WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon is seeking $200 million in the 2017 budget for counterterrorism operations in Libya and other portions of North and West Africa, as the Islamic State threat in that region continues to grow.
The new funding provides the first concrete indication of what the U.S. military may do to battle the threat, including expanded drone and surveillance flights, strikes and other operations. Also, it is the first time the Pentagon has included a separate increase for operations against the Islamic State in Africa.
There were no details on how the money would be spent. The $200 million is an overall increase the department's war funding, including the ongoing effort in Afghanistan, and the airstrikes and training in Iraq and Syria against the Islamic State. The war funding request is $58.8 billion for 2017, compared to $58.6 billion this year.
The $200 million is likely to cover increased drone operations over Africa, as the military struggles to provide real-time intelligence through 24-hour unmanned aircraft patrols in the coming years. Also, that budget increase will build on discussions U.S. officials are having now on plans to beef up counterterrorism operations in Libya in the coming weeks and months.
According to U.S. defense officials, the Pentagon is looking for ways to increase drone flights over Libya and other parts of Africa to get a better picture of what is going on and to be prepared to conduct operations when needed.
As a result, officials said the U.S. may have to shift aircraft from other parts of the world, including Afghanistan, to cover the growing demand in Libya, where the number of Islamic State militants has risen from a couple thousand to about 5,000, according to newly declassified U.S. intelligence assessments.
Under the plan laid out in the 2017 budget, the Pentagon would increase the number of 24-hour combat air patrols from more than 60 now to 90 by about October 2019. The increase would come as the Army, government contractors and special operations forces contribute more to the flights already being done by the Air Force.
Although there are no plans for a large-scale U.S. military action in Libya, President Barack Obama last week directed his national security team to beef up counterterrorism operations there.
According to U.S. officials, the military options under consideration include raids and advisory missions by U.S. special operations forces and targeted airstrikes against militants, including high profile enemies. Last November a U.S. airstrike on a command center near the port city of Darnah killed Abu Nabil, a longtime al-Qaida operative believed by U.S. officials to have been the senior Islamic State leader in Libya.