White House confirms US has drones in Ethiopia

The White House is confirming that the U.S. military has unmanned drone aircraft in Ethiopia but says no strike missions are being launched from the east African country.Spokesman Jay Carney said Friday that the aircraft are in Ethiopia to promote stability in the horn of Africa and to counter terrorism.Drones are often called the weapon of choice in President Barack Obamas administration, which quadrupled drone strikes against al-Qaida targets in Pakistans lawless tribal areas. The high-tech, unmanned planes are controlled from military bases that can be as far away as the U.S. They also can fly undetected at heights of up to 50,000 feet (15,000 meters) far above that of most manned aircraft.The existence of U.S. military drones in Ethiopia was first reported by The Washington Post.