Air Force chief urges creation of African NATO

The commander of U.S. air forces in Europe urged African nations to pool their air assets in a NATO-type structure to more efficiently take on terrorists and traffickers, Reuters reports. 

Gen. Philip Breedlove made the remarks at a meeting of African air chiefs in Senegal. The advice comes as unrest in next-door Mali has given al Qaeda-linked militants a vast swath of territory to operate freely and potentially plan attacks in other countries in the region.

"Taking them on requires a regional approach ... by developing partnerships, countries can assist one another in meeting these requirements," Breedlove said. "We can best support these efforts by effectively deploying our air assets as an air team against these extremists."