Tag: Military Coup

All Eyes To Niger

In case you have not heard there has been a military coup in the African nation of Niger.

I bet you will ask….’why is that important?’ Right?

The United States has sunk $500 million over the last decade into training and equipping Niger’s armed forces, which have now overthrown the democratically-elected president of the country.

Nigerien armed forces declared that they removed President Mohamed Bazoum from power amid a coup that began last Wednesday, spearheaded by a general who studied at the Department of Defense-backed College of International Security Affairs, Reuters reported. The U.S. has spent $500 million on training and arming Nigerien soldiers and stationing more than 1,000 U.S. troops in the region, according to the U.S. Embassy in Niger.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said over the weekend that the U.S. partnership with Niger is in “clear jeopardy.”

https://dailycaller.com/2023/08/01/us-niger-coup-funding-military/

The military we trained just overthrew a west leaning government….go figure.

Does that tell you anything?

Here’s a hint ‘wasted money’.

Niger is not alone in this…..

Take a map of Africa, shade in the nations that have had military coups over the last few years, and you’ll see the pattern: It’s what Declan Walsh in the New York Times calls a “coup belt” stretching across the entire continent. It goes from Guinea on the west coast to Sudan on the east coast, with Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, and, most recently, Niger, filling in the belt. Coverage:

  • The Sahel: This six-nation band “has become the longest corridor of military rule on Earth,” writes Walsh. The line roughly corresponds with what’s known as the Sahel region of Africa, described by the AP as a “vast arid expanse south of the Sahara Desert”—and one that has become increasingly linked to extremist groups such as the Islamic State and al-Qaeda.
  • One big worry: Terror groups have been gaining ground throughout the Sahel in recent years, particularly in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Niger, notes an analysis by Mohammed Yusuf at Voice of America. The democratically elected Mohamed Bazoum of Niger had been a US ally in fighting such groups, and his overthrow vastly complicates that effort—particularly if Western and UN troops are asked to leave Niger, as they have been elsewhere in the Sahel. The US currently has about 1,100 troops stationed at two bases in Niger, per Reuters. If the military coup holds—the situation is very much in flux—they would have to leave under US law.
  • Russia: The BBC notes another parallel within the band: Russian influence. One fear in the West is that a new military regime in Niger will embrace Vladimir Putin. “If it does, it would follow the path of two of its neighbors—Burkina Faso and Mali—which have both pivoted towards Moscow since recent military coups of their own,” writes Yusuf Akinpelu. There’s no evidence Russia has fomented the coups, but Moscow has positioned itself to take advantage of the movements.
  • Meltdown? The Sahel “has surpassed the Middle East and South Asia to become the global epicenter of jihadist violence,” writes Walsh, and that has analysts worried. “I’m very worried that Sahelian Africa is going to melt down,” says Paul Collier of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government.

If more info is wanted then I suggest reading this article…..

Niger is the Fourth Country in the Sahel to Experience an Anti-Western Coup

Here we go again….I say that in response to Blinken’s words about the coup….

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed support for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after it threatened to use force against coup leaders in Niger if President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated.

ECOWAS, a bloc of 15 West African nations, held an extraordinary summit to discuss the coup on Sunday. In a joint communique, ECOWAS leaders announced sanctions and said if Bazoum is not reinstated within a week, the bloc will “take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order” in Niger. “Such measures may include the use of force,” the leaders said.

Following the ECOWAS summit, Blinken released a statement backing the bloc. “The United States welcomes and commends the strong leadership of the [ECOWAS] Heads of State and Government to defend constitutional order in Niger,” Blinken said.

(antiwar.com)

Oh good another country for our weapons and cash to be used….as if we have not already wasted enough….(and the M-IC smiled)

Does this sound at all familiar?

I Await your thinking.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Regime Change By The Book

Have you been watching the antics of the US foreign policy in trying to force regime change in Venezuela?

