Niger Junta Rejects $100 Million Bribe From French President Emmanuel Macron
Posted on 03/20/2024 7:28:39 AM PDT by Twotone
Air Base 201 in Niger was the U.S. Air Force's largest construction project in history: a massive drone center that cost American taxpayers $280 million. Thanks to a change in the Nigerien leadership, Americans may have to give up that investment for good.
Niger's new nationalist government, which took power in a coup d'etat last year, has been trying to get rid of foreign military presence in the country. Over the weekend, Nigerien Col. Amadou Abdramane ordered U.S. troops out of Air Base 201, declaring on television that "the American presence in the territory of the Republic of Niger is illegal."
The Biden administration seems to be stalling. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh and State Department spokesman Vedant Patel both said that the United States was seeking "clarification" on the Nigerien government's comments. (What exactly is so unclear about "the American presence…is illegal"?)
The last straw seems to have been a meeting between American and Nigerien officials last week. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee criticized a Nigerien deal to sell Iran uranium, growing Nigerien-Russian military ties, and Niger's failure to return to democracy, according to The Wall Street Journal.
After the meeting, Abdramane went on television to condemn the "condescending attitude" of the Biden administration.
"Niger regrets the intention of the American delegation to deny the sovereign Nigerien people the right to choose their partners and types of partnerships capable of truly helping them fight against terrorism," he said.
The U.S. military is ostensibly in West Africa to help local governments fight against Islamist rebels, such as Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and Boko Haram. But the problem has only gotten worse: The U.S. State Department, which reported just nine terrorist attacks throughout all of Africa in 2002 and 2003, recorded 2,737 incidents in Burkina Faso, Mali, and western Niger alone in 2022.
The U.S. presence in Niger, unknown to most Americans, has been a mess for years. In 2017, the Islamic State ambushed and killed four U.S. Green Berets. The U.S. military reprimanded several commanders for improperly preparing the troops and lying about their mission. In 2022, local bandits robbed a van carrying $40,000 in American taxpayer money, meant to pay local employees, in broad daylight just outside Air Base 201.
Many West African countries are former French colonies, and France has also used counterterrorism missions to retain its influence over the region it calls "Françafrique."
Resentment over the American and French presence boiled over in 2020, when West Africa began to suffer a series of military coups, bringing anti-Western governments to power. Ironically, many of the coup plotters—including the Nigerien officers—had also received U.S. military training before turning against their American backers.
One of those officers, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, blamed the failure of such U.S. military aid for his decision to overthrow Niger's elected government.
"The current security approach has failed to secure our country, despite the heavy sacrifices made by Nigeriens and the appreciable and appreciated support of our external partners," he said in a speech shortly after seizing power. "No, the results have not lived up [to] our expectations, and we can no longer continue with the same approaches proposed to date."
280 million to our government is like a penny to me. They really don't care much about it.
All the bad stuff while draining the Swamp must occur under bidAn’s watch.
And, it is, actually. From Afghanistan, to Ukraine and here Niger.
The MO is to take one piece of the Swamp at a time, and shove it out there, reveal it, and let it destroy itself.
We are in a War, and this is DECLAS.
If only we had sent them our bank account number...
The US military is full of LGBT creeps—and African governments have had enough of this cultural pollution.
They want us gone—and they are correct in their evaluation.
Niger Lives Matter. New T-shirt or billboard idea?
Another to join the BRICS Alliance!
It is Africa. Just put some cash in the back pocket of the new leader and you’ll keep the base.
I looked it up. $280,000,000 is but only 14 percent of the INTEREST you and I pay EACH DAY on the National Debt.
Recall all those US embassies, consulates and US bases where "pride" flags and "rainbow" colors were displayed?
State Department authorizes U.S. embassies to fly the Pride Flag Biden's-Blinken's work, as reported in NY times 23 April 2021.Biden admin. grants 'blanket authorization' to fly Pride flag at embassies ABC News, 23 April 2021.
Pride flags have been flown by U.S. embassies in Muslim majority countries during Biden presidency Reuters, 13 June 2022.
The US is undergoing Swamp removal as well. Look at Milley.
What we see in the news is not so much to tell us how awful the military is, but, once again, it’s the DJT MO of DECLAS - put out the trash in the open, and let it destroy itself.
Parts of the military are swamp, and others are restoring the Republic. The majority of Space Force is doing a lot of heavy lifting behind the scenes, IMHO.
You are talking about the “white hats”—who were going to save us any day now—for the last three years.
lol
Afghanistan: “Thanks for all the free stuff...now get lost”
Iraq: “Thanks for all the free stuff...now get lost”
Ukraine: “Need more free stuff”
Niger “Thanks for all the free stuff...now get lost”
We have our own troubles.
Much of Africa is moving away from the West and into the arms of BRICS.
You know who will take possession of that base. Russia is being welcomed into every one of the those nations as the locals evict the Western colonial imperialists. Russia now owns the entirely of the Global South.
What happened to China?
I thought they had a large presence in Africa.
A couple MOABs will settle this matter...
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