Well, the fight against radical Islamist terrorists, of course, is global. CNN has learned that the U.S. military is now involved in a secret war against radical Islamist terrorists in North Africa, U.S. forces this week providing communications, intelligence and reconnaissance to troops from Chad. The Chad government today said its soldiers killed 43 radical Islamists in a battle near the border with Niger.
CNN senior correspondent Jamie McIntyre has the report -- Jamie.
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN MILITARY AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Lou, as you said, the Chad government made an announcement that they killed those 43 radical Islamic militants in that two days of fighting along the border with Niger.
But what the Chad government didn't say, but sources tell my colleague, CNN's Barbara Starr, is that Chad's Army had help from a small group of U.S. military forces. Sources say the help was limited to intelligence, communications and reconnaissance and that the U.S. troops were not directly involved in the combat. But that help included overflights from P-3 Orion jet, a Navy surveillance plane, that was able to provide critical intelligence that gave Chad's military a significant edge.
Now, the U.S. has not openly acknowledged the role of U.S. military forces in Chad. And the number of troops there said to be about 100. But officials tell CNN it's all part of a low-profile campaign to battle in a number of African countries against a group called the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat. That's, we're told, a hard-line Algerian Islamic group that recently pledged allegiance to al Qaeda.
Now, sources say that the Islamic militants were chased into Chad by Niger's military and then surrounded by forces from Chad's military, and again with help from the U.S. military, they were able to, they say, kill 43 of those people. Now, the Pentagon says publicly only that U.S. forces are in a number of African countries assisting in training, but doesn't acknowledge exactly what was going on here in Chad.
But, privately, Pentagon officials say this is all part of the quiet effort to battle Islamic militants wherever they are -- Lou.
DOBBS: And they are operating apparently in something like 30 countries around the world, and active engagements in which U.S. troops are involved. That was the last report that I had seen. Can you add anything to that, Jamie?
MCINTYRE: Well, no, I think that's about right. There are various levels in various countries.
And what the U.S. is finding is that if it can provide some really high-tech assistance and sometimes just advice and strategy to the local governments in these countries, such as in Chad, they can be pretty effective in battling these groups on their own.
DOBBS: Jamie, thank you very much -- Jamie McIntyre, our senior Pentagon correspondent. More now on that secret war against radical Islamists, globally and particularly in North Africa. I'm joined now by General David Grange. It's good to have you with us.
The level of troops, U.S. troops, in Chad fighting, were you aware of their presence and their role there before?
RETIRED BRIG. GEN. DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Lou, I was aware of U.S. forces in many countries around the world, to include what Jamie McIntyre just stated in regions of Africa.
And it's a very prudent thing to do. We have the expertise. We have the military that is some of the best counterguerrilla, counterterrorist forces in the world, that provides advice to some of these other fledgling countries of military capabilities that are a lesser degree of prowess, and it nips it in the bud early. It gets rid of these bad guys early, up front.
DOBBS: The attacks, Chad reporting 43 radical Islamists killed in this exchange. Does the size of that engagement surprise you?
GRANGE: It does not. And I would venture to say there's probably other small groups throughout this sub-Sahara region in Africa operating.
But the ties to al Qaeda, this is an example of something to get early, so you don't have situations happen like in Madrid as an example, before they get a great foothold and can expand their operations.
DOBBS: These counterterrorist, counterinsurgent operations, how long have they been going on to your knowledge in North Africa, through the region?
GRANGE: Well, as long as I can remember. And they should be going on. And I think it's again very prudent that these preemptive actions, which may just be providing advice or some technical assistance for intelligence gathering, makes all the difference in the world to these type of militaries that are trying to take care of these problems in their countries.
DOBBS: General David Grange, thank you.
GRANGE: My pleasure.