So far three (3) attempts and three (3) failures…makes one think that it is all so much manure that the Trump Boyz are spreading.

The US has a history of attempted regime change…some successful and others were a disaster for the people to the targeted country…..

Since my typing is slow and labored these days….I will turn you over to more academic writers….for now…….

The United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) did not go to war with each other between 1945 and 1991. Instead, both superpowers sought to wield global power and influence by manipulating smaller nations. They did this in many ways: through diplomacy, treaties and alliances; by providing aid or trade deals; by supporting friendly political groups or leaders; and by supplying arms, military equipment and training. The US and USSR also exerted pressure on ‘unfriendly’ foreign governments. In extreme cases, American and Soviet agents worked to change or overthrow these governments. In Europe, the Soviets installed socialist regimes loyal to Moscow, while elsewhere the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) orchestrated or supported coups that displaced socialist or left-leaning governments. These interventions often brought about disruption, conflict and significant human suffering. During the Cold War, several democratically-elected leaders were replaced with puppet governments, military juntas or dictators who were authoritarian, violent and corrupt.

https://alphahistory.com/coldwar/coups-proxy-wars/
 
Now that so many of the US attempts at regime change have gone terribly wrong…the US Special Forces has written a book on the proper way to go about regime change and/or coup……(Let is write there is now a how to book on regime change)…
US Special Operations Command can now be said to have literally written the book on US-imposed regime change, with the book “Support to Resistance: Strategic Purpose and Effectiveness” released this week by their official school.

The official study covers 47 distinct cases of US special forces trying to intervene in various countries from 1941-2003. It did not include some of the more famous US-backed coups, as the study said they did not involve “legitimate resistance movements.“

This meant a few pages covering each incident, attempts to sort them into various categories, and determinations if they were successful or failures. Overwhelmingly, they determined their own interventions were successful.

Apparently anticipating the problems in years to come, the study also addressed mounting unrest across the Middle East in its early portion, and waved this away by arguing that it was generally the fault of the Soviet Union, and would’ve happened no matter what the US did.
 
(antiwar.com)
Okay right about here I need to say…WTF?
 
To begin with there have been a couple of “how to” books over the years and most are in my library…….maybe if “leaders” would read more they would not have to waste time and money writing a book that is already in print….several to be exact……
 
Form ten years ago…..”How To Stage A Military Coup’ by David Hebditch and Ken Connor….from Skyhorse Publishing….
 
Then from an older book…..from 1968….”Coup D’Etat–A Practical Handbook” by Edward Luttwak from Harvard University Press…
 
Maybe if they read more then their feeble attempts at regime change would be more successful.
 
Just Saying!

Coups, Regime Change, Oh My

I have tried to point out that Venezuela is NOT our first rodeo with regime change or military coups…..we can look at Iran, Chile as examples….but it did not stop with those two…..

The US has been involved in the practice of “regime change” in over 81 countries since 1946…..that is 81 countries……

The U.S. has a long history of attempting to influence presidential elections in other countries – it’s done so as many as 81 times between 1946 and 2000, according to a database amassed by political scientist Dov Levin of Carnegie Mellon University.

That number doesn’t include military coups and regime change efforts following the election of candidates the U.S. didn’t like, notably those in Iran, Guatemala and Chile. Nor does it include general assistance with the electoral process, such as election monitoring.

Levin defines intervention as “a costly act which is designed to determine the election results [in favor of] one of the two sides.”

These acts, carried out in secret two-thirds of the time, include funding the election campaigns of specific parties, disseminating misinformation or propaganda, training locals of only one side in various campaigning or get-out-the-vote techniques, helping one side design their campaign materials, making public pronouncements or threats in favor of or against a candidate, and providing or withdrawing foreign aid.

In 59% of these cases, the side that received assistance came to power, although Levin estimates the average effect of “partisan electoral interventions” to be only about a 3% increase in vote share

https://www.globalresearch.ca/military-coups-regime-change-the-cia-has-interfered-in-over-81-foreign-elections/5567422

As pointed out in the report….the US is not alone…..

