ANALYSIS – Joe Biden can't do anything right. Niger's illegitimate military junta has revoked with immediate effect a military accord that allows the U.S. to mount counterterrorism operations in the Sahel from its military drone base in Niger.
The announcement followed a visit to the capital, Niamey, by Biden Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee, the State Department's top official for African affairs, and Gen. Michael E. Langley, who heads U.S. military operations in Africa.
The statement read on television, “denounced with force the condescending attitude” of the head of the U.S. delegation, which he said had undermined the long relationship between the two countries. The junta's spokesman said Niger was “denouncing with immediate effect” the accord with the U.S. military. (RELATED: Biden Plotting Coup Against Top US Ally?)
The United States operates a major drone base in the north of Niger with around 1,100 military staff. It is the world's largest. The Pentagon built Air Base 201 six years ago at Agadez for $110 million. It has been vital for monitoring extremist groups connected to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.
The base is critical for U.S. counterterrorism operations in the Sahel and has been used for both manned and unmanned surveillance operations, but recent drone flights are only being conducted for force protection of U.S. troops there.
Meanwhile, the county's ruling junta has largely been in control in Niger since July when mutinous soldiers ousted the country's democratically elected president and months later asked French forces to leave. (RELATED: Fmr. President Formally Accused Of Coup)
X user Seth Harp claims above that neither Americans nor Nigeriens voted for this base, but we have a Republic (or representative democracy) which means we elect representatives to make these decisions for us. If we don't like those myriad decisions, we should vote them out.
The Pentagon's deputy press secretary said Monday the U.S. officials had “lengthy and direct” discussions with the junta officials in part spurred by concerns over Niger's growing relationships with Russia and Iran.
“We were troubled on the path that Niger is on,” she said.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the U.S. was “closely monitoring the Russian defense activities” there in order “to assess and mitigate potential risk to U.S. personnel, interests and assets.”
Gen. Langley warned earlier this year that if the U.S. closed the drone base, the move would be “impactful” in Niger and the region and for the United States' broader counterterrorism strategy.
“If we can't see, we can't sense,” he said. “If we lose our footprint in the Sahel, that will degrade our ability to do active watching and warning, including for homeland defense.”
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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