GOV/MIL Pentagon Confirms US Military Will Not Assist Niger Evacuation

Kathy in FL

Kathy in FL

Administrator
_______________
Pentagon Confirms US Military Will Not Assist Niger Evacuation

No U.S. military forces in Niger will leave the country or assist the State Department’s near-total embassy evacuation, the Pentagon confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation on Thursday.

The Department of Defense (DOD) paused all security cooperation activities with Niger’s military after elements of the country’s military claimed to have overthrown the democratically-elected President Mohamen Bazoum, Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Tuesday. He added the Pentagon was not aware of any plans to evacuate at the time, but on Wednesday, the State Department ordered all but the most essential embassy personnel to return stateside.

“There are no changes to the U.S. military force posture in Niger during the Department of State-led ordered departure. The Department of State has not requested DoD personnel or equipment as part of the ordered departure,” Ryder told the DCNF on Thursday.

He emphasized the Pentagon’s “focus on a diplomatic solution.”

The Biden administration has so far avoided calling the developments in Niger a “coup,” instead stepping up pressure for security forces to restore Bazoum to power, according to Politico. Doing so could trigger an end to American security assistance programs in Niger that serve as a bulwark against terrorism and Russian influence in the region.

On Tuesday, Ryder said the Pentagon saw no “imminent threat” against any American citizen or embassy staff in Niger.

“As far as security cooperation, those efforts right now are suspended in light of the situation but certainly we maintain close contact with our Niger military counterparts in the country as the situation continues to unfold,” he said.

Gen. Mark Milley, the Joint Chiefs chairman, spoke with his counterpart in Niger on July 27, Reuters reported.

While the military remains in contact, activities such as training have ceased and U.S. military personnel are, for the most part, remaining on base.

“Our forces are doing due diligence when it comes to force protection and remaining on those bases, although when necessary, environment permitting, they are still engaging and going off-base to engage with our Nigerian counterparts as necessary,” Ryder said Tuesday.

Niger’s military blocked all flights out of a drone base the Pentagon build in 2019 for $100 million, Politico reported, citing a U.S. defense official speaking on condition of anonymity. The base hosts MQ-9 Reaper drones, used for surveillance and targeting of terrorists across West and North Africa, which costs roughly $3o million each year to maintain.
 
D

desertvet2

Veteran Member
This and other examples are the reason no. 1 I declined the invited from the man holding the red book.

I know what I would do if my country left me behind enemy lines on purpose.

Horrible that these soft spine, cheese eaters do this to hard men who do the dirty work.

Despicable.
 
Wildweasel

Wildweasel

F-4 Phantoms Phorever
Dozdoats said:
Gov't serfs should take notice.
Click to expand...
Why do you think there is a thread about military medical evacuation of people in the Middle East for mental issues? Thinking about how and when they're going to be left behind and written off is getting to the folks deployed to Syria and Iraq. Every troop deployed overseas saw what happened in Afghanistan and knows they could be next if TSHTF in their AO.
 
H

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
So much for that.....

Posted for fair use.....
www.military.com

US Readying Plans to Evacuate Drone Bases if Necessary Under Niger's New Junta, Commander Says

The U.S. is making precautionary plans to evacuate two key drone and counter-terror bases in Niger if that becomes necessary under the West African nation’s new ruling junta
www.military.com www.military.com

US Readying Plans to Evacuate Drone Bases if Necessary Under Niger's New Junta, Commander Says​

18 Aug 2023
Associated Press | By Ellen Knickmeyer

WASHINGTON — The U.S. is making precautionary plans to evacuate two key drone and counter-terror bases in Niger if that becomes necessary under the West African nation's new ruling junta, the Air Force commander for Africa said Friday.

That planning includes looking for U.S.-allied nations in the Saharan and Sahel regions, some of the world's most active areas for al-Qaida- and Islamic State-allied extremist groups, “that we could maybe partner up with, and then move our assets there,” Air Force Gen. James Hecker told reporters in Washington.

