The Pentagon Press Briefing Room seal as seen March 27, 2020, Washington, D.C. (DoDo photo by Lisa Ferdinando)

By Gary Raynaldo   DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

WASHINGTON  DC  –   The Pentagon said the U.S. military will continue to be a strong partner with France in its counter-terrorism operations in the troubled African Sahel region.   Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with France’s Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly Monday over the phone to discuss the evolving situation in the Sahel. Secretary Austin “applauded French leadership in countering terrorism in the region and assured her of continued U.S. support for this important mission,”   according to a statement of the two defense officials’ phone conversation provided to reporters by Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby. 

“Secretary Austin also gave his condolences for the death of French soldier Maxime Blasco, who was killed in a militant clash on the Mali-Burkina Faso border Saturday. The two leaders agreed to continue regular consultations on the situation in the Sahel.”    – Pentagon

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Last week,  U.S. President Joe Biden and France’s President Macron engaged in a conversation in which Biden assured Macron the U.S.  is committed to  “reinforcing”  its support to counterterrorism operations in the Sahel.  The conversation took place after France’s President Macron said he felt “stabbed” in the back by the United States, the French Republic’s longtime ally, following Australia cancelling an order last week for Paris to supply it with 12 conventional diesel-powered submarines.  Australia reneged on a submarine contract with France worth $66 billion , announcing it would instead join a security pact with the U.S. and the United Kingdom. France is furious after being left out of the new security pact between the US, the UK and Australia. President Macron swiftly recalled France’s Ambassador to the U.S. and Australia. 

Macron orders  Philippe Etienne,  French Ambassador to the U.S. to return to Washington

President Macron  had a change of heart and is dispatching Ambassador Etienne back to Washington after he and U.S. President Biden spoke by phone Wednesday September 22. 

U.S. Continues “Long-standing Support” to France 

“It absolutely has real world implications, and we continue to provide a measure of support to French operations in the Sahel. And that’s what this line was referring to was the long-standing support that we continue to provide the French.,” Pentagon press secretary Kirby said of the Biden-Macron conversation regarding joint military ops in Africa. 

(Photo by Gary Raynaldo /  ©Diplomatic Times)  Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby briefs reporters at the Pentagon in Washington D.C.

The Pentagon spokesperson declined to provide specific details regarding U.S. troops deployed in joint military operations in with France.

“I won’t speak to specifics about increases or decreases. What I can tell you is that we have supported some of their operations in that part of the world, we’re going to continue to do that. And clearly we’re going to look for ways to make it as affective as possible going forward.  And I can’t rule in or rule out any particular element of that support, …in terms of whether it’s going to increase as a result of this conversation today. But when I saw the verb ‘reinforce,’ what I took away was that we’re going to stay committed to that task. When it comes to counterterrorism operations, there’s no business as usual. I mean, it’s something you focus on day to day. And as you’ve heard the Secretary of State before, he has praised the French and their military efforts in the Sahel specifically. And we are, and have been for quite some time, supporting them through a variety of means. And as I said , when we look at the word ‘reinforcing,’ it means exactly that- we’re going to continue to stay committed to that task, to helping the French in their operations in that part of the world against the terrorist threat and that support, has and will continue to change over time situationally as it needs to. “

-Pentagon Press Secretary Kirby 

France Says It will not abandon Sahel Counter-terrorism Fight

Florence Parly: "Nous ne quittons pas le Sahel, la lutte contre le terrorisme reste notre priorité absolue" pic.twitter.com/gemuCgiPhs

— BFMTV (@BFMTV) September 16, 2021

Base aérienne projetée de Niamey au Niger. Revue des troupes. Profonde reconnaissance envers nos militaires engagés contre le terrorisme. pic.twitter.com/55g0Yuurdx

— Florence Parly (@florence_parly) September 20, 2021

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