Tag: Niger

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”

Niger Attack Update

Closing Thought–10Dec18

Back in 2017 a US Special Ops team was attacked and 4 members were killed in the West African nation of Niger…..an investigation has been on-going and in May the press was informed…..https://lobotero.com/2018/07/10/niger-update-3/

This is the press briefing……

The results of the Niger ambush investigation was briefed to members of the press on Thursday, May 10, 2018. The Pentagon aired the one-hour long briefing and question and answer period video online. The three briefers were Marine Corps General Thomas Waldhauser (commander of U.S. Africa Command), Army Major General Roger Cloutier (AFRICOM’s Chief of Staff and investigating officer), and Robert S. Karem (Assistant Secretary of Defense International Security Affairs).

The investigation on the deaths of the four Soldiers from the 3rd Special Forces Group killed in Niger was conducted under Army Regulation 15-6. Defense Secretary James Mattis concurred with its conclusions. The SECDEF has directed the appropriate commands to change doctrine, training, and procedures where necessary.

http://www.sof.news/special-forces/niger-ambush-investigation/

The SecDef Mattis erupted violently when he heard about the inquiry into the deaths……

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was livid last month when he summoned top military officials to a video conference at the Pentagon to press them about an investigation into a 2017 ambush in Niger that killed four Americans on a Green Beret team. His anger, Pentagon officials said, came from seeing news reports that junior officers were being reprimanded for the botched Niger mission while the officers directly above them were not.

Days later, a senior officer who had largely escaped punishment was told he would be reprimanded. Another senior officer’s actions before and around the time of the mission were also under new scrutiny.

This is not the only investigation that is a pile of steaming manure….CYA all around.

Niger–Update

Back in October 2017 when I was in the hospital a story came to my attention about the deaths of US Special Ops troopers in the West African nation of Niger.

Of course I had to write a post about the deaths for not many Americans even knew we were fighting and dying in Niger.

https://lobotero.com/2017/10/30/niger-wtf/

https://lobotero.com/2017/11/20/deaths-in-niger-update/

There has been further news developing in Niger…..it seems that the locals do not want us to be there fighting…..

In an interview with the Guardian, Nigerien President Mahamidou Issoufou said that he does not want US or other foreign troops fighting on the ground in Niger, and that such troops should limit their actions to training and intelligence-gathering.

Issoufou discussed the ongoing war on terror in western Africa’s Sahel, saying it will take years to finish, comparing it to the Syria and Iraq fight. He said foreign allies should do more to help the local militaries in the region fight for themselves.

The US has a substantial number of troops in Niger, a fact revealed after troops were ambushed last year and four were killed. The US also built a large drone base in Niger, despite substantial opposition within Niger to the US presence.

(antiwar.com)

https://theintercept.com/2018/07/03/us-niger-drone-base/

The US once again does what it wants in other countries….maybe a better plan would be to get local confirmation that we are at least wanted before he insert our troops into these countries.

Niger (But It’s Classified)

When I was in the hospital for surgery special ops troopers were killed in the West African nation of Niger…of course there was much confusion and false info circling around the deaths of which I wrote several post on…..https://lobotero.com/2018/03/20/explain-niger-please/

The Pentagon promised to have an answer to everyone’s question by January of 2018…..and four months later an explanation has been issued….

The Defense Department found no single cause, but rather “individual, organizational and institutional” errors, including insufficient training and preparation, caused the death of four US soldiers and at least five Nigerien soldiers in a bloody Special Forces mission in Niger, according to an eight-page summary report. The Oct. 4 ambush took the lives of Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson, Staff Sgt. Bryan Black, Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright, and Sgt. La David Johnson. In all, the investigative team interviewed 143 witnesses, reports the Washington Post. It “examined documentary, photographic, audio, video and testimonial evidence,” per CNN. One survivor even returned to the battlefield with the team. The patrol was submitted and approved as a low-risk recon assignment, but the team was actually on a high-risk mission searching for Islamic State leader Doundoun Cheffou; their true mission was never approved by the proper chain of command, though the team notes this was a result of “sloppiness” rather than an intent to deceive.

The patrol, which did not rehearse the mission before setting out and was missing key equipment and training, encountered light fire at first but then was engaged by a larger group of militants on motorcycles and in trucks mounted with machine guns. The report found that the arrival of French Mirage planes disrupted the fight and may have saved lives, reports the New York Times. The remains of three of the US soldiers who were killed were retrieved quickly, but the body of La David Johnson was not retrieved until the evening of Oct. 6. The delay in recovering Johnson’s body had led to speculation that he had been taken captive. That speculation was bolstered by locals who said that they saw the body and that Johnson’s hands appeared to be tied behind his back. The report, nevertheless, concluded that his hands were not bound and he was killed in action while “actively engaging the enemy.” The full report remains classified

As usual the American people may NEVER know the truth about these deaths for the report will be classified.