Hecker stressed that there had been no decision from the Biden administration regarding whether the Niger military's July 26 overthrow of the country's democratically elected president would compel U.S. diplomats or security forces to leave the country.

U.S. bases there have been vital counter-terror posts in an unstable region that is seeing an increasing number of coups as well as encroachment by Russia's Wagner mercenary group. The U.S. presence includes air bases in Niamey, the capital, and in the remote city of Agadez on the southern edge of the Sahara.

If U.S. forces do leave, either following a decision by the Biden administration that it cannot work with the mutinous soldiers now leading the country or because the junta orders them out, “it obviously will have an effect" on U.S. intelligence and counterterrorism efforts, Hecker said.

“But of course what we hope for is that we have a peaceful diplomatic solution to this and we don't have to" leave, he said.

The head of Niger's presidential guard instigated the coup, and continues to confine President Mohamed Bazoum and his family in the presidential palace. U.S. diplomats say junta leaders have warned that Bazoum would be killed if Niger’s West African neighbors intervene militarily to restore Bazoum to power. Bazoum took office in 2021, in the coup-prone country's first peaceful and democratic transfer of power since independence from France in 1960.

The U.S. has yet to formally call what happened in Niger a coup. That designation could compel Washington to cut many of the military and security ties between the two countries.

Hecker said he believed it would be “weeks or much longer” before U.S. officials would announce any kind of decision to evacuate, if it does come to that.

Niger had been one of a dwindling number of countries in West Africa's Sahara and Sahel regions neither ruled by a military-backed government nor aligned with Russian mercenaries.

Hecker gave no details on what countries the U.S. was considering as an alternate West Africa counter-terror post, if Niger became unworkable.

“We've just started looking at that,” he said. American military officials “know where we would like the base to be, but more of that's going to be diplomatic” in terms of how it's decided.

The precautionary planning for evacuation, Hecker said, included scenarios where the Americans are able to move out at leisure and also where they have to depart in a hurry, taking only the most sensitive materiel.
 
Countrymouse

Countrymouse

Country exile in the city
Housecarl said:
So much for that.....

Posted for fair use.....
www.military.com

US Readying Plans to Evacuate Drone Bases if Necessary Under Niger's New Junta, Commander Says

The U.S. is making precautionary plans to evacuate two key drone and counter-terror bases in Niger if that becomes necessary under the West African nation’s new ruling junta
www.military.com www.military.com

US Readying Plans to Evacuate Drone Bases if Necessary Under Niger's New Junta, Commander Says​

18 Aug 2023
Associated Press | By Ellen Knickmeyer

WASHINGTON — The U.S. is making precautionary plans to evacuate two key drone and counter-terror bases in Niger if that becomes necessary under the West African nation's new ruling junta, the Air Force commander for Africa said Friday.

That planning includes looking for U.S.-allied nations in the Saharan and Sahel regions, some of the world's most active areas for al-Qaida- and Islamic State-allied extremist groups, “that we could maybe partner up with, and then move our assets there,” Air Force Gen. James Hecker told reporters in Washington.

Hecker stressed that there had been no decision from the Biden administration regarding whether the Niger military's July 26 overthrow of the country's democratically elected president would compel U.S. diplomats or security forces to leave the country.

U.S. bases there have been vital counter-terror posts in an unstable region that is seeing an increasing number of coups as well as encroachment by Russia's Wagner mercenary group. The U.S. presence includes air bases in Niamey, the capital, and in the remote city of Agadez on the southern edge of the Sahara.

If U.S. forces do leave, either following a decision by the Biden administration that it cannot work with the mutinous soldiers now leading the country or because the junta orders them out, “it obviously will have an effect" on U.S. intelligence and counterterrorism efforts, Hecker said.

“But of course what we hope for is that we have a peaceful diplomatic solution to this and we don't have to" leave, he said.