Russia attempted to sway 36 foreign elections from the end of World War II to the turn of the century – meaning that, in total, at least one of the two great powers of the 20th century intervened in about 1 of every 9 competitive, national-level executive elections in that time period.

For the MSM and the US to be outraged by the Russian interference in the 2016 elections is just hypocritical….the US has a long history of not accepting the outcome of some elections and has worked to overthrow duly elected leaders.

My grandfather use to tell me….”When you point remember that there are three other fingers pointing at you”……a smart man  my grandfather.

1949–Revolt Of The Admirals

Yep that time again…..an IST history lesson…..I try to find cool stuff for my readers to help them become more informed and hopefully entertained…..

There were coups waiting to happen….Aaron Burr comes to mind and then in 1933 and those that did not appreciate the policies of FDR…..in this case it is the grandfather of Bush, Prescott Bush…..

https://lobotero.com/2018/11/15/lets-go-to-1933/

World War Two has been won….now the country is trying to downsize from the massive war machine that is still around……1949 a step was taken that kinda pissed off a bunch of admirals……

The spark that set off the Revolt of the Admirals in 1949 was the cancellation of the Navy’s supercarrier, the CVA-58 United States, within a few days of the laying of the keel.

The situation was already primed to ignite. The Navy in the postwar period had become apprehensive, then alarmed, about the impending unification of the services under a single Department of Defense. The rise of the Air Force was a challenge to naval aviation.

No foreign nation posed a threat to the United States at sea. With its traditional role thus diminished in importance, the Navy feared that it might be relegated to minor functions.

The nation’s strategic focus was on atomic weapons, which were in the domain of the Air Force. At the Key West conference in 1948, the mission of strategic air warfare had been assigned to the Air Force. The Navy was determined to roll back that decision and gain at least part of the atomic mission.

To do so, it needed a “supercarrier” that could launch large bombers. It also had to discredit the Air Force’s B-36 bomber, which was performing the mission the Navy wanted. Cancellation of the CVA-58 in April 1949 sent the Navy to battle stations.

http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Pages/2018/July%202018/The-Revolt-of-the-Admirals.aspx

Now let’s take a look at the situation and the events that followed……

In the summer and fall of 1949, hearings of the House Armed Services Committee crackled with tension as U.S. Navy admirals went before Congress to defy their civilian leadership. America and its allies stood transfixed as a parade of famous admirals demonstrated fierce opposition to service unification, displayed hostility and contempt for the civilian leaders of the Defense Department, and condemned cuts made to the Navy budget. Unsettling headlines such as “The Navy Boils Over” and “Bradley Accuses Admirals of Open Rebellion” drifted through the nation’s newspapers for weeks.[1] Known as The Revolt of the Admirals, this episode has been described as “the most flagrant challenge ever hurled by top-ranking American military men at the civilian leadership of the United States.”

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2018/12/12/i_am_the_monarch_of_the_sea_114023.html

There you go……a bit of history that is not taught and is seldom remembered……and then the old professor came along……

Learn Stuff!

Class Dismissed!

The Dogs Of War

A tale of mercenaries and authors…..back in the late 1970’s Frederick Forsyth wrote a book, The Dogs of War, about a mercenary operation to takeover an African country.

It was an excellent read…..it was packed full of details that anyone could use…..as a matter of fact there was rumblings that Forsyth had actually put together a team for a coup attempt in West Africa……Benin was the targeted country…..which is interesting considering that a coup attempt was made in 1977.

Much of modern-day public opinion about mercenaries is still colored by adventures of Robert Denard, a French solider and mercenary, famous for his involvement in numerous “jobs” in support of Francafrique – France’s sphere of influence in its former colonies in Africa. One of Denard’s typical operations was the coup attempt against the government of Benin, from January 1977. Such and similar operations in turn inspired numerous novels and a few Hollywood movies, too.

