AFRICOM: the fact checks begin

The U.S. government is denying reports that it will build a base for AFRICOM in Mauritania, according to the French-based newspaper Afriquenlingue.

The paper reported that the U.S. embassy in Nouakchott issued a statement stating the US "has not engaged and has no intention to engage in talks with the Mauritanian government on the possible presence of AFRICOM in Mauritania, even though some command offices can possibly be established in Africa.

Yet no statement could be found on the U.S. embassy website, although the press releases are at least a month old. Neither could information be found at U.S. State dept. website.