The head of Niger's presidential guard instigated the coup, and continues to confine President Mohamed Bazoum and his family in the presidential palace. U.S. diplomats say junta leaders have warned that Bazoum would be killed if Niger’s West African neighbors intervene militarily to restore Bazoum to power. Bazoum took office in 2021, in the coup-prone country's first peaceful and democratic transfer of power since independence from France in 1960.

The U.S. has yet to formally call what happened in Niger a coup. That designation could compel Washington to cut many of the military and security ties between the two countries.

Hecker said he believed it would be “weeks or much longer” before U.S. officials would announce any kind of decision to evacuate, if it does come to that.

Niger had been one of a dwindling number of countries in West Africa's Sahara and Sahel regions neither ruled by a military-backed government nor aligned with Russian mercenaries.

Hecker gave no details on what countries the U.S. was considering as an alternate West Africa counter-terror post, if Niger became unworkable.

“We've just started looking at that,” he said. American military officials “know where we would like the base to be, but more of that's going to be diplomatic” in terms of how it's decided.

The precautionary planning for evacuation, Hecker said, included scenarios where the Americans are able to move out at leisure and also where they have to depart in a hurry, taking only the most sensitive materiel.
Click to expand...
"The U.S. is making precautionary plans to evacuate two key drone and counter-terror bases in Niger if that becomes necessary under the West African nation's new ruling junta, the Air Force commander for Africa said Friday."

Uh-huh.

My congratulations to the wise folks here on TB who KNEW this was coming.
 
Countrymouse

Countrymouse

Country exile in the city
Maybe Post # 24 needs re-posting on its own separate thread

OR

the thread title needs to be COMPLETELY changed

Given this NEW INFORMATION?

I think people need to be aware of the shift in direction...........
 
Countrymouse

Countrymouse

Country exile in the city
Dozdoats said:
They are.
Click to expand...
How so---if U. S. "Air Force Gen. James Hecker told reporters in Washington" that the U.S. AIR FORCE is "making plans" to go in and EVACUATE people from the country?

I do not believe them that this is in "planning stages" for "weeks or months" in the future. I would not be suprised to find it is within "days" of implementation.

And I find very likely to be true--and far closer to reality than we've been told-- his comment about the military "knowing what countries" they are "considering as an alternate West Africa counter-terror post, if Niger became unworkable" and that American military officials “know where we would like the base to be, but more of that's going to be diplomatic” in terms of how it's decided."
 
P

Plain Jane

Just Plain Jane
apnews.com

A scramble of last-ditch diplomacy aims at finding a peaceful solution to Niger's deepening crisis

A delegation from regional nations is expected to arrive in Niger in a last-ditch diplomatic effort to reach a peaceful solution with mutinous soldiers who ousted the country’s president last month.
apnews.com apnews.com


Young people gather to register to volunteer to fight for the country as part of a volunteer initiative, in Niamey, Niger, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. Thousands turned up as a delegation from regional nations were expected to arrive in Niger in a last-ditch diplomacy effort to reach a peaceful solution with mutinous soldiers who ousted the country's president last month. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)

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Young people gather to register to volunteer to fight for the country as part of a volunteer initiative, in Niamey, Niger, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. Thousands turned up as a delegation from regional nations were expected to arrive in Niger in a last-ditch diplomacy effort to reach a peaceful solution with mutinous soldiers who ousted the country’s president last month. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)
Read More


A scramble of last-ditch diplomacy aims at finding a peaceful solution to Niger’s deepening crisis​


BY SAM MEDNICK
Updated 9:48 AM EDT, August 19, 2023
Share
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — A delegation from regional nations arrived in Niger Saturday afternoon in a last-ditch diplomatic effort to reach a peaceful solution with mutinous soldiers who ousted the country’s president last month.

The representatives from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, came to the capital, Niamey, and joined efforts by United Nations Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simao, who arrived on Friday, in trying to facilitate a resolution to the ongoing crisis.

On Friday U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Simao would meet with the junta and other parties to try and facilitate a swift and peaceful resolution to Niger’s crisis.

