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2024-05-09 Africa North

Pentagon chief Austin says US will withdraw troops from Niger

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Posted by badanov 2024-05-09 00:00|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [56 views ] Top

#1 CBS News:
Why the military withdrawal from Niger is a "devastating blow" to the U.S., and likely a win for Russia
By Sarah Carter

April 22, 2024 / 11:06 AM EDT / CBS News

Johannesburg — After investing more than $1 billion in Niger over a decade, the U.S. military has agreed to withdraw its more than 1,000 forces from the West African nation over the next few months. It was not a move the U.S. had hoped to make, and officials tell CBS News it will be a severe blow to U.S. counterterrorism efforts in a region known to represent a number of major and growing threats.

Niger is a landlocked country surrounded by some unstable neighbors where local militias have joined forces with international terror organizations including al Qaeda and ISIS.

One senior U.S. military official who's spent time in Niger told CBS News the looming withdrawal was "a devastating blow, both for our regional counterterrorism efforts and to overall peace in the region going forward."

"Our soldiers have worked for years building the capacity and providing training to regional forces," the official said. "This is a tough blow on all levels...Following a military coup in July 2023, Niger's leaders made it clear in various discussions with U.S. officials that they were not interested in U.S. efforts to help guide the country on a path toward new democratic elections, and were instead turning to Russia for security services and to Iran for a possible deal on Niger's uranium reserves.
In March, the head of the U.S. military's Africa Command, Gen. Michael Langley, warned members of the U.S. Congress that "a number of countries are at the tipping point of being captured by the Russian Federation."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-military-withdrawal-niger-why-devastating-blow-but-likely-win-for-russia/

Posted by NoMoreBS 2024-05-09 13:34|| 2024-05-09 13:34|| Front Page Top

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