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A28 u.s. news
Diabierna 11 Maart 2022

Scathing reports find military failures in 2020 Kenya attack

the first review, told the AP ranks. A written reprimand Both are sharply critical of
that while the actions of no can be career-ending for an the inadequate security, train-
one person caused the attack officer. The officials spoke ing and oversight at the base.
or the casualties, the reviews on the condition of anonym- Austin has accepted the re-
concluded that security, in- ity to describe personnel dis- ports and their findings.
telligence, training and com- cipline.
mand failures contributed to The base at Manda Bay has
the losses. The Manda Bay base, in the been used for years by the
Kenyan seaside resort, was U.S. military, but it only be-
And Air Force Maj. Gen. overrun by 30 to 40 of the came a full-time airfield in
Tom Wilcox, who was part al-Qaida-linked insurgents 2016, with increased person-
of the team that did the sec- on Jan. 5, 2020, marking al- nel, aircraft and operations.
ond review, said that “none Shabab’s first attack against According to the reviews, the
of the negligence that we U.S. forces in the East Afri- military there never adjusted
found contributed to the can country. The pre-dawn security to account for the
primary cause of the loss of assault triggered a lengthy expanded use and was lulled
life or damage. However, we firefight and daylong struggle by the fact the base hadn’t
(AP) — Military investi- attack by al-Shabab militants did find that they potentially for U.S. and Kenyan forces to been attacked in 16 years.
gations have found poor are scathing in their conclu- contributed to the outcome, search and secure the base.
leadership, inadequate sions that there were failures to vulnerabilities on the air- The complacency, said the
training and a “culture of across the board at the Man- field.” The initial investigation into Africom review, permeated
complacency” among U.S. da Bay air base, where senior the attack was completed a every echelon and existed for
forces undermined efforts military leaders said there Defense officials said that a year ago by U.S. Africa Com- several years.
to fend off a 2020 attack was a “deeply rooted culture number of Air Force person- mand, but last April Defense
by militants in Kenya that of a false sense of security.” nel were reviewed for possi- Secretary Lloyd Austin or- The reviews criticized lead-
killed three Americans, The attack also wounded ble disciplinary action and, as dered a new, independent re- ership at all levels, from the
U.S. officials familiar with three people and destroyed a result, eight have received view led by Gen. Paul Funk, Air Force wing and security
the probes told The Asso- six aircraft, and killed at least some form of administrative commander of Army Train- forces to special operations
ciated Press ahead of the six insurgents. punishment, including writ- ing and Doctrine Command. commanders and U.S. Af-
release of the findings, ex- ten reprimands and loss of rica Command. They found
pected Thursday. Army Gen. Stephen certification. The eight range The new report largely mir- there was an inadequate un-
Townsend, head of U.S. Af- from junior enlisted airmen rors the findings in the initial derstanding of and focus on
Two military reviews of the rica Command, which did to officers below the general probe but expands its scope. the threats in the region.

House approves ban on Russian oil to US, bolstering Biden

(AP) — The House over- “It is one way to demonstrate regime. Lawmakers appeared Ukraine, a package that has short of suspending Russia’s
whelmingly approved leg- our solidarity,” Doggett said especially moved by Ukraini- swelled in size as the bru- normal trade status. Rather,
islation Wednesday night during the debate. an President Volodymr Zel- tality of the war intensifies. it calls for a review of Rus-
that would ban Russian enskyy’s “desperate plea” for More than 2 million Ukrai- sia’s status at the World Trade
oil imports to the United The remarkable bipartisan help during a weekend video nians have fled the country in Organization. The House
States, an effort to put into resolve in Congress to deter call with lawmakers. the most rapid exodus since bill also says the Global Mag-
law the restrictions an- Russia and help Ukraine has World War II. nitsky Human Rights Ac-
nounced by President Joe acted as an accelerant on the “We stand with the people countability Act should be
Biden in response to the White House’s own strategy, of Ukraine, Democrats and The legislation in many ways bolstered to allow the presi-
escalating war in Ukraine. pushing the Biden adminis- Republicans alike,” said Rep. is symbolic, since Biden has dent to impose sanctions
tration to move more quickly Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa. already announced the Rus- on any foreign person who
Going further than Biden’s than it would have — a rare sian oil ban. But the legisla- has “directly or indirectly
import ban on Russian example of the legislative House GOP leader Kevin tive push sets up the next engaged in serious human
oil, the bill making its way branch muscling its way into McCarthy said Republi- showdown over Russia’s rights abuse.”
through Congress would also foreign policy. cans would have preferred a trade status as Congress
encourage a review of Rus- tougher bill on Russia, along- presses for restrictions on The Democrats in Congress
sia’s status in the World Trade Just days ago, the Biden ad- side efforts to allow more en- other imports from Russia are toggling between push-
Organization and signal U.S. ministration was reluctant ergy production in the U.S. that the administration has so ing their priorities and allow-
support for sanctions on to ban Russian oil imports, Nevertheless, they wanted to far resisted. ing the Biden administration
Russian officials over human worried about reducing the send a show of support. leeway as it works with allies
rights violations, as the U.S. global energy supply and The White House intervened in Europe and beyond to stop
works to economically isolate causing spikes in gas prices at “Our conference over- over the weekend as key law- Putin’s war.
the regime. a time when U.S. households whelmingly does not want makers from both the House
already face record-setting Russian oil; we want Ameri- and Senate prepared a more Senators, though, remain
Lawmakers in both parties inflation. can oil,” McCarthy said. punitive bill that would be- eager to curb Russian trade
have been eager to act, will- gin to strip Russia of its per- with restrictions on imports
ing to risk higher gas prices “We’ve been talking about The GOP leader distanced manent normal trade relation to the U.S., and Republican
at home in order to support doing the Russian (energy) himself from former Presi- status — a move that would senators may try to amend
Ukraine with a show of U.S. ban for a while, and we’re dent Donald Trump’s views have opened the door to tar- the bill once it comes up for
bipartisanship. The legisla- so pleased the president has that Putin is a “genius” for iffs on other goods coming a Senate debate, likely in the
tion was approved Wednes- done that,” House Speaker his Ukraine strategy. from Russia to the U.S. week ahead. The bipartisan
day, 414-17, and now goes to Nancy Pelosi said ahead of bill as initially drafted would
the Senate. the vote. “I do not think anything Amid the administration’s have suspended normal trade
savvy or genius about Putin. objections, Democratic lead- relations with Russia as well
Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, While Russian oil makes I think Putin is evil. He’s a ers in Congress shelved the as Belarus, the neighboring
who helped draft the bill, ac- up only a small part of U.S. dictator,” McCarthy said. emerging bill rather than Russian ally that has been
knowledged it may cost more imports, it carries a high forcing a confrontation with used as a launch point for
to fill up tanks at home to price for lawmakers in Con- The action comes as Con- their party’s president. incursions into northern
stop Russian President Vladi- gress who viewed the ban as gress is on track to approve Ukraine.
mir Putin’s tanks abroad. a moral test in blocking an nearly $14 billion in mili- Instead, the new legislation
economic lifeline for Putin’s tary and humanitarian aid for approved by the House stops