Disaster US Forces in Niger Ambushed, Killed - Three dead, two injured

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/10/04/us-forces-ambushed-in-niger-officials-say.html

Three U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers were killed and two others were wounded Wednesday in an ambush in the west African country of Niger.

U.S. Africa Command confirmed that a joint patrol of Green Berets and Nigerien soliders was attacked in the southwestern part of Niger, near the border with Mali. Officials told Fox News that between eight and 10 troops were part of the patrol.

Officials told the Associated Press that the commandos were likely attacked by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

The officials added that the two wounded U.S. soldiers were taken to Niamey, the capital, and are in stable condition.

 

[oldTireWater]

Encouraged by our previous successes...

I no longer trust that anyone, at any level, is doing any sort of strategic or geopolitical analysis prior to these involvements. There is no long game. Getting involved in fucking everything is just what we do now. Just look at it as good tactical practice, and damn the unforeseen consequences. I believe this sort of low-level shit-stirring/stabilizing causes far more long term harm than good to the interests of this country.

I agree with most of what's been said here.

 

[The Great Chandler]

Proxy wars sounds like something a clumsy idiot would do. Seriously! What's so beneficial about that?

 

[XYZpdq]

Al Qaeda is only as powerful and influential as it is today because its roots began at receiving US support and training from our military.

What was that bit from the Simpsons about the lizards, snakes, and gorillas?

 

[MrLobe]

Trump just did a photo op with a bunch of military big shots saying it represented "the calm before the storm". Are we about to go balls deep in Nigeria?

 

[oldTireWater]

What was that bit from the Simpsons about the lizards, snakes, and gorillas?

Something about everything working out in the end.

Trump just did a photo op with a bunch of military big shots saying it represented "the calm before the storm". Are we about to go balls deep in Nigeria?

Gotta do something to stop the cat-food scams.

 

[Replicant Sasquatch]

Something about everything working out in the end.



Gotta do something to stop the cat-food scams.

No joke the prawns are more reasonable members of society than most Africans.

 

[Manah]

Trump just did a photo op with a bunch of military big shots saying it represented "the calm before the storm". Are we about to go balls deep in Nigeria?

I can't tell if you're joking or not.

 

[oldTireWater]

More information on the event: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...t-africa-military-mission-creep-idUSKBN1CB2J1

NAIROBI/ABIDJAN (Reuters) - U.S. special forces soldiers were with their counterparts from Niger on Wednesday in the West African nation’s volatile southwest, a growing hot-bed of jihadist violence, when the report came in of a raid nearby.

The assailants were believed to be led by Dondou Chefou, a lieutenant in a new group operating along the Mali-Niger border and called Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. A decision was soon taken to pursue them.

A diplomat with knowledge of the incident said French officials were frustrated by the U.S. troops’ actions, saying they had acted on only limited intelligence and without contingency plans in place.

“It was not meant to be an engagement with the enemy,” Africom spokesman Colonel Mark Cheadle told reporters. “The threats at the time were deemed to be unlikely, so there was no overhead armed air cover during the engagement.”

Sounds like they may have put a bit too much faith in the "white-man's juju".