Posted on 08/08/2023 11:51:56 PM PDT by RomanSoldier19
The United States is seeking to prevent Russia from scoring a major new win with coup-hit Niger, wagering despite initial disappointment that long-standing military ties will keep the country in the Western orbit.
Niger has been the linchpin of US and French anti-jihadist operations in the Sahel, especially since the military takeover of neighboring Mali, which has shown the door to Western forces and welcomed Russia's ruthless Wagner mercenary force.
Victoria Nuland, the acting deputy secretary of state, on an unannounced visit to Niamey on Monday acknowledged little progress on reversing the July 26 coup but said that the military leaders "understand very well the risks to their sovereignty when Wagner is invited in."
(Excerpt) Read more at barrons.com ...
“Niger has been the linchpin of US and French anti-jihadist operations in the Sahel”
ROLFMAO! Why are the places are full of Jihadists where the US and French operations are?
No jihadists once Wagners take over for some reason.
Team Kabul-Withdrawl is taking their foreign policy excellence to the continent of Africa.
What’s becoming obvious is the U.S.’s increasing loss of strategic respect around the world. Super train wreck in Afghanistan, then the Ukrainian black hole, and now it’s Africa. Next will be Taiwan.
US troops in Niger have been restricted to the American military bases and US embassy in Niger, as the Biden administration works to restore democratically-elected President Mohamed Bazoum to power.
A US military official said the approximately 1,000 troops were “retrograded” back to base last week, shortly after Bazoum was seized by members of the presidential guard on Wednesday. Another US official confirmed the troops are restricted to the bases and the embassy, but said all of the forces were already at their respective stations when the attempted coup occurred.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/31/politics/us-troops-niger-american-base/index.html
Why are they there?
“Victoria Nuland...said that the military leaders “understand very well the risks to their sovereignty when Wagner is invited in.””
Says the woman who engineered the DEATH of Ukraine as a viable country. The coup leaders in Niger know just who she is and are laughing their asses off.
FOB for drones.
Drones for what reason?
C.I.A. Drone Mission, Curtailed by Obama, Is Expanded in Africa Under Trump
“Late in his presidency, Barack Obama sought to put the military in charge of drone attacks after a backlash arose over a series of highly visible strikes, some of which killed civilians. The move was intended, in part, to bring greater transparency to attacks that the United States often refused to acknowledge its role in.
But now the C.I.A. is broadening its drone operations, moving aircraft to northeastern Niger to hunt Islamist militants in southern Libya. The expansion adds to the agency’s limited covert missions in eastern Afghanistan for strikes in Pakistan, and in southern Saudi Arabia for attacks in Yemen.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/09/world/africa/cia-drones-africa-military.html
The Presence of Lethal U.S. Drones in Niger is Expanding
“President Barack Obama transferred responsibility for drone attacks from the CIA to the U.S. military, in part in response to civilian casualties, and in part to manage better the public relations aspect of what are supposed to be clandestine operations. President Trump reversed that decision at the urging of then-CIA director Mike Pompeo in 2017. Now, it would appear that both the CIA and AFRICOM are, or are about to be, operating lethal drone strikes from bases in Niger.”
https://www.cfr.org/blog/presence-lethal-us-drones-niger-expanding
The Trump administration is paving the way for lethal strikes against terrorists in Niger as the U.S. military pushes forward with a plan to arm the Reaper drones that fly over that country, multiple U.S. officials told NBC News.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/africa/u-s-now-moving-toward-armed-drones-lethal-force-niger-n814341
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.