Niger Attack Raises Questions About Military’s ‘Mission Creep’ in Africa
US News & World Report
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The deaths of four American soldiers in Niger is setting off a debate over the U.S. presence in Africa not seen since Black Hawk helicopters were shot down over Somalia in 1993, part of an operation that ultimately led to the deaths of 19 Americans. Administration officials have advised that the U.S. will adopt a more aggressive policy toward fighting terrorists in the region, but lawmakers are pushing back, with even some Republicans in Congress questioning the authority for the sprawling shadow war increasingly playing out on the continent …
Some observers have flatly rejected criticisms that the Defense Department has not been forthcoming about its presence in Niger and elsewhere.
“A lot of these things have been in the public domain. There is nothing classified about it,” says Ali Soufan, a former FBI agent involved in multiple high-profile counter-terrorism cases, now CEO of The Soufan Group. “This is one of those things where we depend so much on our military and unfortunately we don’t give them the support they need …”
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