Friday that about 100 American troops had been sent to Niger in West Africa to help set up a new base from which unarmed Predator aircraft would conduct surveillance in the region.The US did not say how many aircraft or troops would ultimately be deployed.  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/23/world/africa/in-niger-us-troops-set-up-drone-base.html?_r=0&hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1361628183-xpQPI2/bl1WObwvsLFmwAg Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world, signed a status-of-forces agreement last month with the United States that has cleared the way for greater American military involvement in the country and has provided legal protection to American troops there. “Africa Command has positioned unarmed remotely piloted aircraft in Niger to support a range of regional security missions and engagements with partner nations,”  The new drone base will join a constellation of small airstrips in recent years on the continent, including one in Ethiopia, for surveillance missions flown by drones or turboprop planes designed to look like civilian aircraft.