news Update - Niger cite threats, disrespect for its decision to kick out the US military

[Communion]

 

Edited May 19 by Communion

[cousin_skeeter]

Iraq, Syria, now Niger. Africa is finally standing up. All western influence needs to be purged from the continent in order for true progress to occur. 

[wastedpotential]

Let's put on our reading glasses for once, because "no decision" ≠ "no plan", and framing it in that light is disingenuous. After what happened in Kabul in 2021 I don't think there's any desire at the Pentagon to plan a mass evacuation in a 24 hour time-frame (obviously a different scale, but that was a disaster and any competent observer should agree that taking a bit of time to prevent a replication of that is a good thing), and I don't think the coup government in Niger made its declarations with the expectation that it would happen overnight. If, in 2-3 weeks, there hasn't been a decision made and a timeline put forward (and hopefully a timeline that's short enough in duration to have already begun), then there's certainly a conversation to be had about the US disregarding the wishes of the government in Niamey, but we'll just have to wait for that. 

 

As an aside, the US had zero strategic benefit to being in Niger in the first place beyond its mission in assisting the French and the previous government in anti-terror group operations. Now that the French are gone and the government has changed (and now wants the Russians to assist them [going theory I've seen is they correctly assume the Russians will be much happier to help them wipe out domestic opposition groups]), I doubt Washington is particularly interested in sticking around and gambling with the fate of its soldiers, drones, facilities, and other materiel and turning this into another Syria (Tower 22 wasn't even 2 months ago...). This is the Pentagon's opportunity to leave Niger without losing too much face or credibility, and I'd bet they take it. The US doesn't get any uranium from Niger and is not particularly worried about a flood of immigrants from Niger sparked by a period of instability, and has no other strategic reason to be there, hence, I think it's a safe bet that they'll leave relatively quickly. Again, if they're still there in a month and nothing has changed, we can have a different conversation, but in the mean time I cannot think of a single reason why they would want to stay. 

[Illuminati]

31 minutes ago, cousin_skeeter said:

Iraq, Syria, now Niger. Africa is finally standing up. All western influence needs to be purged from the continent in order for true progress to occur. 

They're just moving from working with the US to working with Russia

[Яeo.]

43 minutes ago, cousin_skeeter said:

Iraq, Syria, now Niger. Africa is finally standing up. All western influence needs to be purged from the continent in order for true progress to occur. 

…Only to be replaced by Russia and China. 
 

also iraq and syria aren't in Africa 

Edited March 31 by Яeo.

[shoganai]

Africa and its puppeteers really think they can get rid of US. Hilarious.

[cousin_skeeter]

9 minutes ago, Яeo. said:

…Only to be replaced by Russia and China. 
 

also iraq and syria aren't in Africa 

African leaders have acknowledged Russia and China makes better business partners. Mali for example was able to reclaim land that was held by terrorist for years with the help of Russia's Wagner. Burkina just signed an energy deal with Russia for a nuclear power plant. A lot of the infrastructure in Africa including the AU, was built by China. Y'all say Russia and China is so evil, yet every country from every region of the world is begging to join Brics. 

[cousin_skeeter]

21 minutes ago, Illuminati said:

They're just moving from working with the US to working with Russia

African leaders have acknowledged Russia and China makes better business partners. Mali for example was able to reclaim land that was held by terrorist for years with the help of Russia's Wagner. Burkina just signed an energy deal with Russia for a nuclear power plant. A lot of the infrastructure in Africa including the AU, was built by China. Y'all say Russia and China is so evil, yet every country from every region of the world is begging to join Brics. 

[Communion]

46 minutes ago, wastedpotential said:

Let's put on our reading glasses for once, because "no decision" ≠ "no plan", and framing it in that light is disingenuous

The article in the OP links to the Pentagon personnel claiming to be aware of the article where it's reported the Pentagon had informed Niger that they would soon present the junta with their plan to disengage troops from the country, in response to Niger's decision to end US engagement.

 

That is why Ken has highlighted this clip, as the specific language that no such decision has been made directly contradicts the reporting that a plan exists.

This aligns with reports of US military personnel dragging their feet and trying to find a way for troops to stay within Niger.

 

Quote

Since then, US officials downplayed the magnitude of Niger's action and tried to promote a toned-down narrative that does not reflect badly on the United States. 

 

Celeste A. Wallander, an assistant secretary of defense, told lawmakers at the House Armed Services Committee that Niger's decision was not as severe as initially thought and that the US was trying to find a loophole to keep its troops in the African nation, The New York Times reported.

 

"The self-identified government of Niger has not asked or demanded that the United States military depart. There is actually quite a mixed message. We are following up and seeking clarification,” she said, adding that only the military accord was discarded.

 

Quote

No decision has been made by the US regarding its troops in Niger. Reporters were told by Pentagon Spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder when asked about the fate of US troops in Niger that "there's been no decisions made at this stage on the movement of US forces."

 

"Well, I did see that article...I really don't have anything on that... To my knowledge, there continue to be ongoing discussions at this time," he added.