The Republic of Benin is a little-known country in western Africa, bordered by Togo in the west, Nigeria in the east and Burkina Faso and Niger in the north. It came into being as a combination of three political and ethnic systems, the most significant of which – the Kingdom of Dahomey – used to be one of largest exporters of slaves to Portugal in the 18th Century. The French occupied the area in the late 19th century and declared it a part of their West Africa in 1899.

https://warisboring.com/in-1977-80-mercenaries-nearly-took-over-benin/

Another case where life imitates art……

Zimbabwe–What Hell Happened?

Years ago after my stint in the US Army I almost signed on to go to an African country and fight….the country was Rhodesia today known as Zimbabwe when it was fighting for its independence from the UK….so I keep an eye on what happens there just out of nostalgia.

Woke up this morning with news that the Zim army had taken control of the capital so I thought I would write a posy about just what was happening and why…..but AJE beat me to it so I bow to their journalists to describe what is happening and why…….(AJE has an in-depth story explaining damn near everything that has happened and what lead up to the action by the army….a good read….worth the time it takes to digest the story)…….

Soldiers on Wednesday took over the headquarters of the state broadcaster ZBC and blocked access to government offices, but the army says this is not a military take over.

President Robert Mugabe, who leads the ruling Zanu-PF party, is safe, an army spokesman has said.

But as yet, there is no official word from the government or the Mugabe family as to their whereabouts.

South African President Jacob Zuma says he talked to his close ally Mugabe, who told him he is safe but confined to his house.

The unfolding crisis comes amid an apparent bid to expand the Mugabe dynasty.

http://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2017/11/happening-zimbabwe-171115054133319.html

It will be interesting to see just what prompted this takeover and what will come about because of it.

Mugabe is being told he must leave the country for the good of the country……

Zimbabweans faced another day of uncertainty Thursday amid quiet talks to resolve the country’s turmoil and the likely end of President Robert Mugabe’s decades-long rule. Seizing on the political limbo, a range of voices urged Mugabe to step aside and for the country to transition into free and fair elections, the AP reports. Mugabe has been in military custody and there was no sign of the recently fired deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, who fled the country last week. Grace Mugabe, the wife whose planned rise to power apparently sparked the crisis, is now believed to be under house arrest along with her husband, despite earlier reports that she had fled to Namibia, the Guardian reports.

The military, which seized power early Wednesday, remained in the streets of the capital, Harare, on Thursday. Southern African regional officials are meeting in neighboring Botswana to discuss the crisis, and South African ministers have arrived in Harare for talks with the military and Mugabe. A joint statement by more than 100 civil society groups urged Mugabe—at 93, the world’s oldest head of state—to peacefully step aside and asked the military to quickly restore order and respect the constitution. A joint statement by churches also appealed for calm. Analysts believe Mugabe and his wife may seek safe passage to Singapore or Malaysia, where they own property.

Never a dull moment in international relations….that is why I enjoy it so……

The Plot To Seize America

Another Saturday with some pleasant weather….the garden is producing admirably……and since it is so nice I thought I would muck it up for my readers with another of my now famous history lessons…..

All the hub-bub in DC these days leads one to ask many questions…..so let me throw a little unknown history at you……(this is part of the source material that would be used if my idea for a course on Coups were ever to become reality)…….

Did you know there was a plot to take over the government ….some will think I am talking about the last election (a future post) when, according to some, the country and the government has been taken over by the alt-Right…..but you would be mistaken.

This is an event that is seldom taught in our American history class unless you are at the grad school level….

The year is 1933 and FDR is president……

In the summer of 1933, shortly after Roosevelt’s “First 100 Days,” America’s richest businessmen were in a panic. It was clear that Roosevelt intended to conduct a massive redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor. Roosevelt had to be stopped at all costs.