The Pentagon’s newly released 8-page report on the Niger incident had a very clear narrative. From the moment local commanders endorsed the mission to the recovery of the four bodies of slain US soldiers, the report goes out of its way to lionize everyone’s actions, and downplay errors.

This makes sense, because underlying these conclusions is the fact that the Pentagon has no intention of holding anyone to account for the mistakes made. Yet the summary report’s decision to tread very lightly on a lot of potentially embarrassing specifics means that it ultimately raises a lot more questions than it answered.

http://theantimedia.com/pentagon-report-niger-raises-questions/

I will be dead and gone if the truth is ever known.

Welcome To Agadez

Where the Hell or Who the Hell is Agadez?

It is a small town in the West African nation of Niger.  Remember Niger?  That is where some of our Special Ops troops were ambushed and killed and a major story circulated about the disrespect some felt the president gave family members.

Well we appreciated the attacks on our troops so much we are opening a new drone base…..

Agadez is 4,000 miles from Aghanistan, where the Global War on Terrorism began. It’s 2,500 miles from Iraq, our next destination in the war. It’s 2,000 miles from Syria and 1,500 miles from Benghazi. This is where we’re building a $110 million drone base that will host nearly a thousand American troops, double the number of a few years ago. Here is Eric Schmitt:

https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2018/04/welcome-to-agadez-americas-latest-front-in-the-war-on-terror/

Just another target for the global terror network and more troops are exposed to the possibility of violence.

Explain Niger, Please

When I was in the hospital in October of 2017 and had my toes removed for good measures I wrote about the deaths of Americans in the West African nation of Niger…..and wrote several other posts about the event and the American deaths…..https://lobotero.com/2018/03/08/niger-wtf-cond/

In October, the ambush that led to the death of four US special forces revealed that US forces were operating in Niger in large numbers. The Pentagon hasn’t gotten any better with transparency, however, as in December, the US got into another battle in Niger, and it was never disclosed publicly.

The December 6 Niger battle, according to reports, saw US Green Berets and Nigerien military engaged in a protracted gunbattle that left 11 suspected ISIS fighters killed. There were no US casualties, so the Pentagon never reported it.

https://news.antiwar.com/2018/03/14/us-never-disclosed-december-firefight-in-niger/

Well it seems that all is not as together as the Pentagon would have us to believe…….

 The Pentagon, already struggling to manage growing concern about the US military operations ongoing in Africa, is now facing a second problem. Last week, it was revealed that the Pentagon had kept a number of recent clashes in Niger a secret.

Pentagon officials are now trying to defend not just the war effort, but the idea of keeping most of the details of the war effort in Niger from the public. Unsurprisingly, they’re trying to present this chiefly as keeping the details secret from the enemy.

“They learn a great deal from information he put out. They don’t deserve a report card,” insisted Pentagon spokesperson Dana White. Other officials insisted all the fighting and all the secrecy about the fighting were totally appropriate.

http://theantimedia.org/pentagon-defend-secret-war-niger/

Niger is a mess and let’s not forget the problems we are having in Mali, another West African country….https://lobotero.com/2018/01/13/death-in-mali-2/

Apparently AFRICOM is a screwed up mess that few want to correct…..West Africa is a hot bed that needs proper command…..but something it does not appear to be getting….American deaths are mounting even Americans killing Americans….

Niger–WTF?–(Cond)

I have written several posts about the deaths of 4 special ops troops in the West African country of Niger……read more posts……

https://lobotero.com/2018/02/22/niger-update-2/

Recently I found another report on these deaths….I have held onto this post because of the violent nature and that it was posted by the bastards that killed these men…..

*****WARNING:  The video may be disturbing to some*****

The release of shocking video showing the death of three American soldiers in the deserts of west Africa is raising more questions about just what US forces are doing in the region.

ISIS released the nine-minute, 17-second video online on Sunday taken mainly from the helmetcams of the slain soldiers.

I have been waiting for the final report of the action and the deaths (I promised to keep my readers informed)…..
I have been critical of the operation that cost the lives of the  troopers involved and now there is a bit more information…..
The ongoing military probes into October 4’s disastrous US military operation in Niger, in which four US special forces were killed, has concluded something particularly important: that the operation was never properly authorized by top commanders.

The special forces team in question were nominally sent out to meet local Nigerien leaders, for which they were properly equipped and prepared. The team in question never attempted to meet with them, however, and instead went off on a totally separate mission.

The team instead joined a mission hunting for a militant wanted in the kidnapping of an aid worker, doing so without having informed the commanders that’s what they were going to do, meaning it was never authorized.

The operation went poorly, as the chase around the Niger-Mali border led the team right into an ambush of militants, who attacked and killed four US troops, wounding two other US troops and eight Nigeriens.