 

Edited March 31 by Communion

[wastedpotential]

16 minutes ago, Communion said:

The article in the OP links to the Pentagon personnel claiming to be aware of the article where it's reported the Pentagon had informed Niger that they would soon present the junta with their plan to disengage troops from the country, in response to Niger's decision to end US engagement.

 

That is why Ken has highlighted this clip, as the specific language that no such decision has been made directly contradicts the reporting that a plan exists.

This aligns with reports of US military personnel dragging their feet and trying to find a way for troops to stay within Niger.

 

 

 

I think this can be chalked up much more to bureaucratic bullshit than any nefarious intentions. I'll grant that the link between the discussions and the plan is a bit murkier than I'd originally thought (my apologies for the snide comment upthread, I just presumed you were twisting things to fit your narratives and had only skimmed the article you linked), but aside from the sunk cost (and the cited $250M is a drop in the bucket for DoD), there's little incentive for the US to stay in Niger and many for it to leave. It might take a little while for the bureaucrats in the room (Celestine Wallander, for instance) to come to terms with the fact that the junta in Niger is going to share the exact same lack of interest in cooperation with the US as just about every other junta we've seen in Africa in the past 30 years, but once that realization is made, I'd imagine that she'll refocus her aims for the DoD to "maintain its technological edge and accomplish its geopolitical and strategic objectives" with the countries in Africa (Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana etc.) that have shown themselves to be more interested in maintaining dialogue with the US. AFRICOM has very little say in deciding whether or not to pull out (though they shape a lot of what it might look like), so I don't think Gen. Langley's comments will impact the decisions being made above his pay grade, and Matt Gaetz is just fishing for a soundbite and will play zero role in making that decision once he leaves the room (and quite frankly, I don't think anyone wants him to be involved in the decision making either). 

 

Hopefully, in a week or three when someone reminds the brains at DoD, the State Department, and the White House that the Nigerien government actually wants them gone and this isn't just a PR campaign to shore up domestic support in the aftermath of the coup, they'll decide to pull out. I guess I wouldn't put it past them to stay, either as some message of power projection or in a futile hope to wait out this particular junta for the next coup, but that would be a very stupid move on their part, and I'd like to think that the strategic minds are a little more focused than that and can learn from their mistakes. 

[Luckitty]

so occupation?

[If U Seek Amy]

The US should leave in that case. But not the pro Russia/China support posts already 💀

[Communion]

 

[Taylor fanboy]

On 4/1/2024 at 4:52 AM, cousin_skeeter said:

African leaders have acknowledged Russia and China makes better business partners. Mali for example was able to reclaim land that was held by terrorist for years with the help of Russia's Wagner. Burkina just signed an energy deal with Russia for a nuclear power plant. A lot of the infrastructure in Africa including the AU, was built by China. Y'all say Russia and China is so evil, yet every country from every region of the world is begging to join Brics. 

China is evil. Are you not familiar with their invasion of the islands and seas in Southeast Asia?

[Taylor fanboy]

7 hours ago, Taylor fanboy said:

China is evil. Are you not familiar with their invasion of the islands and seas in Southeast Asia?

What's so funny @Cesar?

[Cesar]

9 minutes ago, Taylor fanboy said:

What's so funny @Cesar?

the US isn't exactly so innocent + chinas invasion is small in comparison to US imperialism 

 

[Taylor fanboy]

1 hour ago, Cesar said:

the US isn't exactly so innocent + chinas invasion is small in comparison to US imperialism 

 

Did I say US is innocent?

 

Calling Southeast Asian abuse "small" is disgusting.

[Rep2000]

1 hour ago, Cesar said:

the US isn't exactly so innocent + chinas invasion is small in comparison to US imperialism 

 

Do shut the **** up, dear.

Edited May 19 by Rep2000

[Communion]

32 minutes ago, Taylor fanboy said:

Did I say US is innocent?

 

Calling Southeast Asian abuse "small" is disgusting.

 

28 minutes ago, Rep2000 said:

Do shut the **** up, dear.

I'm confused - citizens in places like Philippines would reasonably dislike China and have their own issues with them... but what do Filipinos or SEA have to do with Niger? 

 

Have countries in SEA rejected economic alliances with America for its economic ravaging of nations in Africa (which is what I believe @Cesar is trying to say - that trade and economic hostilities are not the same as war, and so where has any SEA nation with issues with China shown solidarity with those exploited by the US)?

 

This double standard ironically reiterating what the junta in Niger found offensive. 

[Taylor fanboy]

3 hours ago, Communion said:

 

I'm confused - citizens in places like Philippines would reasonably dislike China and have their own issues with them... but what do Filipinos or SEA have to do with Niger? 

 

Have countries in SEA rejected economic alliances with America for its economic ravaging of nations in Africa (which is what I believe @Cesar is trying to say - that trade and economic hostilities are not the same as war, and so where has any SEA nation with issues with China shown solidarity with those exploited by the US)?

 

This double standard ironically reiterating what the junta in Niger found offensive. 

Hey sis, my call out was the narrative that China was not being deemed to acting in bad faith like others.

 

And I will not tolerate comments about their actions towards SEA being "small", most especially not on the account of me slightly being accused of calling the US "innocent" and simply vilifying and singling out China.

Edited May 19 by Taylor fanboy

[Movimento Perpétuo]