The answer was a military coup. It was to be secretly financed and organized by leading officers of the Morgan and Du Pont empires. This included some of America’s richest and most famous names of the time:

  • Irenee Du Pont – Right-wing chemical industrialist and founder of the American Liberty League, the organization assigned to execute the plot.
  • Grayson Murphy – Director of Goodyear, Bethlehem Steel and a group of J.P. Morgan banks.
  • William Doyle – Former state commander of the American Legion and a central plotter of the coup.
  • John Davis – Former Democratic presidential candidate and a senior attorney for J.P. Morgan.
  • Al Smith – Roosevelt’s bitter political foe from New York. Smith was a former governor of New York and a codirector of the American Liberty League.
  • John J. Raskob – A high-ranking Du Pont officer and a former chairman of the Democratic Party. In later decades, Raskob would become a “Knight of Malta,” a Roman Catholic Religious Order with a high percentage of CIA spies, including CIA Directors William Casey, William Colby and John McCone.
  • Robert Clark – One of Wall Street’s richest bankers and stockbrokers.
  • Gerald MacGuire – Bond salesman for Clark, and a former commander of the Connecticut American Legion. MacGuire was the key recruiter to General Butler.

That is just a taste of the history you have missed out on….but there is a documentary about this event……(it is a bit long but if you like history then you might learn something)……

There you are…you see whatever they are saying about the situation in DC …it has all happened before….(know your history and you will never be surprised)…….

Enjoy your day.

Be well, be safe….chuq out!

Closing Thought–13Jan17

“Seven Days In May”

I finished my course on Terrorism about mid-December….the students were a lot more informed than most give them credit….of course there is always one that wants to challenge everything one says….but that makes the course interesting….I was feeling a bit sad because I would not be lecturing this year….at least for now.

Then I got a bit of good news….a friend read an op-ed that I had written for Ace News Room….he contacted me and said that he thought it would make a good mini course….about 3-4 weeks long.

In case the reader would like to check out the op-ed……

Did you ever see the movie mentioned in the title? It was a movie from the 1960’s (more on that shortly)….with biggies of the day…Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster….an excellent novel and a good movie.

Source: “Seven Days In May” | Ace News Room

My friend and colleague has decide to approach the dean about a course on coup d’etat….we will see if anyone else is interested in the subject.

The course would include and intro to what a coup d’etat is and then a history of the act and then what goes into preparing and executing the coup…..there is more to this subject than just a label.

It would make for interesting course and one that the students could walk away from with more knowledge than they had when they walked in.  It should be a required course of study for anyone majoring in Conflict analysis and management…..

That is all for me today my friends….do as I do….try to enjoy your weekend….there will be time for more of this stuff next week.

How Interesting Can Turkey Get?

Since the coup attempt in Turkey last month the country has gone batcrap crazy….I wrote an op-ed for my friends at Ace News Room on the subject….

By now everyone has heard about the recent coup attempt in Turkey….even those that have their ears glued to the telly for the political circus we Americans call “the conventions”………

Source: The Coup In Turkey | Ace News Room

But since I wrote that piece so much more has gone on…..Erdogan is blaming the West for all his problems…..

Turkey has accused the West of supporting terrorism and backing the failed coup to overthrow the government.

In a fiery speech delivered at his 1,150 room palace in Ankara on Tuesday (2 August), president Recep Tayyip Erdogan demanded the United States hand over his bitter foe Fethullah Gulen.

Gulen, a 75-year old cleric who has lived in Pennsylvania since 1991, has been accused of masterminding the 15 July coup. He denies any involvement.

“This coup attempt has actors inside Turkey, but its script was written outside. Unfortunately the West is supporting terrorism and stands by coup plotters,” said Erdogan.

Source: Erdogan: West Supports Terrorism, Backed Coup Plotters | World Affairs Journal

This is the typical reaction of a despot….a reaction that could put the relationship between Turkey and The West in jeopardy…..

Turkey’s President Erdogan said on Tuesday that the script for the attempted coup on July 15 was “authored abroad” and that the West is supporting terrorism, explicitly calling into question Ankara’s relations to Washington.

