You won’t find any foreign locale more important to U.S. security interests than Camp Lemonnier, the sprawling air and sea base in Djibouti, a tiny nation on the Horn of Africa.
Djibouti borders Somalia—and Yemen is just a short flight away over open water. The U.S. conducts operations against Al Qaeda and affiliated terror groups in both countries. Djibouti also commands the entrance to the Red Sea, with its shipping lanes connecting the Middle East to Europe and America.
After meeting Djiboutian president Ismail Omar Guelleh at the White House on Monday, U.S. president Barack Obama announced that the Pentagon would extend its “long-term” presence at Camp Lemonnier … for up to 30 years.
Read the Rest: Pentagon Gets to Keep Vital African Base — For a Price — War is Boring — Medium.