Did you know that we were at war in Niger?
Submitted by gjohnsit on Wed, 10/04/2017 - 8:59pm
I didn't know, and I pay attention to stuff like this.
Three United States Army Special Forces were killed and two were wounded on Wednesday in an ambush in Niger while on a routine patrol with troops they were training from that nation in northwestern Africa, American military officials said.
“We can confirm reports that a joint U.S. and Nigerien patrol came under hostile fire in southwest Niger,” Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Falvo, a spokesman for the United States Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany, said in an email.
A United States military official said that three Army Green Berets were killed in the attack, which took place 120 miles north of Niamey, the capital of Niger, near the border with Mali, where militants with Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, an affiliate of Al Qaeda, have conducted cross-border raids. Two other Green Berets were wounded, another military official said. Niger’s troops were also believed to have suffered casualties, but details were not immediately known.
...
In his first eight months in office, Mr. Trump’s top military officials have shown few signs that they want to back away from President Barack Obama’s strategy to train, equip and otherwise support indigenous armies and security forces to fight their own wars instead of deploying large American forces to far-flung hot spots, including the Sahel, a vast area on the southern flank of the Sahara that stretches from Senegal to Sudan.
Yes, good thing that we aren't deploying American forces to far-flung hot spots like Niger.
Niger isn't the only African country that our soldiers being killed.
In May, a member of the Navy SEALs was killed and two other American service members were wounded in a raid in Somalia, the first American combat fatality there since the 1993 “Black Hawk Down” battle.
Comments
AFRICOM
Boko Haram is a catchall for jihadis operating in and around the Niger/Nigeria/Chad/Cameroon border area.
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
Your contribution to this website is much appreciated! n/t
Betty Clermont
I've been expecting a Russian reprisal
for Asapov getting whacked. I hope that wasn't related.
We're in a new cold war.
"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."
I knew about Chad...
"Anti-terrorism support" is being conducted by the U.S and French 'colonial' forces in the middle of the Sahara in the town of Abeche.
As far as "aid" goes, we're just making sure those African militarizes have the capacity to stage a coup if a government ends up displeasing us.
I want a Pony!
Oil
and uranium.
Beware the bullshit factories.
This began under Obama?
Are the military of the US (volunteer last I knew) allowed to communicate where they are? Or are families and friends surprised at where the death occurred?
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Nick Turse reported a number of years ago about the
"Shadow War" in over 150 countries and even the Pentagon has admitted to the stationing of special forces and other military in up to1 175 countries. Particularly in Africa, where the real emphasis started under Clinton and accelerated under Bush when Africom was created.
We must go into Africa
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
Shocked but not surprised.
Where aren't we at war? We've got troops messing around in most countries in the world. You can count the few we aren't involved in (or that we don't know about yet) on your fingers and toes without running out of toes.
Now three US green berets
have died in Niger. https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/3-US-Green-Berets-5-Nigerien-Sold...
Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy
One of the reasons that so many
sub-Saharan refugees are fleeing to Europe is regional instability. Now we see who is creating some of that regional instability. Your tax dollars at work.
"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."