Around 100 U.S. Military Personnel Sent to Niger

For "intelligence sharing"

PRESIDENT Barack Obama says about 100 US military personnel have been deployed to the west African nation of Niger.

In a letter to Congress on Friday, Obama said the forces will focus on "intelligence sharing" with French troops fighting Islamist militants in neighbouring Mali.

He said the American forces have been deployed with weapons "for the purpose of providing their own force protection and security".