01-24 16:32 |
| #5 living the Ace of Spades Lifestyleâ„¢ Armed with Colt 45s and F-Bombs; When the dancer's half way up the pole, she's neither up nor down? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2015-01-24 16:30 |
| #4 living the Ace of Spades Lifestyleâ„¢ |
| Posted by: Frank G 2015-01-24 11:53 |
| #3 There's something about going to the Marine base at Moron that I can't put my finger on... |
| Posted by: ed in texas 2015-01-24 10:07 |
| #2 Hosts were also in very short supply. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2015-01-24 09:49 |
| #1 theU.S. military's Africa command, based in Germany. Cause they couldn't find any place in Africa that was secure and not (raised) wrist deep in corruption and incompetence. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2015-01-24 09:39 |