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US Will Send Troops to Nigeria to Train the Military to Fight Extremism
Military.com ^ | February 11, 2026 at 4:36pm ET | Monika Pronczuk

Posted on 02/11/2026 4:46:26 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The United States is sending troops to Nigeria to help train the West African nation's military in fighting extremism, Nigerian authorities said Wednesday, as a multifaceted security crisis spreads in the north of the country.

The American personnel won't engage in combat or have a direct operational role, and Nigerian forces will have complete command authority, Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, spokesman for Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters, said in a statement.

“At the invitation of the Government of Nigeria and in continuation of our longstanding security cooperation and military-to-military partnership with the United States, Nigeria will host a contingent of United States technical and training personnel," Uba said.

Around 200 U.S. troops were expected to arrive in Nigeria, a U.S. official said on condition of anonymity, because the person wasn't authorized to speak publicly about the matter. The deployment was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Nigeria has been a focus of Washington after U.S. President Donald Trump said the country wasn't protecting Christians from an alleged genocide. The Nigerian government rejected the accusation, and analysts say it simplifies a very complicated situation in which people are often targeted regardless of their faith.

In December, U.S. forces launched airstrikes on Islamic State group-affiliated militants in northwestern Nigeria. Last month, the head of U.S. Africa Command confirmed a small team of U.S. military officers are in Nigeria, focused on intelligence support.

Nigeria is facing a protracted fight with dozens of local armed groups increasingly battling for turf, including Islamic sects like the homegrown Boko Haram and its breakaway faction Islamic State West Africa Province. There is also the IS-linked Lakurawa, as well as other “bandit” groups that specialize in kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining.

Recently, the crisis has worsened to include other militants from the neighboring Sahel region, including the...

(Excerpt) Read more at military.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: africa; bokoharam; findtheleaker; is; islamicstate; lakurawa; monikapronczuk; nigeria; westafrica
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

This is why the Green Berets were created and what they do for a living.


21 posted on 02/11/2026 5:46:10 PM PST by Paal Gulli
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

We get kicked out of our base in Niger2 years ago... and Bada Bing*, there’s an insurgency next door and we shift on over.

Just what we need. A land war in Africa complete with Nation Building. After all, we’re flush with money.


22 posted on 02/11/2026 5:48:42 PM PST by DesertRhino (When men on the chessboard, get up and tell you where to go…)
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To: ansel12; SmokingJoe
Hmmmm…

The United States is sending troops to Nigeria to help train the West African nation's military in fighting extremism, Nigerian authorities said Wednesday, as a multifaceted security crisis spreads in the north of the country. The American personnel won't engage in combat or have a direct operational role, and Nigerian forces will have complete command authority, Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, spokesman for Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters, said in a statement.

Per Wikipedia, Eisenhower put 900 advisors in Vietnam; by November 1963, Kennedy had put in 16,000 advisors.

Right…no similarity….

23 posted on 02/11/2026 5:52:59 PM PST by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s²)
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To: DoodleBob
> Isn’t that how we started out in Vietnam? <

Kinda. Mission creep is a real thing. Send advisors into a hot war. Well, okay. But maybe those advisors need a secure base. And force protection.

The next thing you know…

Disclaimer: LBJ was a fool. Trump is not. So B will not necessarily follow A. And Christians in the area certainly need help. Somebody has to do something.

And no, Michelle Obama. Holding up that stupid sign does nothing.


24 posted on 02/11/2026 6:04:50 PM PST by Leaning Right (It's morning in America. Again.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

> including Islamic sects like the homegrown Boko Haram

Do WE know how to fight Islamic extremism? How will we teach Nigerians?


25 posted on 02/11/2026 6:05:43 PM PST by ArcadeQuarters (You can't remove RINOs by voting for them!)
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To: DoodleBob

Truman sent advisors in 1950, Eisenhower had advisors there, then Eisenhower had them there his second term, then JFK, and then JFK killed Diem and sent in 16,000 troops, advisors were fine, JFK wanted something else.

We have advisors all over the place, sometimes they get killed, but it doesn’t mean we go to war.


26 posted on 02/11/2026 6:07:35 PM PST by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: SmokingJoe

Nigeria, Somalia, take your pick


27 posted on 02/11/2026 6:19:56 PM PST by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
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To: DoodleBob

Don’t like it....


28 posted on 02/11/2026 6:35:23 PM PST by cherry
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Really small world out there.

Roger Stone is a now a duly registered foreign agent with a piece of a one-year, $9-million deal to do public relations and lobbying work for Nigeria.

“Consultant shall assist the Nigerian government through Aster Legal [a Nigerian law firm] in communicating its actions to protect Nigerian’s [sic] Christian communities and maintaining U.S. support in countering West African jihadist groups and other destabilizing elements,” Stone wrote on his FARA statement.

29 posted on 02/11/2026 6:38:20 PM PST by Theoria
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I am for it IF and only IF the Nigerian government has decided to fight and US troops are allowed to go after Boko Haram.


30 posted on 02/11/2026 6:41:55 PM PST by Salvavida
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To: BenLurkin
...The focus should be on defeating Islam...

*THIS*

What is happening to Iran is historic. Never before has an Islamic country had a revolt against Islam itself. The only time Islam has lost territory has been when outside forces have been victorious.  This could be the spark that burns down the whole merciless war of Islamic colonization of the World.  America would be foolish to pass over this opportunity to jump start the beginning of the end of this cancerous 14 century long plague of ruthless evil .

31 posted on 02/11/2026 8:20:48 PM PST by Nateman (Democrats did not strive for fraud friendly voting merely to continue honest elections.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
US Will Send Troops to Nigeria to Train the Military to Fight Extremism Islam
32 posted on 02/12/2026 4:41:46 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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