REPORT: U.S. to Withdraw Troops from Niger
In yet another failed foreign policy for the Biden administration, U.S. troops are going to be pulled from Niger.
The decision was made after an agreement was reached between the prime minister of Niger, appointed by the ruling military junta, Ali Lamine Zeine, and U.S. deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell.
This will significantly impact U.S. and allied operations in the region.
Nice Job, Joe
Exactly when that withdrawal will begin is not yet known, as this deal was only recently reached.
The United States has about 1,000 troops deployed to the area, serving in two bases, including a drone base.
These bases have been used to attack ISIS and Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen, an al-Qaida affiliate, in the Sahel region.
Last year, control of Niger was seized during a military coup, which meant the end of a key security relationship for the United States.
The United States had invested hundreds of millions of dollars into training Niger’s military since it started operating in the area (2013).
With new leadership installed, the country has turned to Russia for security, with Russian troops recently arriving with their own equipment to train the Niger army.
Peter Pham, former U.S. special envoy for the Sahel region, stated, “In the short term, they [U.S. bases] will be hard to replace.”
The question now will be if Joe Biden will continue to send humanitarian aid to Niger since the Russians now appear to be its key ally.
As of the end of Fiscal Year 2023, the United States had been sending more than $264 million annually to Niger across all agencies, with most of that money going for emergency food and agricultural assistance.
If I were Biden, that aid would immediately cease while Russia was running the show.
While officials from both countries stated that they would continue to work together in areas of shared interests, the major benefit was in those bases and if troops have been removed and we lose those staging bases, Niger should be left to fend for itself.