“What we want to see is a return to the constitutional order. We want to see the liberation of the president and his family, and restoration of his legitimate authority,” he said.

On Aug. 10 ECOWAS ordered the deployment of a “standby force” to restore constitutional rule in the country.


The soldiers who overthrew Niger’s democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July have quickly entrenched themselves in power, rebuffed most dialogue efforts and kept Bazoum, his wife and son under house arrest in the capital.

On Friday, the ECOWAS commissioner for peace and security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, said 11 of its 15 member states agreed to commit troops to a military deployment, saying they were “ready to go” whenever the order was given.

The 11 member states don’t include Niger itself and the bloc’s three other countries under military rule following coups: Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso. The latter two have warned they would consider any intervention in Niger an act of war. On Friday, Niger’s state television said that Mali and Burkina Faso had dispatched warplanes in a show of solidarity.

Friday’s announcement is the latest in a series of empty threats by ECOWAS to forcefully restore democratic rule in Niger, say conflict analysts.

Immediately after the coup, the bloc gave the junta seven days to release and restore Bazoum, a deadline that came and went with no action.

“The putschists won’t be holding their breath this time over the renewed threat of military action,” said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a think tank. Meanwhile, the mutinous soldiers are cementing their rule and appointing loyal commanders to key units while ECOWAS has no experience with military action in hostile territory and would have no local support if it tried to intervene, he said.

“Niger is a very fragile country that can easily turn, in case of a military intervention, into a failed state like Sudan,” said Laessing.

ECOWAS used force to restore order in member countries in 2017 in Gambia when longtime President Yahya Jammeh refused to step down after he lost the presidential election. But even in that case, the move had involved diplomatic efforts led by the then-presidents of Mauritania and Guinea, while Jammeh appeared to be acting on his own after the Gambian army pledged allegiance to the winner of the election, Adama Barrow.

Also on Saturday, the new United States Ambassador to Niger, Kathleen FitzGibbon, arrived in the capital, said Matthew Miller, spokesman for the State Department. The U.S. hasn’t had an ambassador in the country for nearly two years.

FitzGibbon will focus on advocating for a diplomatic solution that preserves constitutional order in Niger and for the immediate release of Bazoum, his family, and all those unlawfully detained, said Miller. Her arrival does not reflect a change in the U.S. policy position, he said.

On the streets of the capital Saturday, many residents said they’re preparing to fight back against an ECOWAS military intervention.

Thousands of people in Niamey lined up outside the main stadium to register as volunteers, fighters and to help with other needs in case the junta requires support. Some parents brought their children to sign up; others said they’d been waiting since 3 a.m, while groups of youths boisterously chanted in favor of the junta and against ECOWAS and the country’s former colonial ruler France.

″I am here for the recruitment to become a good soldier. We are all here for that,” said Ismail Hassan a resident waiting in line to register. “If God wills, we will all go.”

Events organizer Amsarou Bako claimed that the junta was not involved in finding volunteers to defend the coup, although it is aware of the initiative. Hours after the drive started, the organizers said it would be postponed, but didn’t explain why.

The humanitarian situation in the country is also on the agenda of the U.N.'s West Africa and Sahel special representative.

Before the coup, nearly 3 million people were facing severe food insecurity and hundreds of thousands were internally displaced, according to CARE, an international aid group. Economic and travel sanctions imposed by ECOWAS after the coup, coupled with the deteriorating security, will have dire consequences for the population, CARE said.

Previously, Western countries saw Niger as one of the last democratic nations they could partner with to beat back a growing jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, and poured millions of dollars of military aid and assistance into shoring up Niger’s forces.

Since the coup, former jihadis told The Associated Press that militants have been taking advantage of the freedom of movement caused by suspended military operations by the French and the U.S. and a distracted Nigerien army that is focusing efforts on the capital.


