Flight details of Obama's Kenya trip leaked
(Xinhua) Updated: 2015-07-24 11:03
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US President Barack Obama waves as he boards Air Force One for travel to Kenya and Ethiopia from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, July 23, 2015. Obama will land in Kenya on Friday with a mission to strengthen US security and economic ties, but his personal connection to his father's birthplace will dominate a trip that Kenyans view as a native son returning home.[Photo/Agencies] |
WASHINGTON - A Kenyan flight bulletin outlining some details of US President Barack Obama's trip to the African country this week has been released, CNN reported on Thursday.
According to CNN, the details include when airspace in Nairobi would be closed because of the arrival and departure of Obama's plane - US Air Force One. Such details are usually kept secret for security reasons.
But the White House so far are brushing off the publication of this information, saying there are no public details about the President's trip that pose a risk to his security, the report said.
Last week, the US military has conducted nearly half a dozen secret air strikes in Somalia against Al-Shabaab because US intelligence indicated an attack against Kenyan troops there was imminent.
The Pentagon isn't saying much, but the strikes may be timed to the President's visit, CNN said.
Analysts said that the air attack sends a very clear message to Al-Shabaab not to try to attempt anything against the President, suggesting that Al-Shabaab would look for more vulnerable targets to attack to show Kenyans their government cannot keep them safe and to draw attention away from the Obama visit.
Since security measures for the president are likely to be very significant, Al-Shabaab is most likely to go for a soft target, such as shopping malls and schools, which the group has attacked in the past, according to analysts.
