I’m waiting for my nephew to come back from there.  It sounds like things have gotten slightly more sporty than when I talked with him a couple weeks ago compared to a couple days ago…

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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/20/us-withdrawal-niger-security-pact-russia

The US will withdraw more than 1,000 military personnel from Niger in a move that will force the Biden administration to rethink its counter-terrorism strategy and amounts to a strategic victory for Russia.

The decision comes a month after the west African country’s ruling military junta revoked a security pact with Washington that had allowed American forces on its soil to help fight jihadist terrorism.

The withdrawal, expected to occur over the coming months, will mean the closure of a US drone facility, known as Base 201, at Agadez in the Sahara that was opened in 2018 at a cost of $110m.

The base, one of the main US drone facilities in Africa, has been used in operations against jihadist groups in the Sahel region and was reportedly the launchpad for a series of deadly strikes against Islamic State fighters in Libya in 2019.

Its a tiny us airforce drone base.  If not for the coup i might have been going there soon.

It has pronouns?

they're one letter short.

BREAKING: Russian troops enter base housing US military in Niger, US official says; US troops told to withdraw - Reuters

Breaking911  (@Breaking911) May 2, 2024

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/russian-troops-enter-base-housing-us-military-niger-us-official-says-2024-05-02/

Exclusive: Russian troops enter base housing US military in Niger, US official says
By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali
May 2, 20245:49 PM EDTUpdated 27 min ago

WASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - Russian military personnel have entered an air base in Niger that is hosting U.S. troops, a senior U.S. defense official told Reuters, a move that follows a decision by Niger's junta to expel U.S. forces from the country.

The military officers ruling the West African nation have told the U.S. to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country, which until a coup last year had been a key partner for Washington's fight against insurgents who have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more.

A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russian forces were not mingling with U.S. troops but were using a separate hanger at Airbase 101, which is next to Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger's capital.

The move by Russia's military puts U.S. and Russian troops in close proximity at a time when the nations' military and diplomatic rivalry is increasingly acrimonious over the conflict in Ukraine.

It also raises questions about the fate of U.S. installations in the country following a withdrawal.

"(The situation) is not great but in the short-term manageable," the official said.

The Nigerien and Russian embassies in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The U.S. and its allies have been forced to move troops out of a number of African countries following coups that brought to power groups eager to distance themselves from Western governments. In addition to the impending departure from Niger, U.S. troops have also left Chad in recent days, while French forces have been kicked out of Mali and Burkina Faso.

At the same time, Russia is seeking to strengthen relations with African nations, pitching Moscow as a friendly country with no colonial baggage in the continent.

Mali, for example, has in recent years become one of Russia's closest African allies, with the Wagner Group mercenary force deploying there to fight jihadist insurgents.

Russia has described relations with the United States as "below zero" because of U.S. military and financial aid for Ukraine in the war now approaching the end of its second year.

The U.S. official said Nigerien authorities had told President Joe Biden's administration that about 60 Russian military personnel would be in Niger, but the official could not verify that number.

After the coup, the U.S. military moved some of its forces in Niger from Airbase 101 to Airbase 201 in the city of Agadez. It was not immediately clear what U.S. military equipment remained at Airbase 101.

The United States built Airbase 201 in central Niger at a cost of more than $100 million. Since 2018 it has been used to target Islamic State and al Qaeda affiliate Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) fighters with armed drones.

Washington is concerned about Islamic militants in the Sahel region, who may be able to expand without the presence of U.S. forces and intelligence capabilities.

Niger's move to ask for the removal of U.S. troops came after a meeting in Niamey in mid-March, when senior U.S. officials raised concerns including the expected arrival of Russia forces and reports of Iran seeking raw materials in the country, including uranium.

While the U.S. message to Nigerien officials was not an ultimatum, the official said, it was made clear U.S. forces could not be on a base with Russian forces.
"They did not take that well," the official said.

A two-star U.S. general has been sent to Niger to try and arrange a professional and responsible withdrawal.

While no decisions have been taken on the future of U.S. troops in Niger, the official said the plan was for them to return to U.S. Africa Command's home bases, located in Germany.

https://asiatimes.com/2024/05/russia-riding-us-right-out-of-west-africa/

https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/02/politics/us-russian-forces-niger-base/index.html

Decisions have consequences.

A light colonel needs to rally the troops and shoot their way out.

What an unusual situation.

Gee, what letter could it bee?

So we are going to give this $110 million base to the Russians? I wonder how much the big guys kick back is?

I can’t wait to see the press conference on this with Joe reading from the teleprompter.

Yep.  Uncle Joe sides with the Marxist regimes.

The worst leaders aren't bad because they make the wrong decision, they're bad because they don't make a decision.

IMHO the base should have been blown to Helen Gone before the Russians arrived.

Why would we turn over an intact airbase?

And where has this been in the news?

Ha!

*snort*

In before half of the comments are deleted by a certain mod ...

I would be willing to pick it on a college campus for our troops

Hadn’t read much about it yet,  but did see just a few photos of demonstrations and some were  carrying signs that said something like ‘you must leave, no bonus so you must go’ I wonder just how much we were paying them to be our friend ?

If true, it would be prudent to have the 173rd spooled up and maybe fly some of the 82nd over to Italy as well.

What likely going on is Blinken’s shitty ass State Department thinks they can work this out, so nobody outside of Africa Com has made a plan to evacuate/withdraw these people.

Now, per another thread, Russian troops are on one of the bases. All we need is the Russians egging the Government or some group to take a shot at the Americans… or maybe look the other way when the terrorists the US has been going after decide on a little pay back.

So far, everything the Biden admin has done overseas has been a complete failure. He pissed off Saudi, he just insulted the Japanese. AFG, Africa, etc. I guess he hasn’t pissed on Kenya yet, which is about the only “friend” we have on that continent.

Where’s H Ross Perot when you need him?

Is Puff the Magic Dragon available?

On LIVE, NATIONAL television.

The French, say what you will, would have evacuated everyone and blown shit up a couple of weeks ago

What the fuck ?

I posted this in the “axis” thread awhile back. The Russians showed up in Libya about the time they arrived in Syria and ever since then they’ve increased ops in Africa, so has Iran and Turkey. Everyone already knows about China and France in Africa https://defence-blog.com/russia-increases-presence-in-africa/?amp

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Did we lose the embassy yet? Less important than the base, but I think FJB has the record for most evaced embassies in history. 5 or 6.

Not surprised, the result of having 25 year old's in command.

When it happens under a repub, Hollywood comes out with a headline movie at the beginning of election year (2008) to propagandize the masses into voting democrat.

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When it happens under a Democrat, nobody in hollywood or media says a word.

Never mind.

Afghanistan, heard of it?

How many soldiers does Russia really have left to deploy at this point?

Originally Posted By ZF-1:
PLOT TWIST: DUE TO MISCOMMUNICATION, US FORCES OUST MILITARY JUNTA AND TAKE OVER NIGER. "Whoops our bad" SAYS WHITE HOUSE.