Last week, at least 17 soldiers were killed and 20 injured during an ambush by jihadis. It was the first major attack against Niger’s army in six months. A day later, at least 50 civilians were killed in the Tillaberi region, by extremists believed to be members of the Islamic State group, according to an internal security report for aid groups seen by the AP.

“While Niger’s leaders are consumed by politics in the capital, the drumbeat of lethal jihadist attacks goes on in the countryside,” said Corinne Dufka a political analyst who specializes in the Sahel region.

“The recent attacks should motivate all parties to work for as speedy and inclusive a transition as possible so they can get back to the crucial business of protecting civilians from the devastating consequences of war. In due time, Nigeriens and their partners should look long and hard at why and how democracy in Niger faltered,” she said. —————

Associated Press reporter Edith Lederer from the United Nations and Matthew Lee in Washington, D.C. contributed
 
A

Abert

Veteran Member
From personal experience - the US only evacuates US Civilians from hot zones - IF they want to use it as cover to enter a conflict - send in troops - to save the women and children - standard play book. Otherwise - they are on their own.
 
Wildweasel

Wildweasel

F-4 Phantoms Phorever
Countrymouse said:
Maybe Post # 24 needs re-posting on its own separate thread

OR

the thread title needs to be COMPLETELY changed

Given this NEW INFORMATION?

I think people need to be aware of the shift in direction...........
Click to expand...
The original post refers to the US military not evacuating non-US military or State Department personnel. When time comes the final military and State Dept folks will leave like the US left Bagram Air Base.

US citizens and US nationals in Niger were warned to leave several times and any who have stayed are going to be on their own. My advise would be for them to head to the British, Canadian, Australian or Swiss embassies to try and hitch a ride out.
 
H

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
Posted for fair use......
www.reuters.com

Exclusive: US military repositions some troops in Niger, pulls non-essential personnel

The Pentagon is repositioning some troops and equipment within Niger and will withdraw a small number of non-essential personnel "out of an abundance of caution," U.S. officials told Reuters on Thursday, the first major American military movement in Niger since a coup in July.
www.reuters.com www.reuters.com



Exclusive: US military repositions some troops in Niger, pulls non-essential personnel​

By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart
September 7, 2023 2:27 PM PDT Updated an hour ago

WASHINGTON, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The Pentagon is repositioning some troops and equipment within Niger and will withdraw a small number of non-essential personnel "out of an abundance of caution," U.S. officials told Reuters on Thursday, the first major American military movement in Niger since a coup in July.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to say how many personnel would be departing and how many were repositioning within Niger from Air Base 101 in Niamey, the capital, to Air Base 201 in the city of Agadez.

Before this movement, there were 1,100 troops in the West African country.

"This consolidation represents prudent military planning to safeguard U.S. assets while continuing to address the threat of violent extremism in the region," one of the officials said.

"This does not change our overall force posture in Niger, and we continue to review all options as we assess a way forward," the official added.

"The movement of U.S. assets has been coordinated with and approved by the appropriate authorities."

The officials declined to give more details on the reason for the repositioning. It is generally easier to evacuate people from a single location, though there is no evidence that is imminent.

Over the past decade, U.S. troops have trained Niger's forces in counter-terrorism and conducted drone missions against Islamic State and an al Qaeda affiliate in the region.

After the coup, the United States paused certain foreign assistance programs for Niger and military training has been on hold. Troops have largely been confined to the bases.

The administration of President Joe Biden has not formally labeled the military takeover in Niger a coup, a designation that would limit what security assistance Washington can provide the country.

"The leaders of this attempted coup are putting Niger's security at risk, creating a potential vacuum that terrorist groups or other malign groups may exploit," the official said.

The United States has been pressing for a diplomatic resolution of the crisis that erupted on July 26 when Niger military officers seized power, deposed President Mohamed Bazoum and placed him under house arrest.

The new U.S. ambassador to Niger, Kathleen FitzGibbon, only arrived in the capital, Niamey, last month.

