What the US is really doing in Niger

The Christian Science Monitor ^ | October 24, 2017 | Peter Grier - Staff Writer

[Jagermonster]

PUTTING IT IN PERSPECTIVE   The deaths of the four US troops have awoken Americans to military deployments in Africa. With ISIS ousted from its capital in Syria, Pentagon officials say, US counterterrorism efforts are likely to focus even more on Africa.

The tragic deaths of four US service members in an ambush in Niger have awoken Washington and US voters to the larger issue of American military deployments in Africa and the continued global nature of the nation’s struggle with Islamic extremist terrorism.

Even senior lawmakers seemed surprised by the size of the US presence in the region as outlined by the Pentagon in the incident’s wake. “I didn’t know there was a thousand troops in Niger,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) of South Carolina, a member of the Armed Services Committee, in a Sunday broadcast interview.

Yet in the months to come that deployment may expand, or at least become more active. Pentagon officials say US counterterrorism efforts are likely to focus more on Africa now that the so-called Islamic State has been ousted from its de facto capital of Raqqa, Syria. The strategy is to press Islamic extremist groups simultaneously, wherever they are, said Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a Pentagon briefing Monday.

In Niger and surrounding areas, US Green Berets typically focus on providing training and security assistance for local forces. That includes intelligence and reconnaissance help. Was the Niger ambush related in any way to “mission creep,” with training aid morphing slowly into more concrete combat support for Nigerian troops? So far that’s not entirely clear.

“One positive thing that may come out of this tragedy is, at least temporarily, a little more congressional oversight, looking into what these missions . . .

[Jagermonster]

Excerpted per rules.

[Sacajaweau]

Obama sent 40 at first....then 100 and notified Congress...then another hundred....until there were 800. And I'll bet there's even more that that sitting in the surrounding area.

McCain should know the most of anyone....and he's lying his a** off when he says he knows nothing.

[humblegunner]

“Excerpted per rules. “

What rule?

These sites must be excerpted and linked only [300 words or less, 1/2 the words or less for short articles]:

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[humblegunner]

Oh, I guess where it says “csmonitor” would be the rule.
Derp.

[353FMG]

Hopefully, this war in Niger will not turn into another Afghanistan. America has been in a perpetual war starting with Vietnam.

[GreyFriar]

So far it sounds like a routine patrol/mission until the local Nigerien village leader decided to help ISIS/Al Quaida set up an ambush of the US/Nigerien patrol. Mission creep will come after this incident, i.e. we go off to find the ambusher’s and then begin operations against their bases..

Self-defense is NOT mission creep.

[brownsfan]

“Niger has two significant uranium mines providing 7.5% of world mining output ...”

I’d wager that has something to do with us being there.

[Jagermonster]

Oh, I guess where it says “csmonitor” would be the rule.
Derp.

:)

[Jagermonster]

Hopefully, this war in Niger will not turn into another Afghanistan. America has been in a perpetual war starting with Vietnam.

According to the article, "the US has had troops in Niger, on and off, for 20 years."

[gaijin]

What is there that is AMERICAN that is threatened in Niger..?

I read the article but the only thing I saw close to that was “attacking local US interests” —pretty vague.

Lessay there IS human trafficking going on there:

“Human Trafficking bad”.

That is the beginning AND the end of the debate as to whether we should be sending Iowa farmboys there to BE KILLED...?

The deployment decision seems to have been made on a fancy by millionaires with NO kids there.

Niger was screwed up, is screwd up and will ALWAYS be screwed up —so what.

[gaijin]

Let's take a look at a huuuge AfroCentrist:

I'll bet maybe she has no problem sending HER kids there, right?

[UCANSEE2]

I thought that the reason we were in Africa is because one of Obama’s buddies (Susan Rice?) was setting up a PRIVATE SECURITY FIRM and was using taxpayer money and US forces to make it safe for her to rob and pillage the Africans.

[willyd]

Why do you think Obama was elected President in the first place? He had ties to Kenya and we needs US friendly forces in Africa to counter Chinese/ME interest in rare earth minerals and energy plays on that continent...can’t have a honkey negotiating those deals.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

What is the US really doing in Niger?

Sounds like a good question for:

The RAT in the Hat!

[Jagermonster]

As brownsfan pointed out, “Niger has two significant uranium mines providing 7.5% of world mining output ...”
Uranium in Niger, World Nuclear Association (updated July 2017) http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-g-n/niger.aspx; see also Niger 'cleared' over Areva uranium deal, BBC News (April 28, 2017) http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-39744861 ("Niger is one of the world's biggest uranium producers and the metal is the country's largest export.").

No war for oil uranium?

[jimnm]

800 soldiers but no air support. It was the French air force that drove off the attackers. I do think it’s a good idea to keep ISIS from establishing a base there so we don’t end up going there later and staying longer.

Our soldiers in Africa, however, are not just in Niger. I travel fairly frequently around Africa and have seen them in a couple other miserable (although non-muslim) countries where you wouldn’t expect to see them. They are training the local forces etc to strengthen the national governments who are themselves not great.

[gaijin]

What I think you're saying:

"US uranium is sold to Russia for transfer to Iran. Nonetheless US troops still do quite a bit of good to the US by being in Niger, which is rich in Uranium. And that's because that deployment IS GOOD."

Right..?

[Jagermonster]

Not really. I was just pointing out what we probably consider to be the “U.S. interests.” I have no idea whether it is justifiable or not, good or not.

I suppose we have to re-fill the hole left in the U.S. stockpile by the Uranium One deal somehow.

[bushpilot2]

[Jagermonster]

Ok, I’ll bite. Where is that, and what is it?