If as many as 200 U.S. troops were killed in a terrorist attack, Americans would demand to know how it could have happened. We would insist on learning whether our soldiers had been supported properly and what was being done to strike back at those responsible for the massacre.

Between 180 and 200 soldiers in the war against terrorists were killed in a single attack in January, it was learned last week. But the assault was in Somalia and the troops were Kenyans. They perished in an assault by al-Shabab terrorists linked to al-Qaida.

The Kenyans were part of an African Union force helping the Somalian government resist al-Shabab.

Our government makes much of keeping American boots off the ground in the war against terrorism, by enlisting dozens of allies to shed the blood instead.

In exchange, they are entitled to excellent U.S. support. We know some allies, including the Jordanian government and the Kurdish people of Iraq and Syria, are not getting it.

Members of Congress frequently hold hearings to seek information from the U.S. military on the war against terrorism. It would be appropriate for an inquiry to be made into whether troops from Kenya and others in our network of alliances are being supported adequately, too. If we are to have allies in this fight, they simply must be able to rely on us.