The U.S. drone base known as Air Base 201 was built near Agadez in central Niger at a cost of more than $100 million. Since 2018, it has been used to target Islamic State and al Qaeda affiliate Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), in the Sahel.

It has grown in importance due to a lack of Western security partners in the region.

Military juntas have come to power through coups in Mali and Burkina Faso - both neighbors of Niger - in recent years. More than 2,000 French troops left Mali last year and a 13,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force is due to shut down by the end of the year after the junta abruptly asked it to leave.

France, Niger's former colonial power, also has troops in the country. But so far, Paris has rejected calls by the coup leaders to withdraw their 1,500 troops.

Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Rosalba O'Brien
 
CaryC

CaryC

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Update:

Nightmare in Niger — Exclusive: Biden Administration Leaves Hundreds of U.S. Troops ‘Hostage’ in Niger​

Protesters react as a man holds up a sign demanding that soldiers from the United States A
AFP via Getty Images
KRISTINA WONG18 Apr 2024922
8:50
More than 1,000 U.S. troops are effectively being held “hostage” in Niger with medical supplies running low — stuck between the military junta-controlled government’s demands for them to leave and the Biden administration’s refusal to let them go home after the end of their deployments, according to a report prepared by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and obtained exclusively by Breitbart News.

In addition, the report accuses Biden administration officials of trying to cover up the situation to lawmakers, as well as to troops deployed there and their families anxiously awaiting their return.

“Our troops are currently sitting on a powder keg caused by political indecision at the top of the Department of State and Department of Defense. With a military junta in charge — who detests our presence and considers us unserious and predatory — the situation seems to be setting the groundwork for catastrophic diplomatic collapse like we saw during the 2012 Benghazi attack. Additionally, these troops are already running short on necessary, life-saving supplies, such as blood and medications,” the report by Gaetz’s office said.

“They are, in effect, hostages of an indecisive Commander-in-Chief,” the report said.

Gaetz, during a recent congressional hearing, slammed the Biden administration for leaving U.S.forces in harm’s way.

The report is based on interviews by Gaetz’s office with troops currently stationed in Niger, who reached out to Gaetz’s office after they did not receive assistance from the Departments of Defense and State.

The service members are currently deployed to Airbase 101 (AB101) in the capital of Niger, Niamey, as part of the 768th Expeditionary Airbase Squadron (768 EABS), which is comprised of active duty, Reserve, Air National Guard Airmen, Army Special Forces and contract support. There are about 450 personnel at Air Base 101. Until the takeover by the junta, the base was a major hub for U.S. intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) against terrorist groups Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in West Africa, Boko Haram, and Ansaru. It was also a hub for U.S. military advisers supporting Niger’s forces.

The U.S. troop presence became threatened after the military junta, known as the Conseil National pour la Sauvegarde de la Patrie (CNSP), or the National Council for the Safeguard of the Fatherland, declared it had taken over the country on July 26, 2023.

Just a few months before, Secretary of State Antony Blinken had praised Niger as “a model of resilience, a model of democracy, a model of cooperation.” The junta declared in March 2024 a cancellation of the military accords with the United States, after a series of meetings between the government and Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) Commander Marine Gen. Michael Langley, according to the report.

“This deterioration of diplomatic arrangements has led to our servicemembers being caught in the middle of a standoff between an inept Department of State and a U.S.-trained Nigerian coup-force. This breakdown has led to total cessation of diplomatic clearance overflights, preventing the delivery of mail, necessary medical supplies, blood to replenish the blood bank (which requires constant turnover due to expiration windows), equipment and repair supplies; and other routine materiel from the United States,” the report said.

“Personnel rotations for service members have been halted, leaving our troops stranded without any indication of relief or return home, as replacements [aren’t] authorized to enter Niger,” it added.

Niger Report by Kristina Wong on Scribd
The report said American contractors who maintain the American base have also been prohibited from entering the country, and that conditions are deteriorating as existing contractors leave upon their visas expiring. In addition, Niger is prohibiting other allies in the country from providing relief or logistics support to U.S. troops. “There is no end in sight,” the report said.