Source: Concerns that NATO Could Lose Turkey Increase | World Affairs Journal

Let’s say Turkey dumps it’s relationship where will he return for back-up?

Russia appears to be the main beneficiary of the July 15 attempted coup in Turkey. Moscow clearly sees a strategic opportunity for itself given the sharp increase in anti-American and anti-European sentiments in Turkey, which are being fanned by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan supporters, and many Turks opposed to Erdogan, are convinced of a US finger in the attempt to topple Erdogan. The fact that Fethullah Gulen — the Islamic cleric accused of masterminding the coup — resides freely in Pennsylvania, and the belief that the United States is dragging its feet over Ankara’s demand for Gulen’s extradition, has raised anti-American feelings among Turks to a fever pitch.
Yet another problem for the next president to sort out…..Who will win the Turkish Lotto?

 

Blame It On Pennsylvania

I was on social media as the coup in Turkey began….a short lived event saved by the very media that the Turkish president hates deeply….anyway I have been watching the news and listening to the excuse given for the coup….most of them are speculation only.

After some digging on my own I found some that are blaming….wait for it….Obama….now I believe that he can be blamed for many things but this one is for the haters only……mentally challenged……

But it is not the best one I found…..it seems that Ergodan is blaming of all  things…..Pennsylvania.

After a military coup attempt that now appears to be firmly quashed, the Turkish government is focusing its wrath on Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania. The town is home to Fethullah Gulen, an influential cleric who leads a popular movement called Hizmet, and President Recep Tayyib Erdogan blames his followers for the coup attempt that left at least 161 dead in overnight clashes, the New York Times reports. “I have a message for Pennsylvania: You have engaged in enough treason against this nation,” Erdogan said early Saturday. “If you dare, come back to your country.” Gulen, a moderate Muslim cleric who has lived in the US since 1999, was Erdogan’s ally until 2013, when the leader blamed him for corruption allegations. In other coverage:

  • Vox has more on the Gulenist movement, which runs a large network of schools and supports interfaith dialogue, secular democracy, science, and a progressive stance on social issues. Gulen says he condemns the coup attempt “in the strongest terms.”
  • The AP reports that John Kerry says the US would consider an extradition request for Gulen, though nothing has been received yet and firm evidence would be required. “We fully anticipate that there will be questions raised about Mr. Gulen,” Kerry told reporters. “And obviously we would invite the government of Turkey, as we always do, to present us with any legitimate evidence that withstands scrutiny.”
  • The New York Times looks at how the fallout from the coup will make the region’s politics even more complicated for the US and Europe, which saw Erdogan’s government as a stable and reliable ally. “The danger here is this could spiral out of control and turn into a full-blown civil war,” says former US Ambassador to Turkey Eric S. Edelman.
  • CNN reports on how many civilian supporters of Erdogan stood up to the coup attempt, in some cases blocking military vehicles with their cars and even lying down in front of tanks.
  • Almost 3,000 military service members have been arrested and almost the same number of judges have been removed from their duties in what appears to be a nationwide purge of Gulen supporters, the Guardian reports.
  • Reuters reports that Erdogan, who had been vacationing on the country’s southeast coast, addressed thousands of supporters after flying into Ankara’s airport early Saturday. ” This uprising is a gift from God to us because this will be a reason to cleanse our army,” he said.
  • Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says 161 people were killed and 1,440 were injured in the coup attempt, but a government source tells the AP that the figures exclude coup plotters, meaning the true toll could be much higher.
  • Greece says it will return a Blackhawk helicopter flown to the country from Turkey, but it will examine the asylum claims made by the eight military members on board, including two majors, the AP reports.

Erdogan will use this indecent to rid himself of ALL his political opponents….does that sound familiar?  Think 1930’s…….

God I love this stuff…..Turkey will be watched closely….I feel this is not over by a long shot.