No Extra Troops to be Based in Africa, says Pentagon - Reuters.

No extra U.S. combat troops will be stationed in Africa as a result of plans to create a U.S. military command for the continent, U.S. defense officials said on Wednesday.

The new headquarters will have a strong focus on helping African nations train their security forces and will include more U.S. government civilians than other regional command centers, the officials told reporters at the Pentagon.

President George W. Bush announced on Tuesday he had given approval for the new command, AFRICOM, which will be based initially in Stuttgart, Germany, but later move to an African location yet to be determined.

The creation of the new headquarters reflects increasing U.S. strategic interest in Africa. Washington is concerned that African nations with weak governments offer a haven for Islamist militants and is attracted by the continent's natural resources...