Panetta visits U.S. troops in Africa

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said more U.S. troops will be stationed in the African country of Djibouti than in Iraq as priorities shift. Since 2002, Djibouti has been home to Camp Lemonnier, the only permanent U.S. military base in Africa. It has more than 3,500 military personnel, most of them combating terrorism in Somalia, Yemen and other countries in the region, The Washington Post reported Tuesday. As U.S. troop involvement in Iraq ends at the end of the year, troop strength at Camp Lemonnier has been beefed up as military and intelligence services refocus attention on al-Qaida regional affiliates on the Arabian Peninsula and in East Africa, officials said. Panetta in his visit Tuesday met Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guellah and spoke to about 500 troops at the camp, the Post said. Panetta spoke of the significance of Djibouti's location between Yemen and Somalia, both home to al-Qaida networks. "Djibouti is a central location for continuing the fight against terrorism, and we've made a hell of a lot of progress," Panetta said. "Al-Qaida is what started this war, and we have made a commitment that we are going to track these guys wherever they go to make sure they have no place to hide … whether it's Yemen or Somalia or anyplace else." Panetta said his trip would include stops in Turkey, Iraq and Libya. "There are changes going on," he told reporters on his plane. "This trip will also look at a turning point after 10 years of war. We'll be touching a lot of key places that will reflect a lot of the achievements that have been accomplished over the last 10 years."