Officials say there is no single point of failure in the operation, though clearly the fact that commanders weren’t told what the team’s actual mission was didn’t help, and raises further questions about whether the US troops were adequately prepared for such an operation.

(antiwar.com)

This is a breakdown in the command structure and it cost lives and this is not an isolated incident.  Someone needs to pay for the lives they took because of their lack of leadership.

There is way too many “oh shit” moments in our war on terror.

But the Pentagon will make it right…….

The Pentagon said on Wednesday that American troops in Niger had been authorized to receive imminent-danger pay the day before the commander who oversees military missions in Africa told House lawmakers that the White House had still not approved that request.

A Pentagon spokeswoman said that the decision to include Niger in the list of combat zones where troops receive extra pay was made on Monday — and had not been communicated to Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser before his testimony the day after.

The request was made Monday and the general was to testify on Thursday…..something smells about this situation.  Timing is everything at the Pentagon (sarcasm)…..

Niger Update

Back  in October of 2017 4 US Special Ops troopers died in the West African country of Niger….

https://lobotero.com/2017/10/30/niger-wtf/

There has been much confusion on what happened to the operation that cost 4 Americans their lives…..I have been asking for an explanation for my readers to no avail…..however a news story has been released….

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Saturday that the Pentagon investigation of the Niger ambush in which four U.S. troops were killed is close to being wrapped up, but that was before The New York Times published a detailed and damning report based partly on a video of the firefight.

On his plane back to the U.S. following a week-long trip to Europe, Mattis told reporters traveling with him that Marine Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, the AfriCom commander, has an unspecified timeline for completing his review of the draft of the Article 15-6 fact-finding investigation.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/02/19/command-failures-led-niger-ambush-explosive-report-shows.html

Now there is still the death of an American Green Beret in Mali that needs to be explained because 2 Navy SEALs have been accused of killing the Green Beret.

I realize that it is not a pretty picture of the heroes of “Zero Dark Thirty” but the American people have a right to know that our special ops in Africa is in disarray….and that disarray could get more Americans killed.

Closing Thought–20Dec17

I have written several posts about the deaths of special ops troopers in the West African country of Niger and there has been a story around the death of Green Beret La David Johnson….there has been so many theories around why his body was not found with his comrades and found 2 days after the others…..there has been an update to the story…..

An American soldier killed during an ambush in Niger with three comrades wasn’t captured alive by the enemy or executed at close range, the AP has learned. A military investigation found evidence he apparently fought to the end. Dispelling a swirl of rumors about how Sgt. La David T Johnson, 25, of Florida, died, the report has determined that he was killed by enemy gunfire from an offshoot of the Islamic State group. A 12-member Army special forces unit was accompanying 30 Nigerien forces when they were ambushed in a densely wooded area by as many as 50 militants carrying small arms and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. Officials familiar with the investigation say Johnson was hit as many as 18 times by a volley of machine gun rounds and that he was returning fire.

The bodies of three US Green Berets who died during the firefight were located on the day of the attack, but Johnson’s remains were found two days later. The gap in time led to questions about whether Johnson was taken away by the enemy. The report found there were no indications he was shot at close range or had been bound or taken prisoner, as several media reports have suggested. Officials say that during the attack, Johnson and two Nigerien soldiers became separated with the others as they tried to get to a vehicle to escape. The report concluded that Johnson, who was athletic and a runner, was in the lead and got the farthest away, seeking cover in the brush. Officials say there were a number of enemy shells around Johnson, and evidence that he appeared to fight to the end.

Hopefully this will be all there is to this…I am sure that his wife and family want an end to this drama so that he may rest in peace…..

I must be off for now….I will be back later with more stuff….have a good evening my friends…..chuq

Somebody Screwed Up

I wrote several posts about the deaths of 4 special ops troopers in the West African nation of Niger…..(in case you have not been watching this situation)…….

https://lobotero.com/2017/10/30/niger-wtf/

https://lobotero.com/2017/10/27/niger-more-news-more-questions/

https://lobotero.com/2017/11/20/deaths-in-niger-update/

Finally more info aboiut this attack and the deaths…..but as usual the Pentagon states the obvious……

The deaths of eight soldiers, including four U.S. soldiers, in Niger in early October could have been prevented and were the result of an improperly executed mission to collect information on high-ranking Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants, a new report claims.

Sources told BuzzFeed News that the deaths at the village of Tongo Tongo could have been avoided if the mission was better planned and that it is not known whether decisions were made by the soldiers or their commanders back at the base.

http://thehill.com/policy/international/364095-deaths-of-american-soldiers-in-niger-were-avoidable-report

Someone screwed up.  Seriously?  That is the best the Pentagon can do….stating the obvious is not “getting to the bottom” of this situation.