The report noted that the troops are in a precarious situation, with the government expressing its demand for U.S. troops to leave and the local population increasingly wondering “Why is the U.S. here?” It also noted that tension with the United States has escalated since France’s departure, leaving the U.S. as the main western presence to oppose.
Perhaps most concerning is that medical supplies are running low. The blood bank at AB101 — which needs constant replenishment due to routine expiration — is not being rotated for use in the event of a mass casualty or medical emergency, the report said. In addition, service members who require medication for acute or chronic issues are facing the depletion of their prescriptions with no resupply in sight, the report said. Malaria medication is also running low.
One senior officer at AB101 said, “On average, throughout the [Expeditionary Air Base Squadron], each person has an average of 23 days of medication left. The fewest amount is 7 and the highest is 80 pills. Role 1 (Medical) has 1800 pills in stock which equates to a 9-day supply if each EABS member were given an equal number of pills. One consideration, it is illegal to share prescription medication even if it is the same type of medicine.”

Gaetz’s report noted that just last month, a senior defense official seemed to downplay the seriousness of the situation.
Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Ann Wallander testified to Congress in March that the junta’s demands for U.S. troops to leave “is actually quite a mixed message.”

“They have declared this [Status of Forces Agreement]… to be non-operational, [but] they have assured us that American military forces are protected, and they will take no action that would endanger them,” she said.

In addition, Gaetz’s report said the Biden administration has been hiding the real number of U.S. troops in Niger.

The administration on December 7, 2023, claimed in a report to Congress that there were “approximately 648 military personnel” in Niger. However, the report said that the number remains “closer to 1,100 DoD-affiliated persons” between two locations in Niger, AB101 and Air Base 201 (AB201), outside the Nigerian city of Agadez.

The report also described a “disjointed” Biden administration response, with the Departments of Defense and State “not on the same page,” and AFRICOM and U.S. Air Force Europe-Air Force Europe-Air Force Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) blaming other departments, agencies, and commands.

“Meanwhile, no cohesive intelligence picture is agreed upon; no planning on that understanding is occurring; and no clear guidance or the next steps for AB101 or AB201 are being issued. This leaves the ground force commander(s) and his staff(s) with complete uncertainty about what to expect,” the report said.

The report said Ambassador Kathleen FitzGibbon and Senior Defense Official/Defense Attaché (SDO/DATT) Colonel Nora Nelson-Richter are covering up the failure of their diplomatic approach and suppressing intelligence assessments.
Nelson-Richter has been one of “the main actors knowingly lying about the diplomatic reality,” the report said.

The report also exposes other concerning issues, such as U.S. taxpayers continuing to fund the U.S. military presence in Niger at nearly $1 million per month, while service members are prevented from doing their jobs and essentially sitting idle. That amount includes food and water for service members that do not pass U.S. standards for edibility or potability.
According to the report, service members at AB101 are also concerned about the camp running “exceedingly low on personal hygiene supplies, with only a few days’ or weeks’ worth remaining for a camp of over 400.”

To add insult to injury, unidentified “near-peer adversaries” — believed to be Russian forces — are given “unfettered access” to Niger.

“Our near-peer adversaries are gaining unfettered access to Niger while our Department of State misrepresents the truth and intentionally buries assessments of our intelligence experts in the region to maintain the façade,” the report said.

www.breitbart.com

Exclusive: Biden Admin Leaves Hundreds of Troops 'Hostage' in Niger

More than 1,000 U.S. troops are effectively being held hostage in Niger with medical supplies running low -- stuck between the military junta-controlled government's demands for them to leave and the Biden administration's refusal to let them go home after the end of their deployments, according...
www.breitbart.com www.breitbart.com

Notice the date on the OP Aug 2023, and today is April 18, 2024.

Thank you illustrious leader who may not even know that there is a country called Niger. Or where it is located. His uncle was probably eaten there.
 
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